Selected Papers from the 2^nd International Conference on Light Materials LightMAT 2017

Dear Colleagues,

Since the beginning of industrial production in the late eighteenth century, the demand for light metals has been increasing steadily. Rapid technological development has simultaneously led to today’s alloys and production processes. Nowadays, light metals are spread throughout nearly all technical applications of human life. The present means of transportation would have been inconceivable without light metals.

Compared to fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs), metallic light materials, such as aluminum, and magnesium alloys, as well as titanium alloys, provide an excellent impact toughness, good wear, and thermal resistance, as well as high life cycle fatigue, along with moderate materials and processing costs, and, furthermore, an outstanding recyclability. However, owing to the ongoing need for weight reduction, alternative structural materials, such as high-strength FRPs, penetrate more and more into transportation applications. Consequently, effective weight reduction calls for advanced material compositions. This necessitates a multidisciplinary approach that combines materials science and production technology with designing and dimensioning.

Taking up these aspects, the 2^nd International Conference on Light Materials LightMAT 2017 (https://lightmat2017.dgm.de) gives a comprehensive overview and new insight into the three most important light metals: Aluminium, magnesium, and titanium, and their combinations. These materials are viewed individually or in combination in multi-material designs, including aspects of processing, joining, and corrosion protection. In addition, promising enabling-technologies, such as additive manufacturing are highlighted.

• Conventional and advanced light weight applications and products in automotive, aerospace and other relevant transport and lightweight applications
• Fundamental aspects of the three metallic lightweight materials and their alloys, their processing and (physical) metallurgy issues involved
• Microstructure evolution, related properties and advanced simulation
• Industrial fabrication, processing, joining and corrosion protection issues
• Additive manufacturing of metallic structures enabling novel lightweight designs

This Special Issue on “Light Materials” is set to publish selected works presented at this event, in order to share recent progress and new achievements in this emerging field with broader scientific and industrial communities.

Axel von Hehl
Jürgen Hirsch
Karl Ulrich Kainer
Christoph Leyens
Guest Editors

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