Learn how new ceramic materials and coatings are designed to perform in extreme environments

Exploring advanced ceramic coatings and ultra-high temperature ceramic materials, this issue brings readers up to date with important new and emerging findings, materials, and applications. The nineteen papers in this issue originate from two symposia and one focused session held in January 2012, during the 36th International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites (ICACC) in Daytona Beach, Florida:

• International Symposium on Advanced Ceramic Coatings for Structural, Environmental, and Functional Applications
• International Symposium on Materials for Extreme Environments: Ultra-high Temperature Ceramics (UHTCs) and Nanolaminated Ternary Carbide and Nitrides (MAX Phases)
• Focused Session on Next Generation Technologies for Innovative Surface Coatings

With contributions from leading ceramics and materials researchers from around the world, this issue explores the latest advances and key challenges in:

• Advanced thermal and environmental coating processing and characterizations
• Advanced wear corrosion-resistant, nanocomposite, and multi-functional coatings
• Thermal protection systems
• Materials designed for extreme environments
• Technologies for innovative surface coatings

Photographs and illustrations throughout this issue will help readers understand how new ceramic materials are designed to perform a variety of key functions in a broad range of extreme environments.

This issue represents one of nine CESP issues published from the 36th ICACC meeting. ICACC is the world's most prominent international meeting dedicated to advanced structural, functional, and nanoscopic ceramics, composites, and other emerging ceramic materials and technologies. ICACC has been organized each year by The American Ceramic Society and The American Ceramic Society's Engineering Ceramics Division since 1977.

Dongming Zhu is a senior Materials Research Engineer at Army Research Laboratory, Vehicle Technology Directorate, and Durability and Protective Coatings Branch of Structures and Materials Division, at NASA Glenn Research Center. His expertise covers the areas of thermal conductivity, lattice defects and transport, high temperature oxidation, high-heat-flux testing, and mechanical behavior of ceramic coating systems, with an emphasis on experimental investigation and analytical modeling of processing, thermal fatigue and fracture behavior of advanced protective coatings and composites. His major contributions include the development of low conductivity thermal barrier coatings for turbine airfoil applications, 1650°C thermal/environmental barrier coatings for SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite turbine vane and combustor liner applications. He has authored more than 100 archival publications and three patents. He is a member of the American Ceramic Society and ASM, International, has been a lead organizer for several International Symposia. He is currently the Chair-elect of the Engineering Ceramic Division of the American Ceramic Society, and an associate editor of the International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology. He has received several awards from NASA and professional societies. He received his Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science from the University of Minnesota in 1996.