Journal profile · Materials Science, Coatings & Films
SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY
ISSN 0257-8972 · eISSN 1879-3347 · Elsevier · SWITZERLAND · Semimonthly · Founded 1986
SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY: CAS Zone 2 · Materials Science (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 6.8; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,880; review about 75 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 1,250 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Materials Science in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Metal and Thin Film Mechanics, Diamond and Carbon-based Materials Research and High-Temperature Coating Behaviors, together about 44.7% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
An international journal devoted to the science and application of advanced surface treatments for improvement of material propertiesSurface and Coatings Technology is an international archival journal publishing scientific papers on significant developments in surface and interface engineering to modify and improve the surface properties of materials for protection in demanding contact conditions or aggressive environments, or for enhanced functional performance. Contributions range from original scientific articles concerned with fundamental and applied aspects of research or direct applications of metallic, inorganic, organic and composite coatings, to invited reviews of current technology in specific areas. Papers submitted to this journal are expected to be in line with the following aspects in processes, and properties/performance:A. Processes: Physical and chemical vapour deposition techniques, thermal and plasma spraying, surface modification by directed energy techniques such as ion, electron and laser beams, thermo-chemical treatment, wet chemical and electrochemical processes such as plating, sol-gel coating, anodization, plasma electrolytic oxidation, etc., but excluding painting.B. Properties/performance: friction performance, wear resistance (e.g., abrasion, erosion, fretting, etc), corrosion and oxidation resistance, thermal protection, diffusion resistance, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, and properties relevant to smart materials behaviour and enhanced multifunctional performance for environmental, energy and medical applications, but excluding device aspects.Articles must go beyond the technical recipe format and gain substantial new understanding and insight based on detailed characterization of coatings and processes. Experimental papers should provide complete information on the process parameters and an appropriate microstructural characterization. Also, papers which include test data should provide full details of the test equipment and parameters. Such papers should report on the synthesis-characterization-properties-performance relationships.Manuscripts must be written in good English and contain a balanced and up-to-date reference list formatted according to the guide-for-authors.Note to authors: In order to be considered for publication, the Covering Letter with your paper should clearly explain the novelty and originality of your research and its scientific contribution beyond previously published papers. If not, your submission will not be considered for publication and will not be sent out for peer-review.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Materials Science, Coatings & Films
Editor-in-chief Allan MatthewsPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 10 in mainland China (about 12%); most named United Kingdom 11, Mainland China 10, Germany 9, United States 6, Brazil 6 (85 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Metal and Thin Film MechanicsEngineering22.3%
- Diamond and Carbon-based Materials ResearchMaterials Science12.3%
- High-Temperature Coating BehaviorsEngineering10%
- Advanced materials and compositesEngineering6.9%
- Corrosion Behavior and InhibitionMaterials Science5%
- Semiconductor materials and devicesEngineering4.6%
- High Entropy Alloys StudiesEngineering3.6%
- Advanced ceramic materials synthesisMaterials Science3.4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Coatings & Films | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Coatings & Films | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Materials Science Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Materials Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Materials Science, Coatings & Films | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Physics, Applied | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 6.8LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 6.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 10.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 10.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.22LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.55LetPub ·
- h-index
- 153LetPub ·
- h-index
- 226OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 22,870OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 7.47OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 11.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 14.91%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 1,146LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 32,133 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 704 | 144 | 572 |
| 2025 | 1,250 | 279 | 6,909 |
| 2024 | 1,190 | 258 | 16,019 |
| 2023 | 988 | 192 | 19,927 |
| 2022 | 980 | 189 | 23,553 |
| 2021 | 1,063 | 217 | 29,745 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
75 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 2.6 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 2.6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 86%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 30 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 75 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,880 / EUR 3,630 / GBP 3,110 / JPY 481,240 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,320 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
Open calls for papers4, by deadline
- Contributions of the 12th workshop RIPT (Les Rencontres Internationales de la Projection Thermique) (VSI: 12RIPT)Deadline
- Functional Coatings and Materials: From Fundamentals to ApplicationsDeadline
- Special Issue of TACT 2027 International Thin Films Conference (VSI:TACT 2027)Deadline
- Extremely High-Speed Laser Cladding of Advanced Coatings (VSI: EHLC of Advanced Coatings)Deadline
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted6
- invited or contributed reviews on specific topics• Invited or contributed reviews on specific topicsLength not stated
- original research article• Original research articles• Invited or contributed reviews on specific topics• Technical notes for Current Industrial Practices sectionGuide to Authors of Con…Length not stated
- original research articles• Original research articlesLength not stated
- review• Original research articles• Invited or contributed reviews on specific topics• Technical notes for Current Industrial Practices sectionGuide to Authors of Con…Length not stated
- technical note• Original research articles• Invited or contributed reviews on specific topics• Technical notes for Current Industrial Practices sectionGuide to Authors of Con…Length not stated
- technical notes for current industrial practices section• Technical notes for Current Industrial Practices sectionLength not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed; does not count as prior publication Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- SWITZERLAND
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Semimonthly
- Founded
- 1986
- ISSN
- 0257-8972
- Electronic ISSN
- 1879-3347
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY
What CAS zone is SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY is in Zone 2 of Materials Science, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Materials Science, Coatings & Films / Physics, Applied. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Materials Science. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 6.8; CiteScore 10.8, h-index 226.
How long does peer review take at SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY?
The publisher reports about 75 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 2.6 months. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY based?
Of the 85 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 10 (about 12%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United Kingdom (11), Mainland China (10) and Germany (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY open access, and what is the APC?
SURFACE & COATINGS TECHNOLOGY is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,880.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-25). Last updated: .