Dear Colleagues,

Coating technologies and surface modifications are at the forefront of our suite of techniques we utilize to mitigate degradation mechanisms such as corrosion and wear, as well as provide functional properties such as antibacterial effect. There is a truly vast array of possible coating chemistries and if we add the extensive variety of coating techniques that are available, there is significant scope for the development of new alloy coatings with novel properties. Emerging alloy material classes such as high entropy alloys, bulk metallic glasses, amorphous alloys and even metamaterials have shown potential applications for surface engineering. There are also some very exciting advancements in the fields such as laser processing, hybrid physical (or chemical) vapor deposition, suspension thermal spraying, and the synergies of these techniques with are accelerating the pace of surface engineered coatings development. Thin-film deposition processes such as magnetron sputtering remain in high demand for metallic films, with their application continuing to expand into new fields of electronics and space technology.

In the surface engineering of new alloys, from highly precise thin-films to thick hard-wear coatings, there remain many unanswered research questions. Some of these questions are around alloy interaction with its processing variables. The non-equilibrium nature of most coating formation process can create coatings, interfaces and films with unique properties such as amorphous microstructure or nanoscale features. For these reasons, we have launched this Special Issue dedicated to the exciting field of new alloy coatings, coating technologies and coating properties. This includes fundamental studies on the microstructure, processing and properties of coatings, as well as applied studies on the use of coatings in industrial applications. We welcome submissions on wear- and corrosion-resistant coatings such as those produced by thermal spraying, laser processing, and other energy deposition techniques. We also welcome articles written about metallic thin-film coatings deposited by techniques such as physical (or chemical) vapor deposition. Articles on surface-modified alloys are also welcome. 

Prof. Dr. Christopher C. Berndt
Dr. Andrew Ang
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. Alloys is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1000 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.

• coating
• thermal spray
• laser processing, laser cladding
• physical vapor deposition
• thin film