Cobalt-Based Alloys: From Prosthetic Dentistry to Hot Turbine Components (Volume II)

Dear Colleagues,

Nowadays, cobalt-based alloys are used in various applications: as refractory alloys for the hottest parts in aeronautical or power generation turbines, corrosion-resistant alloys for dental removal or fixed prostheses and other biomedical devices, wear-resistant alloys for hardfacing components, amorphous alloys for applications exploiting their magnetic properties … Among the first cobalt-based alloys to appear there were the conventionally cast chromium-rich ones which emerged about a century ago for responding dentistry needs and, a little later, their cousin cobalt-based superalloys which allowed developing turbines for WWII military aircrafts. From this period, the chemical composition and elaboration techniques were more or less continuously developed and improved. New elaboration ways, metallurgical strengthening principles, or answers for enhanced resistance against corrosion, for instance, are today investigated for crystalline cobalt-based superalloys (e.g. Cobalt-Rhenium-Chromium alloys or gamma/gamma prime Co-based single crystals) as for dental alloys (e.g. new compositions and machining  or additive manufacturing).

The purpose of this special issue of “Crystals”, entitled “Cobalt-based alloys: from prosthetic dentistry to hot turbine components” is to gather the most recent research results concerning single crystalline or polycrystalline cobalt-based alloys, coming from additional studies on well-known alloys or from works on recently developed metallurgical principles and fabrication processes. However, Co is now classified as CMR2 (carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic) element by the European Chemical Agency and should be forbitten in dental alloys up to 2025 and alternative solution have to be found. In this frame we are pleased to invite researchers to submit to us their contributions dealing with the following topics (not exhaustive list):

• Characterization of cobalt-based superalloys and other cobalt alloys for various applications
• Study of cast, wrought and Powder Metallurgy cobalt alloys
• Innovative compositions of alloys based on cobalt or with high content in cobalt (Co-Re-Cr, Co-W-Al, High Entropy alloys…)
• New elaboration ways for cobalt alloys (single-crystalline solidification, additive manufacturing…)
• Dependence of microstructures and properties on the chemical composition and the process parameters
• Characterization and understanding of the mechanical deformation/rupture and wear-phenomena
• Characterization of the behaviours in oxidation by various hot gases and in corrosion by liquid/molten medias (aqueous solutions, artificial saliva, molten salts or glasses)
• Co-Cr alternative crystalline materials for biomedical applications

Dr. Patrice Berthod
Dr. Pascal De March
Guest Editors

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