Dear Colleagues,

Adopting light-weight equipment and reducing the amount of materials we use are new and essential trends in science and technology, adopted to preserve our limited stores of natural resources and energy. Under this trend, the development, production and application of light-weight metals and alloys are becoming increasingly important. These metals and alloys are materials of relatively low density and high strength-to-weight ratios, e.g., lithium (Li), beryllium (Be), aluminum (Al), magnesium (Mg), titanium (Ti), and so on. Light-weight metal and alloys are widely used in aerospace, automotive, architectural, lithographic, packaging, and electrical applications. For example, about 70% of commercial civil aircraft airframes are made from aluminium alloys and, without aluminium, civil aviation would not be economically viable. One kilogram of metal saved in the design and construction of an aircraft can result in important weight savings, leading to reduced construction costs and fuel requirements. Beryllium is used in aircraft components, missiles, spacecraft, satellite gyroscopes, scan mirrors, sports equipment, and electronics as a structural and functional material; it comprises a beneficial combination of high flexural rigidity, thermal stability, thermal conductivity and low density. The development of high-performance light-weight metals and alloys is ever increasing. Materials with high performance, stability, and low cost are critical for realizing a sustainable future.

The aim of this Special Issue, “Advanced Light Metal and Alloys: Preparation, Characterization, and Applications”, is to present recent advancements in various aspects related to material design, processes and applications. These include, but are not limited to:

• The development of advanced light-weight metals and alloys with high strength, high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and other excellent properties;
• The design of high-performance light-weight metals and alloys using empirical, theoretical and computational methods, including DFT, deep learning, and so on;
• The development of new process methods and heat treatment methods of light-weight metals and alloys including friction stir processing (FSP), additive manufacturing (AM), and related topics;
• Microstructural evolution and related mechanism exploration in light-weight metals and alloys subjected to deformation, corrosion, creep and other processes.

We are pleased to invite you to submit full research papers, communications, and review papers to this Special Issue.

Dr. Pingping Liu
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2300 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• light metal and alloys
• Li
• Be
• Al
• Mg
• Ti
• material design
• additive manufacturing
• friction stir welding
• microstructure
• strengthening mechanisms