Foundations of Materials Science and Engineering

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters BCI (WoS).
The aim of this publication is to acquaint those readers who are interested in the fundamentals of powder materials sintering, with the latest scientific achievements which are important to its successful practice. The book contains new information, not previously known in the West, as well as offering a totally fresh view of this vital issue. The work discloses to western eyes a new scientific trend in the science of sintering systems with interacting components; a trend of which many experts are unaware. The new approach will considerably enrich and advance investigations into the theory and practice of sintering and aid their further development.

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters BCI (WoS).
Since the mid-nineties, magnesium-based alloys and compounds have been revisited in the hope that they will yield light functional materials. In this third wave of research and development of magnesium-based hydrogenstorage and thermoelectric materials, new factors have become important in addition to the improvement of their properties and performance. The move to reduce environmental damage requires the assurance of non-toxicity and energy-saving during manufacture. For example, the use of lead or bismuth additions must be avoided. Furthermore, due to the diminishing sources of antimony, tellurium and rare-earth elements, only metallic and non-metallic elements having a large Clerk number should be used for production. In order to compensate for these restraints, nano-technological innovation is urgently required; not only in optimum material design but also in material processing, manufacturing and device production, in order to achieve significant energy and cost savings.

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters BCI (WoS).
Nanocomposite materials are formed by mixing two or more dissimilar materials at the nanoscale in order to control and develop new and improved structures and properties. The properties of nanocomposites depend not only upon the individual components used but also upon the morphology and the interfacial characteristics. Nanocomposite coatings and materials are among the most exciting and fastest-growing areas of research; with new materials being continually developed which often exhibit novel properties that are absent in the constituent materials. Nanocomposite materials and coatings therefore offer enormous potential for new applications including: aerospace, automotive, electronics, biomedical implants, non-linear optics, mechanically reinforced lightweight materials, sensors, nano-wires, batteries, bioceramics, energy conversion and many others.

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters BCI (WoS).
The first part of this monograph consists of a discussion of the microstructures of molten silicates and other inorganic substances. It is made up of seven chapters. Chapter 1 considers developments in ion-cluster theory. Chapter 2 introduces experimental approaches to the direct monitoring of a molten sample, such as hightemperature Raman spectroscopes which have successfully recorded Raman spectra from melts at temperatures of 2000K or more. Chapter 3 shows that five types of Si-O tetrahedron are appropriate microstructural units for setting up structural models. Chapter 4 confirms the SiOT model as being the primary ion-cluster theory for the efficient and reliable description of high-temperature Raman spectra. In Chapter 5, the CEMS model is created in order to interconnect microstructures and thermodynamic properties - with no adjustable parameters. Chapter 6 discusses the applicability of ab initio calculations. The Raman spectra of other inorganic compounds are shown in Chapter 7, and the use of Raman spectra to study phase transformations and solid/melt interfaces is also discussed.

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters BCI (WoS).
Nowadays, an impressively large number of powerful characterization techniques is being used by physicists, chemists, biologists and engineers in order to solve analytical research problems; especially those related to the investigation of the properties of new materials for advanced applications. Although there are a few available books which deal with such experimental techniques, they are either too exhaustive and cover very few techniques or are too elementary to provide a solid basis for learning to use the characterization technique. Moreover, such books usually over-emphasize the textbook approach: being full of theoretical concepts and mathematical derivations, and omitting the practical instruction required in order to permit newcomers to use the techniques.

Tissue engineering is a new biotechnology that combines various aspects of medicine, biology and engineering, in order to produce, repair or replace human tissue. It is therefore easy to grasp the potential of these new therapies in helping to improve the quality-of-life of patients suffering from rare diseases. Typically, bone tissue engineering approaches foresee the use of scaffolding material combined with tissue cells. An advanced scaffolding material for tissue engineering must exhibit high quality, reliability, sustainability and cost-effectiveness throughout the individual’s life and provide new advanced levels of medical assistance in therapy and surgery. One particular requirement of bone tissue engineering is that the scaffold should be porous because, in that form, large numbers of cells can be incorporated.

The aim of this work is to review the latest developments in glass science and technology. It presents various types of glass, of both academic and technological importance, in which the host is doped with rare-earth ions.

This treatment of “Time-Dependent Mechanical Properties of Solids” begins with a phenomenological description of the transport of some unspecified entity. It is assumed that the transport is caused by mechanical stresses or temperature fields. This hypothesis is based upon just a few well-established methods such as, for instance, the Zener theory of diffusion and the Inglis equation for stress enhancementof. Using these assumptions, it is possible to deduce formulae for a theoretically based description of several phenomena without referring to any specific process or entity.

This work addresses the performance of novel metallic hollow-sphere structures (MHSS) in sandwich panels. Numerical finite-element analyses and experimental tests are described.

Biomedical engineering involves the application of the principles and techniques of engineering to the enhancement of medical science as applied to humans or animals. It involves an interdisciplinary approach which combines the materials, mechanics, design, modelling and problem-solving skills employed in engineering with medical and biological sciences so as to improve the health, lifestyle and quality-of-life of individuals. Biomedical engineering is a relatively new field, and involves a whole spectrum of disciplines covering: bioinformatics, medical imaging, image processing, physiological signal processing, biomechanics, biomaterials and bioengineering, systems analysis, 3-D modelling, etc. Combining these disciplines, systematically and synergistically yields total benefits which are much greater than the sum of the individual components. Prime examples of the successful application of biomedical engineering include the development and manufacture of biocompatible prostheses, medical devices, diagnostic devices and imaging equipment and pharmaceutical drugs.
The purpose of this book is to present the latest research and development carried out in the areas of biomedical engineering, biomaterials and nanomaterials science and to highlight the applications of such systems. Particular emphasis is given to the convergence of nano-scale effects, as related to the delivery of enhanced biofunctionality.