Special issue on advanced processing and assessment technologies for high-performance lightweight structures

Lightweight materials and structures contribute to the effort to improve energy efficiency by reducing structural weight and energy consumption, which reduces CO₂ emissions from automobiles, aircraft and railway trains. Advances in processing and manufacturing technologies, such as novel forming processes, additive manufacturing technologies, and thermo-mechanical treatment, lead to the manufacture of lightweight complex structures with superior structural, mechanical and functional properties. Through further structural optimisation and material microstructure control, such as grain refinement induced in processes involving severe plastic deformation (SPD), ultrafine-grained (UFG) metallic materials and structures can be obtained. These typically exhibit superior strength and improved corrosion and wear performance, compared to conventional coarse-grained (CG) materials, and promise significant lightweight potential for various applications.

Topics covered:

• Lightweight materials and design: ultra-high strength steels, aluminium alloy, magnesium alloy, titanium alloy, composites
• Advanced processing/manufacturing method: heat-treatment processing, thermo-mechanical processing, severe plastic deformation (SPD) processing, bulk and sheet metal forming (especially those involving SPD), additive manufacturing, subtractive manufacturing
• Modelling and numerical methods for control and optimisation of processing and manufacturing processes, including constitutive modelling
• Microstructure characterisation (SEM, EBSD and TEM etc.) and mechanical property characterisation
• Structural integrity and mechanical properties for light materials and structural components

Important deadlines:

• Submission deadline: 30 June 2023

Submission instructions:

Please read the Guide for Authors before submitting. All articles should be submitted online; please select Lightweight structures on submission.

Guest editors:

• Dr. Wenbin Zhou, Imperial College London, UK. Email: w.zhou15@imperial.ac.uk
• Prof. Livan Fratini, University of Palermo, Italy. Email: livan.fratini@unipa.it
• Prof. Dae-Cheol Ko, Pusan National University, Korea. Email: dcko@pusan.ac.kr
• Prof. Zbigniew Kowalewski, Institute of Fundamental Technological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland. Email: zkowalew@ippt.pan.pl
• Prof. Jianguo Lin, Imperial College London, UK. Email: jianguo.lin@imperial.ac.uk