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Advanced Coating Research for Metal Surface Protection

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Thin Films and Interfaces".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 1780

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Impresa “Mario Lucertini”, Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata", via del Politecnico, 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
Interests: heat treatment; welding; microstructure; mechanical properties; mechanical behavior of materials; metallurgical engineering; material characterization; mechanical testing; metals; materials; materials processing; advanced materials; corrosion; material characteristics; grain boundaries; plasticity; metal forming; materials testing; solidification; surface engineering; corrosion testing; dislocation mechanics; corrosion engineering; corrosion science; foundry; micromechanical testing; coating technology; compression; coatings science; recrystallisation; aluminium

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Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Ingegneria dell’Impresa “Mario Lucertini”, Università degli Studi di Roma "Tor Vergata", via del Politecnico, 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
Interests: graphene; electrodeposition technologies of innovative materials; simulation of manufacturing processes; additive manufacturing; characterization of coatings; foundry technologies, thermal management components

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metal surface protection is a critical area of research due to the wide range of applications in which it can be applied. Industries such as aerospace, automotive, marine, and electronics are constantly looking for innovative and high-performance solutions. With the increasing demand for materials that can withstand harsh environments and corrosion, there is a growing need for advanced coating solutions that offer superior protection and durability. From enhancing the longevity of critical infrastructure to revolutionizing the performance of next-generation electronics, coatings play a pivotal role in safeguarding metal surfaces against corrosion, wear, and environmental degradation.

This Special Issue aims to collect scientific contributions related to conventional or unconventional processes and highlight new aspects of processing and manufacturing methods, coating technology, and materials that can be used to produce high-performance components. Furthermore, characterization methods and computational approaches for modeling the process and material properties (such as numerical simulations, mathematical modeling, optimization, control, etc.) and contributions featuring an environmental impact analysis (LCA) are of interest.

Dr. Nadia Ucciardello
Dr. Daniele Almonti
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 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.

Keywords

  • coating
  • surface protection
  • FEA
  • LCA
  • processing
  • manufacturing
  • filler
  • abrasive resistance
  • corrosion resistance
  • graphene

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 33714 KiB  
Article
Microstructure and Wear Behavior of WMoTaNbV Refractory High-Entropy Alloy Coating on Ti6Al4V Alloy Surface Prepared by Laser Cladding
by Jiazhu Liang, Hongxi Liu, Qinghua Zhang, Ling Zhou and Yuanrun Peng
Materials 2025, 18(8), 1770; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18081770 - 12 Apr 2025
Viewed by 267
Abstract
WMoTaNbV refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) have received widespread attention due to their excellent low-temperature toughness, hardness, and wear resistance. In recent years, the rapid development of surface modification technology represented by laser cladding has provided a new technological path for RHEA surface forming, [...] Read more.
WMoTaNbV refractory high-entropy alloys (RHEAs) have received widespread attention due to their excellent low-temperature toughness, hardness, and wear resistance. In recent years, the rapid development of surface modification technology represented by laser cladding has provided a new technological path for RHEA surface forming, and at the same time put forward higher requirements for raw material powder. In this study, WMoTaNbV RHEA spherical powder was prepared by radiofrequency plasma spheronization, and then WMoTaNbV RHEA coating was prepared on the surface of Ti6Al4V (TC4) alloy by laser cladding technique. The experimental results show that the prepared alloy powders have very high sphericity and are almost free of agglomeration and oxidation. Coatings with laser powers of 3.1–3.9 kW (gradient setting of 2 kW) were tested, with the 3.3, 3.5, and 3.7 kW coatings showing the best of the abrasion resistance. The microhardness of the 3.3 kW, 3.5 kW, and 3.7 kW coatings was 1.72, 1.97, and 1.76 times higher than that of the substrate, and the wear resistance was 1.83, 3.42, and 2.13 times higher than that of the TC4 substrate, respectively. This experimental result shows that the surface hardness and wear resistance of WNbMoTaV RHEA coating can be effectively improved by precisely regulating the laser power, thus improving the surface hardness and friction and wear properties of TC4 titanium alloy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Coating Research for Metal Surface Protection)
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18 pages, 9431 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Wear Resistance and Thermal Dissipation of Copper–Graphene Composite Coatings via Pulsed Electrodeposition for Circuit Breaker Applications
by Daniele Almonti, Daniel Salvi, Nadia Ucciardello and Silvia Vesco
Materials 2024, 17(23), 6017; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17236017 - 9 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1033
Abstract
Copper, though highly conductive, requires improved wear resistance and thermal dissipation in applications that involve continuous movement and current-induced vibrations, such as power breakers. Conventional solutions, such as copper–tungsten alloys or lubricant use, face limitations in durability, friction, or environmental impact. This study [...] Read more.
Copper, though highly conductive, requires improved wear resistance and thermal dissipation in applications that involve continuous movement and current-induced vibrations, such as power breakers. Conventional solutions, such as copper–tungsten alloys or lubricant use, face limitations in durability, friction, or environmental impact. This study explores the development of copper–graphene (Cu-GNPs) composite coatings using pulsed electrodeposition to enhance the tribological, thermal, and mechanical properties of circuit breaker components by adopting an industrially scalable technique. The influence of deposition bath temperature, duty cycle, and frequency on coating morphology, hardness, wear resistance, and heat dissipation was systematically evaluated using a 23 full factorial design and an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results revealed that optimized pulsed electrodeposition significantly improved coating performance: hardness increased by 76%, wear volume decreased by more than 99%, and friction coefficient stabilized at 0.2, reflecting effective graphene integration. The addition of graphene further improved thermal diffusivity by 19.5%, supporting superior heat dissipation. These findings suggest that pulsed copper–graphene composite coatings offer a promising alternative to traditional copper alloys, enhancing the lifespan and reliability of electronic components through improved wear resistance, lower friction, and superior heat transfer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Coating Research for Metal Surface Protection)
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