Preface

During the last decades, there has been a significant increase in the use of light alloys, which have the potential to replace ferrous alloys in engineering sectors. In general, aluminium alloys dominate over other light metals thanks to good properties, including their excellent compromise between mechanical properties and lightness, corrosion resistance, easy recyclability, and relatively low cost. The global demand for aluminium is growing and approximately 63 million tons of aluminium alloys were produced in 2018. In Europe alone, 7.8 million tons of aluminium alloys were produced in the same period. This increased production was possible thanks to the development of innovative manufacturing processes and new generations of aluminium alloys able to increase the final mechanical performance and the processability of the material. Some of these processes include casting, drawing, forging, rolling, extrusion, welding, powder metallurgy, and additive manufacturing.

This book provides a theoretical and practical understanding of the metallurgical principles in the design and development of innovative aluminium alloys and composites. It also presents and discusses a new generation of manufacturing processes and applications. Furthermore, the book is heavily illustrated to make the concepts clear.

The editor of this book hopes that practicing engineers, technicians, students, and all those interested in aluminium alloys, in particular the technical staff of aerospace, automotive, and defence industries, will find it useful. The editor would like to acknowledge the contributing authors for their excellent chapters.

> **Giulio Timelli** Department of Management and Engineering, University of Padua, Vicenza, Italy
