This book explores the recent advances in the field of shape memory polymers, whose ease of manufacturing and wide range of potential applications have spurred interest in the field. The book presents details about the synthesis, processing, characterization, and applications of shape memory polymers, their blends and composites. It provides a correlation of physical properties of shape memory polymers with macro, micro and nano structures. The contents of this book will be of interest to researchers across academia and industry.

This book presents a unique collection of up-to-date applications of graphene for water science. Because water is an invaluable resource and the intelligent use and maintenance of water supplies is one of the most important and crucial challenges that stand before mankind, new technologies are constantly being sought to lower the cost and footprint of processes that make use of water resources as potable water as well as water for agriculture and industry, which are always in desperate demand. Much research is focused on graphene for different water treatment uses. Graphene, whose discovery won the 2010 Nobel Prize in physics, has been a shining star in the material science in the past few years. Owing to its interesting electrical, optical, mechanical and chemical properties, graphene has found potential applications in a wide range of areas, including water purification technology. A new type of graphene-based filter could be the key to managing the global water crisis. According to the World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report, lack of access to safe, clean water is the biggest risk to society over the coming decade. Yet some of these risks could be mitigated by the development of this filter, which is so strong and stable that it can be used for extended periods in the harshest corrosive environments, and with less maintenance than other filters on the market. The graphene-based filter could be used to filter chemicals, viruses, or bacteria from a range of liquids. It could be used to purify water, dairy products or wine, or in the production of pharmaceuticals. This book provides practical information to all those who are involved in this field.

The papers in this volume cover a broad spectrum of topics that represent the truly diverse nature of the field of composite materials. This collection presents research and findings relevant to the latest advances in composites materials, specifically their use in aerospace, maritime, and even land applications. The editors have made every effort to bring together authors who put forth recent advances in their research while concurrently both elaborating on and thereby enhancing our prevailing understanding of the salient aspects related to the science, engineering, and far-reaching technological applications of composite materials.

These proceedings of the EPS 2018: 5th International Conference on Geofoam Blocks in Construction Applications, held in Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus on May 9 to 11, 2018, present a collection of contributions on the state-of-the-art of research and applications relating to geofoam. Geofoam researchers, consultants, molders, contractors and practitioners from all around the globe discuss the recent developments and future trends of expanded polystyrene (EPS)-block geofoam technology and its construction applications. EPS'18 contributes to the development of geofoam applications, following on from successful conferences in Oslo (1985), Tokyo (1996), Salt Lake City (2001) and Oslo (2011). The book discusses topics including, but not limited to, current use of geofoam, design specifications, applications, new concepts, material properties, modeling and specific topics in geofoam blocks in construction applications.

This book details zeolites, their structures and the parameters that influence their synthesis, providing a new and actual perspective of this field. Following this, the authors show different processes used to synthesize zeolites using residues, natural materials, and other eco-friendly materials such as raw powder glass, clays, aluminum cans, diatomites, rice ashes or coal ashes. Finally, this book gives the reader a wide range of different synthesis methods that they can be applied to several industrial processes.

This volume shines a new light on short fibre reinfoced cementitious composites and particle reinforced ceramics. It offers insight from various disciplines like civil engineering, material sciences and micro-mechanics, and collects 9 experimental, numerical and theoretical studies written by top researchers in composite concrete science. The book presents the outcome of the EUROMECH 582 colloquium "Short Fibre Reinfoced Cementitious Composites and Ceramics" held 20 - 22 March 2017, Tallinn, Estonia.

Glass Nanocomposites: Synthesis, Properties and Applications provides the latest information on a rapidly growing field of specialized materials, bringing light to new research findings that include a growing number of technologies and applications. With this growth, a new need for deep understanding of the synthesis methods, composite structure, processing and application of glass nanocomposites has emerged. In the book, world renowned experts in the field, Professors Karmakar, Rademann, and Stepanov, fill the knowledge gap, building a bridge between the areas of nanoscience, photonics, and glass technology. The book covers the fundamentals, synthesis, processing, material properties, structure property correlation, interpretation thereof, characterization, and a wide range of applications of glass nanocomposites in many different devices and branches of technology. Recent developments and future directions of all types of glass nanocomposites, such as metal-glasses (e.g., metal nanowire composites, nanoglass-mesoporous silica composites), semiconductor-glass and ceramic-glass nanocomposites, as well as oxide and non-oxide glasses, are also covered in great depth. Each chapter is logically structured in order to increase coherence, with each including question sets as exercises for a deeper understanding of the text.

This pioneering book presents new models for the thermomechanical behavior of composite materials and structures taking into account internal physico-chemical transformations such as thermodecomposition, sublimation and melting at high temperatures (up to 3000 K). It is of great importance for the design of new thermostable materials and for the investigation of reliability and fire safety of composite structures. It also supports the investigation of interaction of composites with laser irradiation and the design of heat-shield systems. Structural methods are presented for calculating the effective mechanical and thermal properties of matrices, fibres and unidirectional, reinforced by dispersed particles and textile composites, in terms of properties of their constituent phases. Useful calculation methods are developed for characteristics such as the rate of thermomechanical erosion of composites under high-speed flow and the heat deformation of composites with account of chemical shrinkage. The author expansively compares modeling results with experimental data, and readers will find unique experimental results on mechanical and thermal properties of composites under temperatures up to 3000 K. Chapters show how the behavior of composite shells under high temperatures is simulated by the finite-element method and so cylindrical and axisymmetric composite shells and composite plates are investigated under local high-temperature heating. < The book will be of interest to researchers and to engineers designing composite structures, and invaluable to materials scientists developing advanced performance thermostable materials.

Lacquer Chemistry and Applications explores the topic of lacquer, the only natural product polymerized by an enzyme that has been used for a coating material in Asian countries for thousands of years. Although the human-lacquer-culture, including cultivation of the lacquer tree, harvesting, and the use of lacquer sap, has a long history of more than thousand years, there is very little information available on the modern scientific methods to study lacquer chemistry. This book, based on the results of the authors' 30 years of research on lacquer chemistry, offers lacquer researchers a unique reference on the science and applications of this extremely important material.

This book helps the reader to understand the specific properties of piezoelectric ceramic resonators. It provides their theoretical description by immitance and equivalent circuit method. The nummerical modelling described is accompanied by examples of properties measured experimentally. Piezoelectric ceramic transformers are also covered, followed by a series of solved and unsolved problems prepared specially for students.

Advances in Polymer Science enjoys a longstanding tradition and good reputation in its community. Each volume is dedicated to a current topic, and each review critically surveys one aspect of that topic, to place it within the context of the volume. The volumes typically summarize the significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years and discuss them critically, presenting selected examples, explaining and illustrating the important principles, and bringing together many important references of primary literature. On that basis, future research directions in the area can be discussed. Advances in Polymer Science volumes thus are important references for every polymer scientist, as well as for other scientists interested in polymer science - as an introduction to a neighboring field, or as a compilation of detailed information for the specialist.

This work focuses on the fundamentals of MMCs for engineers and designers. The new edition addresses new issues and developments in the areas of automotive, aerospace, electronics and consumer applications. These include continuous fiber reinforced MMCs for cables in power transmission, high temperature superconducting wires, particulate MMCs in civilian aircraft and automotive applications, and high volume fraction, high thermal conductivity substrates for electronic packaging. The coverage is thorough and cohesive, and emphasizes the synergistic relationships among processing, structure and properties of metal matrix composites.

This book explores new experimental phase diagrams of non-oxide ceramics, with a particular focus on the silicon nitride, silicon carbide and aluminum nitride, as well as the ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) systems. It features more than 80 experimental phase diagrams of these non-oxide ceramics, including three phase diagrams of UHTC systems, constructed by the authors. Physical chemistry data covering the period since the 1970s, collected by the author Z.K.Huang, is presented in six tables in the appendixes. It also includes 301 figures involving about 150 material systems. Most of the phase diagrams have been selected from the ACerS-NIST database with copyright permission. The book methodically presents numerous diagrams previously scattered in various journals and conferences worldwide. Providing extensive experimental data, it is a valuable reference resource on ceramics development and design for academic researchers, R&D engineers and graduate students.

This book serves as a self-contained reference source for engineers, materials scientists, and physicists with an interest in relaxation phenomena. It is made accessible to students and those new to the field by the inclusion of both elementary and advanced math techniques, as well as chapter opening summaries that cover relevant background information and enhance the book's pedagogical value. These summaries cover a wide gamut from elementary to advanced topics. The book is divided into three parts. The opening part, on mathematics, presents the core techniques and approaches. Parts II and III then apply the mathematics to electrical relaxation and structural relaxation, respectively. Part II discusses relaxation of polarization at both constant electric field (dielectric relaxation) and constant displacement (conductivity relaxation), topics that are not often discussed together. Part III primarily discusses enthalpy relaxation of amorphous materials within and below the glass transition temperature range. It takes a practical approach inspired by applied mathematics in which detailed rigorous proofs are eschewed in favor of describing practical tools that are useful to scientists and engineers. Derivations are however given when these provide physical insight and/or connections to other material. A self-contained reference on relaxation phenomena Details both the mathematical basis and applications For engineers, materials scientists, and physicists

This book addresses energy footprints in the food and textile sectors. Each footprint case study presents essential background information and discusses the scientific consensus, methodological framework, assessment checklist, calculation tools and techniques, applications, challenges and limitations. More importantly, the book explores the application of each indicator/framework in various industrial sectors and the associated challenges, as well as outlooks for the future - essential considerations, given that energy consumption and conservation are the primary elements in any industry's sustainability strategy.

This thesis focuses on porous monolithic materials that are not in the forms of particles, fibers, or films. In particular, the synthetic strategy of porous monolithic materials via the sol-gel method accompanied by phase separation, which is characterized as the non-templating method for tailoring well-defined macropores, is described from the basics to actual synthesis. Porous materials are attracting more and more attention in various fields such as electronics, energy storage, catalysis, sensing, adsorbents, biomedical science, and separation science. To date, many efforts have been made to synthesize porous materials in various chemical compositions-organics, inorganics including metals, glasses and ceramics, and organic-inorganic hybrids. Also demonstrated in this thesis are the potential applications of synthesized porous monolithic materials to separation media as well as to electrodes for electric double-layer capacitors (EDLCs) and Li-ion batteries (LIBs). This work is ideal for graduate students in materials science and is also useful to engineers or scientists seeking basic knowledge of porous monolithic materials.

This book covers several aspects of the synthesis of composites by the pressureless infiltration technique. It describes the methods used to obtain green preforms, such as cold pressed and hot sintering, describing the heating time, load, and time required for pressing the preforms. Additionally, wettability phenomena, which is directly related on infiltration, is extensively described. Wettability process and interfacial reactions are analyzed in many ceramic-metal systems prior to fabricate the composites. A complete description of fabrication processes for Metal Matrix Composites is included. An extensive section on structural, chemical, and mechanical characterization of composites fabricated with aluminum and magnesium alloys as matrices reinforced with titanium carbide (TiC), aluminum nitride (AlN), silicon carbide (SiC) and alumina (Al2O3) is included. Relevant techniques for joining composites, such as welding and brazing are addressed. As well as issues pertaining to the corrosion and wear of composites are discussed as well. Corrosion behavior of some composites exposed to aqueous media was analyzed. Corrosion of composites using TiC and SiC like reinforcement and Al, Ni, and some Al-Cux, Al-Mgx and Al-Cu-Li alloys like matrix is discussed extensively. The structural characterization techniques addressed include: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), optical microscopy (OM), differential thermal analysis (DTA), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). Mechanical testing including hardness, elastic modulus, tension tests, and impact tests were used in the characterization of composites. Theoretical models for prediction of some mechanical properties are included too.

This collection of recent activities provides researchers and scientists with the latest trends in characterization and developments of composed materials and structures. Here, the expression 'composed materials' indicates a wider range than the expression 'composite material' which is many times limited to classical fibre reinforced plastics. The idea of composed structures and materials is to join different components in order to obtain in total better properties than one of the single constituents can provide. In this collection, well known experts present their research on composed materials such as textile composites, sandwich plates, hollow sphere structures, reinforced concrete as well as classical fibre reinforced materials.

Advances in Science and Technology of Mn+1AXn Phases presents a comprehensive review of synthesis, microstructures, properties, ab-initio calculations and applications of Mn+1AXn phases and targets the continuing research of advanced materials and ceramics. An overview of the current status, future directions, challenges and opportunities of Mn+1AXn phases that exhibit some of the best attributes of metals and ceramics is included. Students of materials science and engineering at postgraduate level will value this book as a reference source at an international level for both teaching and research in materials science and engineering. In addition to students the principal audiences of this book are ceramic researchers, materials scientists and engineers, materials physicists and chemists. The book is also an invaluable reference for the professional materials and ceramics societies.
The most up-to-date and comprehensive research data on MAX phases is presentedWritten by highly knowledgeable and well-respected researchers in the fieldDiscusses new and unusual properties

This volume is part of the Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceeding (CESP) series. This series contains a collection of papers dealing with issues in both traditional ceramics (i.e., glass, whitewares, refractories, and porcelain enamel) and advanced ceramics. Topics covered in the area of advanced ceramic include bioceramics, nanomaterials, composites, solid oxide fuel cells, mechanical properties and structural design, advanced ceramic coatings, ceramic armor, porous ceramics, and more.

This book is a unique reference work in the area of atomic-scale simulation of glasses. For the first time, a highly selected panel of about 20 researchers provides, in a single book, their views, methodologies and applications on the use of molecular dynamics as a tool to describe glassy materials. The book covers a wide range of systems covering "traditional" network glasses, such as chalcogenides and oxides, as well as glasses for applications in the area of phase change materials. The novelty of this work is the interplay between molecular dynamics methods (both at the classical and first-principles level) and the structure of materials for which, quite often, direct experimental structural information is rather scarce or absent. The book features specific examples of how quite subtle features of the structure of glasses can be unraveled by relying on the predictive power of molecular dynamics, used in connection with a realistic description of forces.

Guiding readers from the significance, history, and sources of materials to advanced materials and processes, this textbook looks at the production and primary processing of inorganic materials, such as ceramics, metals, silicon, and some composite materials. The text encourages instructors to teach the production of all types of inorganic materials as one. While recognizing the differences between producing various types of materials, the authors focus on the commonality of thermodynamics, kinetics, transport phenomena, phase equilibria and transformation, process engineering, and surface chemistry to all inorganic materials. The text focuses on fundamentals and how fundamentals can be applied to understand how the major inorganic materials are produced and the initial stages of their processing. Understanding of these fundamentals will equip students for engineering future processes for producing materials or for studying the processing of the many less common materials not examined in this text. The text is intended for use in an undergraduate course at the junior or senior level, but will also serve as a useful introductory and reference work for graduate students and practicing scientists and engineers.