Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Environments in Energy and Aerospace

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Guests Editors are pleased to announce the Topic entitled “Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Environments in Energy and Aerospace”.

This Topic will spotlight cutting-edge research and technological advancements that are shaping the future of energy and aerospace materials and manufacturing processes. As the energy and aerospace industries evolve to meet the demands of next-generation energy, space exploration, aircraft, and sustainable aviation, the development of high-performance materials and innovative manufacturing techniques has become increasingly critical.

This Topic aims to bring together contributions that address these challenges through novel materials, smart manufacturing, and integrated design approaches that endure extreme environments. We invite original research articles, reviews, and case studies on topics including, but not limited to the following:

• Extreme-temperature and lightweight materials for energy and aerospace applications.
• Advanced and additive manufacturing of components for energy systems, air vehicles, and spacecraft.
• Materials characterization and performance under extreme conditions of temperature, corrosion, catalysis, plasma, and radiation exposure.
• Metals, composite materials, and multifunctional structures.
• Advanced integrated coatings and surface engineering.
• Digital manufacturing, AI-driven process and composition control, AI-driven design, advanced materials, and Industry 4.0 in energy and aerospace.

All submissions will undergo a rigorous peer-review process to ensure scientific excellence and relevance. Accepted papers will be published open access to maximize visibility and impact within the global research community.

Prof. Dr. Richard E. Wirz
Prof. Dr. Chih-Hung (Alex) Chang
Dr. Tianyi Chen
Dr. Somayeh Pasebani
Dr. Dong Lin
Dr. Devin J. Roach
Dr. Jesse A. Rodriguez
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Aerospace aerospace	2.2	4.0	2014	22.9 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Applied Sciences applsci	2.5	5.5	2011	16 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Astronautics astronautics	-	-	2026	15.0 days *	CHF 1000	Submit
Coatings coatings	2.8	5.4	2011	13 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Journal of Composites Science jcs	3.7	5.8	2017	15.9 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing jmmp	3.3	5.2	2017	15.9 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Materials materials	3.2	6.4	2008	15.5 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Polymers polymers	4.9	9.7	2009	14.4 Days	CHF 2700	Submit

* Median value for all MDPI journals in the second half of 2025.

Preprints.org is a multidisciplinary platform offering a preprint service designed to facilitate the early sharing of your research. It supports and empowers your research journey from the very beginning.

MDPI Topics is collaborating with Preprints.org and has established a direct connection between MDPI journals and the platform. Authors are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by posting their preprints at Preprints.org prior to publication:

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2. Safeguard your intellectual contribution: Protect your ideas with a time-stamped preprint that serves as proof of your research timeline.
3. Boost visibility and impact: Increase the reach and influence of your research by making it accessible to a global audience.
4. Gain early feedback: Receive valuable input and insights from peers before submitting to a journal.
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Published Papers (6 papers)

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All Aerospace Applied Sciences Astronautics Coatings J. Compos. Sci. JMMP Materials Polymers

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13 pages, 3017 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Thermal Stress Evolution and Microstructural Development in Simulated Lunar Regolith During Microwave Sintering and Cooling

by Zhenhua Xi, Qiang Wei and Yuming Liu

Coatings 2026, 16(2), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16020222 - 9 Feb 2026

Abstract

Microwave sintering technology is widely regarded as one of the most promising construction techniques for in situ resource utilization in lunar bases due to its high energy efficiency and unique heating mechanism. However, the extremely low-temperature environment on the lunar surface creates a [...] Read more.

Microwave sintering technology is widely regarded as one of the most promising construction techniques for in situ resource utilization in lunar bases due to its high energy efficiency and unique heating mechanism. However, the extremely low-temperature environment on the lunar surface creates a transient temperature gradient of over a thousand degrees Celsius between the sintered body’s surface and its interior. This temperature difference induces significant thermal stress during the cooling process, leading to macroscopic surface cracks and even structural failure, which severely limits the engineering feasibility of this technology. To evaluate the surface integrity of lunar in situ sintered bodies and determine the safe processing window for microwave sintering, this study develops a multiphysics computational model that couples electromagnetic, thermal, and stress fields. The results show that when the cooling rate is below 15 °C/min, the surface stress remains below the material’s tensile strength threshold, effectively preventing crack formation. However, at a cooling rate of 16 °C/min, the surface stress exceeds this threshold, leading to crack initiation. Further analysis reveals that the cooling rate significantly affects the microstructure, with slow cooling maintaining a dense structure, while fast cooling promotes the formation of microcracks, particularly in regions with low Si/Al content. This study provides a reference for the microwave sintering process of lunar regolith and proposes a strategy of controlling the cooling rate below 15 °C/min. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Environments in Energy and Aerospace)

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15 pages, 32660 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Lightning Strike Protection of CFRP Laminates Using Nickel-Coated Carbon Fiber Nonwoven Veils

by Minqiang Jiang, Xiaoling Liu, Chris Rudd, Guocai Li, Weiping Liu, Zhenghua Cao and Xiaosu Yi

J. Compos. Sci. 2026, 10(2), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs10020069 - 31 Jan 2026

Viewed by 168

Abstract

The lightning strike protection (LSP) performance of nickel-coated carbon fiber nonwoven veils (NiCVs) with varying areal densities, integrated onto the surface of CFRP laminates, was evaluated through simulated lightning strike tests. Post-strike damage was evaluated through visual inspection, non-destructive ultrasonic testing, residual strength [...] Read more.

The lightning strike protection (LSP) performance of nickel-coated carbon fiber nonwoven veils (NiCVs) with varying areal densities, integrated onto the surface of CFRP laminates, was evaluated through simulated lightning strike tests. Post-strike damage was evaluated through visual inspection, non-destructive ultrasonic testing, residual strength measurements, and microstructural examinations. Results indicated that the protection effectiveness improved with increasing NiCV areal density. The laminate with a 68 g/m² NiCV layer showed substantially reduced damage—its damage volume, damage area, and maximum damage depth decreased to 18%, 40%, and 51% of those of the control laminate—and it retained 95% of the reference compression strength, demonstrating the strong post-strike protection capability of this lightweight veil. A detailed analysis suggested that the NiCV LSP performance may arise from a mechanism involving high electrical conductivity, a thermally stable coated-fiber skeleton, as well as a distributed nonwoven network architecture. These results highlight NiCV as a promising functional approach for enhancing the lightning strike protection of CFRP aerostructures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Environments in Energy and Aerospace)

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20 pages, 18100 KB  

Open AccessArticle

High-Temperature Fretting Fatigue Mechanisms and Microstructure-Sensitive Life Modeling of Laser-Clad IN718/WC Composite Coatings

by Jian Wang, Shaoxin Yang, Haotian Yang, Jiaqi Chen, Zhiyong Huang and Binbin Lin

Coatings 2026, 16(2), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16020181 - 31 Jan 2026

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Abstract

Very-high-cycle fretting fatigue (VHCFF) behavior at elevated temperatures is critical for the safety and longevity of aerospace components. This study investigates the VHCFF mechanisms of laser-clad IN718/20%WC composite coatings at 650 °C. Fatigue tests were conducted to generate S-N data, and the resulting [...] Read more.

Very-high-cycle fretting fatigue (VHCFF) behavior at elevated temperatures is critical for the safety and longevity of aerospace components. This study investigates the VHCFF mechanisms of laser-clad IN718/20%WC composite coatings at 650 °C. Fatigue tests were conducted to generate S-N data, and the resulting wear and fracture morphologies were characterized. Crack initiation was found to preferentially occur in grains exhibiting higher Schmid factors, lower elastic moduli, and larger equivalent sizes. To simulate fretting fatigue, a crystal plasticity finite element model (CPFEM) incorporating the actual microstructure was developed. An improved fatigue indicator parameter (FIP) was proposed, which integrates multiple physically significant factors including plastic strain, dislocation density, elastic modulus, and grain size. Life predictions based on a critical FIP value demonstrated high accuracy, with 97.6% of the results falling within a ±3.5 scatter band of the experimental data, confirming the model’s effectiveness in predicting crack initiation life. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Environments in Energy and Aerospace)

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16 pages, 11769 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Angle Sampling-Based Adaptive Heteroscedastic Gaussian Process Regression for Multi-Sensor Fusion On-Machine Measurement

by Yuanyuan Zheng, Xiaobing Gao, Lijuan Li and Xinlong Lv

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(3), 1450; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16031450 - 31 Jan 2026

Viewed by 139

Abstract

The on-machine measurement (OMM) of aero-engine blades is a critical technology for enabling closed-loop manufacturing. However, when using line laser sensors with a fixed scanning pose to measure free-form surfaces, the variation in surface geometry leads to changing incident angles, which in turn [...] Read more.

The on-machine measurement (OMM) of aero-engine blades is a critical technology for enabling closed-loop manufacturing. However, when using line laser sensors with a fixed scanning pose to measure free-form surfaces, the variation in surface geometry leads to changing incident angles, which in turn induce non-stationary noise. To address this issue, this paper proposes a multi-sensor fusion method utilizing Adaptive Heteroscedastic Gaussian Process Regression (AHGPR) based on a Spatial-Angle-Balanced Sampling (S-ABS) strategy. The AHGPR explicitly integrates the physical mapping of incident angle errors into its covariance structure, thereby automatically adjusting observation weights according to the local geometric posture. Concurrently, the S-ABS strategy captures the high-error characteristic points with large incident angles while maintaining a globally uniform spatial distribution. The experimental data indicate that this approach addresses the sampling deficiency encountered at the leading and trailing edges and in areas with large incident angles. The proposed approach reduced the impact of optical deviations on measurement accuracy and improved the precision of the process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Environments in Energy and Aerospace)

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15 pages, 5893 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Influence of the Ti₂AlC Sintering Additive on the Behaviour of ZrB₂-SiC Ultra-High Temperature Ceramic in a Subsonic CO₂ Plasma Flow

by Elizaveta P. Simonenko, Aleksey V. Chaplygin, Nikolay P. Simonenko, Ilya V. Lukomskii, Anton S. Lysenkov, Ilya A. Nagornov, Kirill A. Barsukovsky, Tatiana L. Simonenko, Artem S. Mokrushin, Anatoly F. Kolesnikov and Nikolay T. Kuznetsov

J. Compos. Sci. 2025, 9(12), 691; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9120691 - 12 Dec 2025

Viewed by 592

Abstract

The investigation of the behavior of ZrB₂-SiC-based ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) materials under high-velocity CO₂ plasma flow is of significant importance and relevance for evaluating their prospective use in the exploration of planets such as Venus or Mars. Accordingly, the [...] Read more.

The investigation of the behavior of ZrB₂-SiC-based ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) materials under high-velocity CO₂ plasma flow is of significant importance and relevance for evaluating their prospective use in the exploration of planets such as Venus or Mars. Accordingly, the degradation process of a ZrB₂-30 vol.% SiC ceramic composite, fabricated by hot-pressing at 1700 °C with a 15 vol.% Ti₂AlC sintering aid, was examined using a high-frequency induction plasmatron. It was found that the modification of the ceramic’s elemental and phase composition during consolidation, resulting from the interaction between ZrB₂ and Ti₂AlC, leads to the formation of an approximately 400 µm-thick multi-layered oxidation zone following 15 min stepwise thermochemical exposure at surface temperatures reaching up to 1970 °C. This area consists of a lower layer depleted of silicon carbide and an upper layer containing large pores (up to 160–200 µm), where ZrO₂ particles are distributed within a silicate melt. SEM analysis revealed that introduction of more refractory titanium and aluminum oxides into the melt upon oxidation, along with liquation within the melt, prevents the complete removal of this sealing melt from the sample surface. This effect remains even after 8 min exposure at an average temperature of ~1960–1970 °C. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Environments in Energy and Aerospace)

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30 pages, 5289 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Unveiling the Hidden Cascade: Secondary Particle Generation in Hybrid Halide Perovskites Under Space-Relevant Ionizing Radiation

by Ivan E. Novoselov, Seif O. Cholakh and Ivan S. Zhidkov

Aerospace 2025, 12(11), 1015; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12111015 - 14 Nov 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 539

Abstract

Hybrid halide perovskites are promising materials for optoelectronics and space applications due to their excellent light absorption, high efficiency, and light weight. However, their stability under radiation exposure remains a key challenge, especially in space environments, where high-energy particles can cause significant damage. [...] Read more.

Hybrid halide perovskites are promising materials for optoelectronics and space applications due to their excellent light absorption, high efficiency, and light weight. However, their stability under radiation exposure remains a key challenge, especially in space environments, where high-energy particles can cause significant damage. Here, we present the effects of primary and secondary radiation on perovskite materials, using Monte-Carlo simulations with the GEANT4 toolkit. The interactions of protons, electrons, neutrons, and γ-rays with APbI3 (A = Ma, FA, Cs) perovskites under space-relevant conditions typical for low Earth orbit (LEO) were studied. The results show that different perovskite compositions respond uniquely to radiation: CsPbI₃ generates higher-energy secondary positrons, neutrons, and protons, while MAPbI₃ produces more secondary electrons under proton irradiation. Mixed-cation perovskites exhibit narrower energy distributions for secondary γ-rays, indicating material-dependent differences in radiation tolerance. These findings suggest the potential role of secondary particle generation in perovskite degradation, based on our simulations, and they emphasize the need for comprehensive modeling to improve the radiation resistance of perovskite-based technologies for space applications. Future studies should consider contributions from encapsulating materials in device structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Extreme Environments in Energy and Aerospace)

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