Designed for Junior/Senior undergraduate courses. This revision of a classical text is intended to acquaint the reader, who has no prior knowledge of the subject, with the theory of x-ray diffraction, the experimental methods involved, and the main applications. The text is a collection of principles and methods designed directly for the student and not a reference tool for the advanced reader

This book provides a general introduction to nanogels, and designs of various stimuli-sensitive nanogels that are able to control drug release in response to specific stimuli. Nanogels are three-dimensional nanosized networks that formed by physically or chemically crosslinking polymers. They have highly interesting properties such as biocompatibility, high stability, particle size adjustment, drug loading capability and modification of the surface for active targeting. They can respond to stimuli which results in the controlled release of drug and targeting of the site.

This first book in the Materials and Processes for Electronics Applications series answers questions vital to the successful design and manufacturing of electronic components, modules, and systems such as:
- How can one protect electronic assemblies from prolonged high humidity, high temperatures, salt spray or other terrestrial and space environments?
- What coating types can be used to protect microelectronics in military, space, automotive, or medical environments?
- How can the chemistry of polymers be correlated to desirable physical and electrical properties?
- How can a design engineer avoid subsequent potential failures due to corrosion, metal migration, electrical degradation, outgassing?
- What are the best processes that manufacturing can use to mask, clean, prepare the surface, dispense the coating, and cure the coating?
- What quality assurance and in-process tests can be used to assure reliability?
- What government or industry specifications are available?
- How can organic coatings be selected to meet OSHA, EPA, and other regulations?
Besides a discussion of the traditional roles of coatings for moisture and environmental protection of printed circuit assemblies, this book covers dielectric coatings that provide electrical functions such as the low-dielectric-constant dielectrics used to fabricate multilayer interconnect substrates and high-frequency, high-speed circuits.
Materials engineers and chemists will benefit greatly from a chapter on the chemistry and properties of the main types of polymer coatings including: Epoxies, Polyimides, Silicones, Polyurethanes, Parylene, Benzocyclobenzene and many others.
For manufacturing personnel, there is an entire chapter of over a dozen processes for masking, cleaning, and surface preparation and a comprehensive review of over 20 processes for the application and curing of coatings including recent extrusion, meniscus, and curtain coating methods used in processing large panels. The pros and cons of each method are given to aid the engineer in selecting the optimum method for his/her application. As a bonus, from his own experience, the author discusses some caveats that will help reduce costs and avoid failures.
Finally, the author discusses regulations of OSHA, EPA, and other government agencies which have resulted in formulation changes to meet VOC and toxicity requirements. Tables of numerous military, commercial, industry, and NASA specifications are given to help the engineer select the proper callout.

Phosphors are often consisting of transition-metal compounds or rare-earth compounds, with the most common application being displays and fluorescent light. This book will guide the reader through the latest developments in thermo-, electro-, mechano- and bioluminescence of rare earth phosphors and crystals. Also, the effect of doping will be discussed.

This book discusses the expertise, skills, and techniques needed for the development of new materials and technologies. It focuses on finite element and finite volume methods that are used for engineering simulations, and present many state-of-the-art applications and advances to highlight these methods' importance. For example, modern joining technologies can be used to fabricate new compound or composite materials, even those formed from dissimilar component materials. These composite materials are often exposed to harsh environments, must deliver specific characteristics, and are primarily used in automotive and marine technologies, i.e., ships, amphibious vehicles, docks, offshore structures, and even robots. To achieve the desired material performance, computer-based engineering tools are widely used for simulation, data evaluation, and design processes.

This book discusses how to identify the level of adhesion in layered systems made of cement composites using a multi-scale approach based on experimental and numerical analyses. In particular, it explains 1. The suitability of previously used artificial intelligence tools and learning algorithms for reliable assessment of the level of adhesion of layered systems made of cement composites based on non-destructive tests 2. The development of the methodology for a reliable non-destructive evaluation of the level of adhesion in newly constructed layered systems of any overlay thickness and in existing layered systems made of cement composites 3. How to determine whether to assess the level of adhesion of the layered systems, and discusses the amplitude parameters, spatial, hybrid and volume parameters describing the morphology of the concrete substrate surface in the mesoscale 4. How to ascertain whether the effective surface area of the existing concrete substrate and the contribution of the exposed aggregate on this substrate, determined in mesoscale, have an impact on the level of adhesion of layered systems made of cement composites 5. The assessment of the structure of air pores in the microscale and the chemical composition of the cement composite on the nanoscale in the interphase zone together with the determination of their impact on the level of adhesion of layered systems made of cement composites 6. The development of an effective methodology for testing the level of adhesion of layered systems made of cement composites in a multi-scale approach, including the research methods and descriptors used.

This thesis presents pioneering work in the relatively new field of focused ion beam (FIB) sculpting of single crystals to produce bespoke devices and enable the investigation of physics that cannot be studied in bulk samples. It begins with a comprehensive and didactic account of how to achieve this sculpting, revealing the 'tricks of the trade' of state-of-the-art FIB microstructuring. In subsequent chapters, the author presents ground-breaking results obtained from microstructures of the delafossite oxide metal PdCoO2 and the heavy fermion superconductor CeIrIn5. In these elegant, forefront experiments, a new form of directional ballistic transport in the ultra-pure delafossites is described and explained. Furthermore, a new way to spatially modulate superconductivity induced by strain is demonstrated with electrical transport measurements that agree well with predictions based on thermoelastic finite element simulations.

This book showcases the state of the art in the field of sensors and microsystems, revealing the impressive potential of novel methodologies and technologies. It covers a broad range of aspects, including: bio-, physical and chemical sensors, actuators, micro- and nano-structured materials, mechanisms of interaction and signal transduction, polymers and biomaterials, sensor electronics and instrumentation, analytical microsystems, recognition systems and signal analysis and sensor networks as well as manufacturing technologies, environmental, food, energy and biomedical applications. The book gathers a selection of papers presented at the AISEM Regional Workshop on Sensors and Microsystems, held in Portici (Naples), Italy in February 2020.

This book comprehensively summarizes important aspects of research in the active field of lignocellulosic (polymer) composites, including polymer materials from or containing cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. It describes how these materials can be produced from forest products and natural fibers from sources such as jute, flax, sisal, and many more, and even from agricultural residues (like wheat straw, corn stover, or sugarcane bagasse). In times of high demand for renewable green materials, lignocellulosic materials from organic matter produced by trees, shrubs and agricultural crops present a highly attractive feedstock. The international authors explain different treatment and fabrication methods for the production of lignocellulosic materials. Other chapters address the properties of these green materials or illustrate specific applications, ranging from food packaging and household products to adsorbents and even conductive polymer composites. In this way, this book offers a broad and comprehensive overview over the entire field of lignocellulosic composite materials.

This book discuss the recent advances and future trends of nanoscience in solar energy conversion and storage. This second edition revisits and updates all the previous book chapters, adding the latest advances in the field of Nanoenergy. Four new chapters are included on the principles and fundamentals of artificial photosynthesis using metal transition semiconductors, perovskite solar cells, hydrogen storage and neutralization batteries. More fundamental aspects can be found in this book, increasing the comparison between theory-experimental achievements and latest developments in commercial devices.

This book demonstrates that solar energy, the most abundant and clean renewable energy, can be utilized to drive methane activation and conversion under mild conditions. The book reports that coupling solar energy and thermal energy can significantly enhance methane conversion at mild temperatures using plasmonic nanometal-based catalysts, with a substantial decrease in apparent activation energy of methane conversion. Furthermore, this book, for the first time, reports the direct photocatalytic methane oxidation into liquid oxygenates (methanol and formaldehyde) with only molecular oxygen in pure water at room temperature with high yield and selectivity over nanometals and semiconductors (zinc oxide and titanium dioxide). These findings are a big stride toward methane conversion and inspire researchers to develop strategies for efficient and selective conversion of methane to high-value-added chemicals under mild conditions.

This book reports on a comprehensive analytical, experimental and numerical study on the flexural response of post-tensioned masonry walls under in-plane loads. It explores an important mechanism in this new generation of structural walls, called "Self-centering". This mechanism can reduce residual drifts and structural damage during earthquake ground motion, and is particularly favorable for structures which are designed for immediate occupancy performance levels. The book reports on the development and verification of a finite element model of post-tensioned masonry walls. It describes a detailed parametric study to predict the strength of post-tensioned masonry walls. New design methodologies and expressions are developed to predict the flexural strength and force-displacement response of post-tensioned masonry. Experimental study is carried out to better understand the behavior of post-tensioned masonry walls and also to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed design procedure and expressions. The book also includes an introduction to current research on unbounded post-tensioned masonry walls, together with an extensive analysis of previously published test results.

This book shows how the fundamentals of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy are practically implemented and illustrates the diversity of current applications. The technique is used at various levels, and applications are presented in order of increasing difficulty, with reference to theoretically obtained results. This book features a diverse array of application examples, from fields such as ionizing radiation dosimetry, neurodegenerative diseases, structural transitions in proteins, and the origins of terrestrial life. The final chapter of this book highlights the principles and applications of the technique of ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy, followed by a brief introduction to advanced EPR techniques such as electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM), hyperfine sub-level correlation (HYSCORE), pulsed electron-electron double resonance (PELDOR), and continuous wave electron nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) experiments.

This book presents the most important thermochemical and physical techniques of boriding. The formation and characterization of different boride layers or boride coatings are compared in this book. The author analyzes the technological aspects of boriding processes, presenting the advantages and disadvantages of each method. The effect of the boriding techniques on the microstructure of borided materials are also indicated. The mechanism of formation of active boron atoms or ions and the phenomena during re-melting of alloying material together with the substrate are described. Special attention is devoted to powder-pack boriding, electrochemical boriding in borax, gas boriding, plasma gas or paste boriding and laser or plasma surface alloying with boron, acknowledged as the most important current methods in boriding. The thermodynamics of gas boriding is also analyzed.

This book gathers peer-reviewed contributions presented at the 3rd RILEM Spring Convention and Conference, held at Guimaraes and hosted by the University of Minho, Portugal, on March 9-14, 2020. The theme of the Conference was "Ambitioning a Sustainable Future for Built Environment: comprehensive strategies for unprecedented challenges", which was aimed at discussing current challenges and impacts of the built environment on sustainability. The present volume is dedicated to the topic "Strategies for a resilient built environment", which covers the current and emerging approaches that lead to an optimized design and maintenance of constructions and systems. It includes the development of service life models and life cycle design, in order to maximise longevity and level of service while minimising the environmental impact of constructions and systems. It also includes the analysis and design of larger systems, such as communities, cities or regions, aiming at reducing risk and increasing resilience. The following subtopics are included: resilience and robustness of the built environment and communities at local and global scales; risk based inspection and maintenance; life cycle analysis and service models; performance based design; improved design strategies by integrating materials and structures.

The authors provide new insights into the theoretical and applied aspects of metal electrodeposition. The theory largely focuses on the electrochemistry of metals. Details on the practice discuss the selection and use of metal coatings, the technology of deposition of metals and alloys, including individual peculiarities, properties and structure of coatings, control and investigations. This book aims to acquaint advanced students and researchers with recent advances in electrodeposition while also being an excellent reference for the practical electrodeposition of metals and alloys.

This book addresses the fundamental challenges underlying bioelectronics and tissue interface for clinical investigation. Appropriate for biomedical engineers and researchers, the authors cover topics ranging from retinal implants to restore vision, implantable circuits for neural implants, and intravascular electrochemical impedance to detect unstable plaques. In addition to these chapters, the authors also document the approaches and issues of multi-scale physiological assessment and monitoring in both humans and animal models for health monitoring and biological investigations; novel biomaterials such as conductive and biodegradable polymers to be used in biomedical devices; and the optimization of wireless power transfer via inductive coupling for batteryless and wireless implantable medical devices. In addition to engineers and researchers, this book is also an ideal supplementary or reference book for a number of courses in biomedical engineering programs, such as bioinstrumentation, MEMS/BioMEMS, bioelectronics and sensors, and more. Analyzes and discusses the electrode-tissue interfaces for optimization of biomedical devices. Introduces novel biomaterials to be used in next-generation biomedical devices. Discusses high-frequency transducers for biomedical applications.

This book is the first of two volumes providing comprehensive coverage of the fundamental knowledge and technology of composite materials. It covers a variety of design, fabrication and characterization methods as applied to composite materials, particularly focusing on the fiber-reinforcement mechanism and related examples. It is ideal for graduate students, researchers, and professionals in the fields of Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering.

Over recent decades, modeling and simulation of solid-state precipitation has attracted increased attention in academia and industry due to their important contributions in designing properties of advanced structural materials and in increasing productivity and decreasing costs for expensive alloying. In particular, precipitation of second phases is an important means for controlling the mechanical-technological properties of structural materials. However, profound physical modeling of precipitation is not a trivial task. This book introduces you to the classical methods of precipitation modeling and to recently-developed advanced, computationally-efficient techniques. If you're a research professional, academic, or student, you'll learn: nucleation theory, precipitate growth, calculation of interfacial energies. advanced techniques for technologically relevant multicomponent systems and complex thermo-mechanical treatments. numerical approaches using evolution equations and discrete particle size distributions. the major software products available for precipitation kinetics simulations.

This monograph is centered on mathematical modeling, innovative numerical algorithms and adaptive concepts to deal with fracture phenomena in multiphysics. State-of-the-art phase-field fracture models are complemented with prototype explanations and rigorous numerical analysis. These developments are embedded into a carefully designed balance between scientific computing aspects and numerical modeling of nonstationary coupled variational inequality systems. Therein, a focus is on nonlinear solvers, goal-oriented error estimation, predictor-corrector adaptivity, and interface conditions. Engineering applications show the potential for tackling practical problems within the fields of solid mechanics, porous media, and fluidstructure interaction.

This volume covers various aspects of the fundamentals, synthesis, analysis, design, monitoring, and control of metals, materials, and metallurgical processes and phenomena. Topics represented include but are not limited to: * Experimental, analytical, physical, and computer modeling of physical chemistry and thermodynamics * Modeling of the transport phenomena in materials processing and metallurgical processes involving iron, steel, nonferrous metals, and composites * Second-phase particles in metals and processes and the fundamentals (experimental studies or theoretical studies) on the nucleation, growth, motion, and removal of these particles from the molten metal or reactors * Physical chemistry, thermodynamics, and kinetics for the production and refining of rare-earth metals * Control of industrial processes in the field of extraction and processing of metals and materials