Woodhead Publishing, 2010 pp680, £160, ISBN 9781845695378

Light metals – aluminium, magnesium and titanium and their alloys are the material of choice in a variety of applications. Their low density and high strength-to-weight ratio make them ideal materials for use in transport, aerospace, sports equipment and biomedical devices. Many light alloys have unique properties and can be used in specialist areas. For example, excellent biocompatibility makes titanium alloys an ideal material for body implants. This book provides a comprehensive review of the latest technologies for modifying the surfaces of light alloys to improve their corrosion, wear and tribological properties.

It is organised into three parts, putting concepts into context by first describing the surface degradation that light alloys suffer, then the technologies available to mitigate the effects and finally their applications.

The first section considers the corrosion behaviour of magnesium alloys and the protection techniques used. It also considers wear properties and tribological behaviour of aluminium and titanium based alloys. The text reviews surface engineering technologies available for minimising the degradation of light alloy surfaces. The authors consider a range of technologies with a full explanation of each. Some topics covered include thermal spraying, plasma immersion ion implantation treatments and ceramic conversion. The final section of the books covers applications for surface engineered light alloys including sports equipment, biomedical devices and plasma electrolytic oxidation and anodised aluminium alloys for spacecraft applications.

The remit of the book might seem too broad, but Dong must be congratulated for his editing. The book is well referenced by contributors passionate about the subject, and is expert enough to dissect the minutiae clearly but not so obsessed as to leave a reader trailing behind. Tables and figures combine well with the text to provide illustrative explanations. The book considers well-established technologies as well as the latest research and development efforts.

I strongly recommend this book to people active in this area or those wishing to enter this area of investigation. It should be a standard reference for engineers and scientists looking for a comprehensive source of information on surface engineering of aluminium, magnesium and titanium alloys.