Aluminum and Magnesium Alloys and Composites: Forming, Preparation, and Processing (Volume II)

Dear Colleagues,

In the modern world, the use of light structural materials has become inescapable and avant-garde design strategies are directed toward weight reduction (e.g., thin-walled components). To this end, aluminum and magnesium, having the lightest density of all common structural materials (ρ_Al = 2.7 g.cm⁻³, ρ_Mg = 1.7 g.cm⁻³), are regarded as the most popular lightweight metals, specifically in aviation, the automobile industry, architecture, marine vehicles, and daily life. Therefore, their utilization leads to a reduction in vehicle weight and fuel savings. Since these two metals are close to each other in Mendeleev’s periodic table, they also have almost similar properties, including atomic weight, strength, melting point, and elasticity. However, they exhibit different crystallographic structures that explain the fundamental differences in their forming behavior, crystal plastic anisotropy, deformation, and microstructural evolution mechanisms. Unlike aluminum, with a face-centered cubic (fcc) structure, magnesium is still limited in structural components mainly because of its restricted ambient temperature formability due to a shortage of independent deformation modes in its hexagonal close-packed (hcp) structure. Aluminum is the most used metal after steel and magnesium, with very low density (one-third lighter than aluminum) and a higher specific strength than aluminum alloys, making it extremely important in industrial applications. Hence, it is vital to improve the properties of Al- and Mg-based alloys and composites by designing new preparation methods, novel post-processing, and cheaper forming routes to achieve high-performance materials and expand the applications of these alloys in industry.

Various methods have been reported for the preparation of Al- and Mg-based alloys and composites with their own benefits and shortcomings. In addition, many post-processing, thermal, and deformation-based technologies and coating strategies have been applied to these alloys to improve their properties and performance. In this regard, the present issue aims to thoroughly discuss Al and Mg alloys and composites in terms of preparation methods, processing, forming, and related properties. It is hoped that the issue’s results will lead to a deeper understanding and expansion of the use of these alloys and composites in industry and pave the way toward producing high-efficiency components for many researchers and professionals.

Prof. Dr. Qudong Wang
Prof. Dr. Mahmoud Ebrahimi
Guest Editors

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. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 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.

• aluminum
• magnesium
• alloys and composites
• casting methods
• metal-forming processes
• grain refinements
• mechanical properties
• microstructure characterization