Lightweight alloys and high-performance composites are essential materials in the aerospace and automotive industries, enabling significant improvements in fuel efficiency, performance, and overall system reliability. As these industries move towards sustainability and higher performance standards, the demand for advanced materials that combine strength, durability, and reduced weight is growing exponentially.

At the Global Conference on Materials Science and Advanced Manufacturing (MSAM – 2026), this session explores the latest breakthroughs in lightweight alloys and high-performance composites, focusing on their applications in aerospace and automotive sectors. These materials are pivotal in developing energy-efficient systems, enhancing vehicle performance, and driving innovations in the manufacturing processes.

We invite submissions and expert talks on:

• Aluminum Alloys for Aerospace and Automotive Applications: Highlighting advanced aluminum alloys known for their excellent strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, and ease of fabrication. This session will cover their use in structural components, engines, and lightweight automotive bodywork.

• Titanium Alloys in High-Performance Applications: Examining the role of titanium alloys in aerospace and automotive systems, where their high strength, low weight, and excellent corrosion resistance make them ideal for critical components such as engine parts, turbine blades, and aerospace structures.

• Magnesium Alloys: Emerging Lightweight Solutions: Exploring magnesium alloys as the lightest structural metal, suitable for aerospace and automotive applications. We will focus on their potential to reduce weight in components such as engine blocks, chassis, and lightweight frames without sacrificing performance.

• Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymers (CFRP): Advanced Composites for Lightweighting: Discussing carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP), which offer exceptional strength and stiffness while being significantly lighter than traditional materials. This session will cover innovations in CFRP manufacturing, including autoclave-free curing, wet-layup techniques, and recyclable composites for mass production.

• Glass Fiber and Natural Fiber Composites for Sustainable Manufacturing: Examining the use of glass fibers and bio-based natural fibers such as flax and hemp in composites, focusing on their potential to replace traditional materials for non-structural components in both aerospace and automotive industries. These materials offer reduced environmental impact and increased sustainability.

• Hybrid Composites for Aerospace and Automotive Components: Investigating hybrid composites, which combine the benefits of both carbon fiber and glass fiber or metallic reinforcements to create materials that optimize cost, performance, and weight savings. This session will explore their use in crash structures, safety components, and aerodynamic surfaces.

• 3D Printing with High-Performance Composites: Exploring the role of additive manufacturing (3D printing) in producing lightweight, complex, and customized components for aerospace and automotive industries. Key topics will include the use of composite filaments in 3D printing technologies for creating intricate parts with significant weight savings.

• Aluminum-Lithium Alloys for Lightweight Aerospace Applications: Focusing on the development of aluminum-lithium (Al-Li) alloys, which offer higher specific strength and lower density compared to traditional aluminum alloys. This session will cover their use in aerospace applications such as aircraft fuselages and high-performance automotive components.

• High-Temperature Lightweight Alloys for Aerospace Engines: Discussing lightweight alloys capable of withstanding extreme temperatures in aerospace propulsion systems, including the development of nickel-based and titanium-based alloys that maintain strength at high temperatures while minimizing weight.

• Advanced Manufacturing Techniques for Lightweight Alloys and Composites: Exploring new manufacturing techniques such as additive manufacturing, precision casting, and laser sintering that are revolutionizing the production of lightweight alloys and composite materials. These techniques enable the production of complex parts with reduced weight and enhanced performance.

• Fatigue Resistance in Lightweight Alloys and Composites: Addressing the critical issue of fatigue resistance in aerospace and automotive components made from lightweight alloys and composites. This session will explore how advanced material design and manufacturing processes improve the durability and lifespan of components under cyclic loading conditions.

• Recycling and Sustainability of Lightweight Alloys and Composites: Discussing the challenges and solutions related to the recycling of lightweight alloys and composite materials. Innovations in closed-loop recycling and sustainable manufacturing processes will be covered to address the environmental impact of these materials throughout their lifecycle.

• Nanocomposites for Aerospace and Automotive Applications: Investigating the use of nanocomposites, which integrate nanomaterials like nanotubes, graphene, and nanoparticles into traditional matrix materials to enhance their mechanical properties, thermal stability, and strength-to-weight ratio. These advanced materials have vast potential for improving aerospace and automotive components.

• Wear and Corrosion Resistance in Lightweight Materials: Exploring techniques to enhance the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of lightweight alloys and composites used in aerospace and automotive applications. This session will cover surface treatments, coatings, and alloying strategies that prolong the life of components exposed to harsh environments.

• Structural Lightweighting for Electric Vehicles (EVs): Delving into how lightweight alloys and composites can significantly enhance the efficiency and range of electric vehicles (EVs). The session will explore innovative material solutions for EV chassis, battery enclosures, and lightweight body parts that reduce energy consumption and improve performance.

• Automotive Lightweighting for Improved Fuel Efficiency and Safety: Focusing on lightweight materials that help reduce the overall weight of vehicles, leading to improved fuel efficiency, reduced emissions, and enhanced safety. This session will look at innovations in material science that contribute to achieving stricter fuel economy standards and safety regulations.

• Multifunctional Lightweight Materials for Aerospace and Automotive Systems: Investigating the development of multifunctional materials, which combine the properties of strength, lightness, and other functions such as electromagnetic shielding, thermal management, and impact resistance. These materials are essential in next-generation aerospace and automotive systems.

• Materials for Autonomous Vehicle Systems: Exploring how lightweight materials can play a role in the evolving field of autonomous vehicles (AVs). This session will focus on innovations in sensor integration, high-strength composite materials, and lightweight structures that enable AVs to operate safely and efficiently.

This session will bring together materials scientists, engineers, and industry experts from the aerospace and automotive sectors to explore the latest advancements in lightweight alloys and high-performance composites. These materials are essential for advancing technologies in both industries, from reducing fuel consumption to improving system performance and sustainability.

Join us at MSAM – 2026 in Rome to be part of the cutting-edge discussions on the materials that are shaping the future of aerospace and automotive technologies.