Robotics plays a pivotal role in many domains such as industry and medicine. Robots allow for increased safety, production rates, accuracy, and quality; however, robots must be well designed and controlled to achieve the required performance. The design and control of robotics involve many varying disciplines, such as mechanical engineering, electronics, and automation, and must be further studied to ensure the technology is utilized appropriately. Design and Control Advances in Robotics considers the most recent applications and design advances in robotics and highlights the latest developments and applications within the field of robotics. Covering key topics such as deep learning, machine learning, programming, automation, and control advances, this reference work is ideal for engineers, computer scientists, industry professionals, academicians, practitioners, scholars, researchers, instructors, and students.

Fundamentals and Industrial Applications of Magnetic Nanomaterials highlights industrial applications of magnetic nanoparticles, reviews their rapidly emerging applications, and discusses future research directions. The book emphasizes the structure-property-functionality of magnetic nanoparticles for the most relevant industry applications. After reviewing the fundamentals, industry applications in the biomedical, pharma, environmental, cosmetics and energy industries are explored. Cross-cutting barriers to commercialization are then discussed, along with legal, health and safety implications. Finally, opportunities for enabling a more sustainable future are covered. This book is suitable for researchers and practitioners in academia and industry in materials science and engineering, chemistry and chemical engineering.

Luminescent Metal Nanoclusters: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications provides a comprehensive accounting of various protocols used for the synthesis of metal nanoclusters, their characterization techniques, toxicity evaluation and various applications and future prospects. The book provides detailed experimental routes, along with mechanisms on the formation of benign metallic clusters using biomaterials and a comprehensive review regarding the preparation, properties and prospective applications of these nano clusters in various fields, including therapeutic applications. Various methods to protect nanocluster materials to increase their stability are emphasized, including the incorporation of ligands (protein, small molecule, DNA, thiols). This book addresses a gap in the current literature by bringing together the preparation, characterization and applications of all the possible types of reported metal nanoclusters and their hybrids. It is suitable for materials scientists and engineers in academia and those working in research and development in industry. It may also be of interest to those working in the interdisciplinary nanotechnology community, such as physical chemists.

Conjugated Polymers for Next-Generation Applications, Volume One: Synthesis, Properties and Optoelectrochemical Devices describes the synthesis and characterization of varied conjugated polymeric materials and their key applications, including active electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors and lithium-ion batteries, along with new ideas of functional materials for next-generation high-energy batteries, a discussion of common design procedures, and the pros and cons of conjugated polymers for certain applications. The book's emphasis lies in the underlying electronic properties of conjugated polymers, their characterization and analysis, and the evaluation of their effectiveness for utilization in energy and electronics applications. This book is ideal for researchers and practitioners in the area of materials science, chemistry and chemical engineering.

Conjugated Polymers for Next-Generation Applications, Volume Two: Energy Storage Devices describes the synthesis and characterization of varied conjugated polymeric materials and their key applications, including active electrode materials for electrochemical capacitors and lithium-ion batteries, along with new ideas of functional materials for next-generation high-energy batteries, a discussion of common design procedures, and the pros and cons of conjugated polymers for certain applications. The book's emphasis lies in the underlying electronic properties of conjugated polymers, their characterization and analysis, and the evaluation of their effectiveness for utilization in energy and electronics applications. This book is ideal for researchers and practitioners in the area of materials science, chemistry and chemical engineering.

Coir Fiber and its Composites: Processing, Properties and Applications presents unified knowledge on eco-friendly coir fiber composites, covering their characterization, design, manufacture and applications. The properties of coir fiber and its extraction and processing are explored in-depth, thus helping researchers, scientists and those working in various industries understand the need of coir fiber composites in the development of green, biodegradable and sustainable components that have potential in real-world applications. The book elaborates on the basic characterization of coir fibers and its composite properties such, including its physical, mechanical, morphological, thermal, structural and chemical properties. Users will find sound knowledge on coir fiber and its composites, including modern design and manufacture engineering with numerous example illustrations, methods and results that will be valuable for graduate students, researchers and industrialists working in the development of plant-based composite materials.

Stress, Strain, and Structural Dynamics: An Interactive Handbook of Formulas, Solutions, and MATLAB Toolboxes, Second Edition is the definitive reference to statics and dynamics of solids and structures, including mechanics of materials, structural mechanics, elasticity, rigid-body dynamics, vibrations, structural dynamics, and structural controls. The book integrates the development of fundamental theories, formulas, and mathematical models with user-friendly interactive computer programs that are written in MATLAB. This unique merger of technical reference and interactive computing provides instant solutions to a variety of engineering problems, and in-depth exploration of the physics of deformation, stress and motion by analysis, simulation, graphics, and animation.

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY IN CORPORATE GOVERANCE This book investigates the recent applications of blockchain technology in financial services, energy sector, and summarizes regulatory responses, to set the scene for future work on corporate governance. This edited book highlights the current governance framework for the blockchain and its development as a self-governing framework. It discusses blockchain technology's effectiveness in developing solutions for supply chains, trade finance, and banking. Moreover, it shows how banking and financial institutions are the major beneficiaries of this decentralized technology. Furthermore, the book outlines the link between company governance theories, regulatory, ethical, and social controls, and blockchain adoption. It also investigates the recent applications of blockchain technology in financial services, the health sector, and the energy sector. Audience The book is specially designed for researchers, industrialists, engineers, graduate students, and policymakers, who aspire to learn, discuss, and carry out further research into the opportunities offered by blockchain and the possible ways of regulating it.

Nanocellulose is a versatile material that has received much attention from scientists working in a broad range of application fields, such as automotive, composites, adsorbents, paints, coatings, medical implants, electronics, cosmetics, pulp and paper, tissue engineering, medical, packaging, and aerogels. Industrial Applications of Nanocellulose and Its Nanocomposites provides an extensive, up-to-date review of this fast-moving research field. The chapters cover a wide range of aspects, including synthesis, surface modification, and improvement of properties toward target applications. The main objectives of the book are to reflect on recent advancements in the design and fabrication of advanced nanocellulose and discuss important requirements for each application, as well as the challenges that might be faced. The book also includes an overview of the current economic perspectives and safety issues, as well as future directions for nanocellulose-based materials. It will serve as a valuable reference resource for academic and industrial researchers, environmental chemists, nanotechnologists, chemical engineers, polymer chemists, materials scientists, and all those working in the manufacturing industries.

Plasmon Coupling Physics, Wave Effects and their Study by Electron Spectroscopies, Volume 222 in the Advances in Imaging and Electron Physics serial, merges two long-running serials, Advances in Electronics and Electron Physics and Advances in Optical and Electron Microscopy. The series features articles on the physics of electron devices (especially semiconductor devices), particle optics at high and low energies, microlithography, image science, digital image processing, electromagnetic wave propagation, electron microscopy and the computing methods used in all these domains. Specific chapters in this release cover Phase retrieval methods applied to coherent imaging, X-ray phase-contrast imaging: a broad overview of some fundamentals, Graphene and borophene as nanoscopic materials for electronics - with review of the physics, and more.

Lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries provide an alternative to lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries and are showing promise for providing much higher energy densities. Systems utilizing Li-S batteries are presently under development and early stages of commercialization. This technology is being developed in order to provide higher, safer levels of energy at significantly lower costs. Lithium-Sulfur Batteries: Advances in High-Energy Density Batteries addresses various aspects of the current research in the field of sulfur cathodes and lithium metal anode including abundance, system voltage, and capacity. In addition, it provides insights into the basic challenges faced by the system. The book includes novel strategies to prevent polysulfide dissolution in sulfur-based systems while also exploring new materials systems as anodes preventing dendrite formation in Li metal anodes.

There have been many new developments since the first edition of this book was published back in 2015. These can be summarized as follows: integration of multiple properties into self-healing polymer materials, such as the shape memory effect and flame retardancy; beyond self-healing and the development of recyclable thermoset polymers; and the application of self-healing polymers in both 3D and 4D printing. Recent Advances in Smart Self-healing Polymers and Composites, Second Edition provides a comprehensive introduction to the fascinating field of smart self-healing polymers and composites. All chapters are brought fully-up-to-date with the addition of six brand new contributions on the characterization of self-healing polymers, light-triggered self-healing, additive manufacturing, multifunctional thermoset polymers with self-healing ability, and recyclable thermoset polymers and 4D printing. It is written for a large readership including not only R&D researchers from diverse backgrounds such as chemistry, materials science, aerospace, physics, and biological science, but also for graduate student working on self-healing technologies as well as their newly developed applications.

Applications of Polymers and Plastics in Medical Devices: Design, Manufacture, and Performance is a comprehensive guide to plastic materials for medical devices, covering fundamentals, materials, applications and regulatory requirements. Sections cover the role of plastics in medical devices, socioeconomic factors, the classification of medical devices. The performance of, medical grades and suppliers of polymer materials, which are categorized by performance level are also explored, along with manufacturing processes for device components, including extrusion, casting, injection molding and assembly processes. The book then covers applications in detail, examining each device and the role that polymers and plastics play in its construction and function. This is an essential resource for engineers, R&D, and other professionals working on plastics for medical devices and those in the plastics industry, medical device manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, packaging and biotechnology. In an academic setting, this book is of interest to researchers and advanced students in medical plastics, plastics engineering, polymer science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering and materials science.

Semiconductor Memories and Systems provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of semiconductor memory at the technology and system levels. After an introduction on market trends and memory applications, the book focuses on mainstream technologies, illustrating their current status, challenges and opportunities, with special attention paid to scalability paths. Technologies discussed include static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), non-volatile memory (NVM), and NAND flash memory. Embedded memory and requirements and system level needs for storage class memory are also addressed. Each chapter covers physical operating mechanisms, fabrication technologies, and the main challenges to scalability. Finally, the work reviews the emerging trends for storage class memory, mainly focusing on the advantages and opportunities of phase change based memory technologies.

Over the past few years, concrete technology has advanced quite dramatically thanks to the use of a great variety of additives and admixtures, which have paved the way for the effective development of new-generation concrete mixtures. Among these additives and admixtures, nanomaterials used in construction materials such as paste, mortar, and concrete mixtures have become very popular recently. Much of the previous attention in regard to the utilization of nanomaterials in construction materials was specifically devoted to the characterization of their fresh-state, hydration, microstructure, pore structure, mechanical, transport, and durability properties. However, research into the tailoring of multi-functional properties of construction materials (especially cementitious) with the use of nanomaterials is still in its infancy. Recent Advances in Nano-Tailored Multi-Functional Cementitious Composites aims to capture recent major scientific advances and the current state of the art in multi-functional cementitious composites developed with nanomaterials. The book will provide researchers, engineers, and other stakeholders with an insight into future directions of multi-functional capabilities of cementitious composites. Chapters focus on the large-scale development, characterization, and application of multi-functional cementitious composites addressing the following topics: nano-modified concrete; strain-hardening cementitious composites; self-sensing concrete; self-healing and bacteria-based concrete; self-cleaning concrete; self-consolidating concrete; material/construction technology for 3D printing; thermal insulation capability; green concretes including geopolymer concrete; nanoscale characterization methods; low CO2 reactive magnesia cements; and future developments and challenges of nano-tailored cementitious composites. The book will be an essential reference resource for academic and industrial researchers, materials scientists, and civil engineers working on the development and application of nano-tailored multi-functional cementitious composites.

Bionanotechnology: Emerging Applications of Bionanomaterials highlights a wide range of industrial applications using bionanotechnologies, with biomedical applications prominent amongst these, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, wound healing, medical implants, medical diagnostics and therapy. Other key areas include energy harvesting and storage, water/waste treatment, papermaking, textiles, construction industry, automotive, aerospace. This book is a valuable resource for all those seeking to gain a fundamental understanding of how bionanomaterials are used in a variety of industry sectors. Bionanomaterials are molecular materials composed partially or completely of biological molecules - such as proteins, enzymes, viruses, DNA and biopolymers - as well as metal, metal oxides, and carbon nanomaterials. Bionanomaterials have drawn much attention for their use in a wide range of industrial applications, including scaffolds, dental implants, drug delivery, dialysis, biobatteries, biofuel cells, air purification, and water treatment.

Polymers for 3D Printing: Methods, Properties, and Characteristics provides a detailed guide to polymers for 3D printing, bridging the gap between research and practice, and enabling engineers, technicians and designers to utilise and implement this technology for their products or applications.

Advances in Engineered Cementitious Composite: Materials, Structures and Numerical Modelling focuses on recent research developments in high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites, covering three key aspects, i.e., materials, structures and numerical modeling. Sections discuss the development of materials to achieve high-performance by using different type of fibers, including polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyethylene (PE) polypropylene (PP) and hybrid fibers. Other chapters look at experimental studies on the application of high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites on structures and the performance of structural components, including beams, slabs and columns, and recent development of numerical methods and modeling techniques for modeling material properties and structural behavior. This book will be an essential reference resource for materials scientists, civil and structural engineers and all those working in the field of high-performance fiber-reinforced cementitious composites and structures.

Radiation Dosimetry Phosphors provides an overview of the synthesis, properties and applications of materials used for radiation dosimetry and reviews the most appropriate phosphor materials for each radiation dosimetry technique. The book describes the available phosphors used commercially for their applications in the medical field for dose measurements. Although radiation dosimetry phosphors are commercially available, continuous efforts have been made by the worldwide research community to develop new materials or improve already existing materials used in different areas with low or high levels of radiation. Moreover, researchers are still working on developing dosimetric phosphors for OSL, ML, LL and RPL dosimetry. This book provides an overall view of the phosphors available, low cost synthesis methods, mechanisms involved, emerging trends and new challenges for the development of emerging materials for radiation dosimetry. It is suitable for those working in academia and R&D laboratories in the discipline of materials science and engineering, along with practitioners working in radiation and dosimetry.

Recent Advances and Applications of Thermoset Resins, Second Edition provides a reference source for anyone interested in understanding the chemistry, processing, properties, composites and applications of thermoset resins. Sections cover the chemistry of thermoset resins and recent advances in various aspects, including toughening, micro-reinforcement, nano-reinforcement, simultaneous nano-reinforcement and toughening. The book provides detailed information on synthesis, characterization and processing techniques. A critical review of the latest advances in thermoset-based composites and nanocomposites is also presented, along with future directions of research in various areas of thermoset resins. This is a valuable resource for researchers, scientists and advanced students in polymer science, plastics engineering, adhesives and coatings, composites, and materials engineering, as well as R&D professionals, engineers and manufacturers with an interest in thermoset resins and materials for advanced applications.

Applications of Polyurethanes in Medical Devices provides detailed coverage of polyurethane (PU) chemistry, processing and preparation for performant medical devices. Polyurethanes have found many uses in medical applications, due to their biocompatibility, biostability, physical properties, surface polarity, and the ability to suit the field of application. This book enables the reader to understand polyurethane and how this valuable material can be used in medical devices. Sections cover the chemistry, structure, and properties of polyurethane, with in-depth sections examining raw materials, reaction chemistry, synthesis techniques, reaction kinetics, material microstructure, and structure-property relationships. Subsequent chapters demonstrate how polyurethane can be utilized in medical device applications, examining biological properties, rheology and processing before methodical coverage explains how polyurethane may be used for each category of medical device. Finally, future directions, and safety and environmental aspects, are covered.

Fundamentals of Thermal-Fluid Sciences, Sixth Edition, is an abbreviated version of standard thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer texts, covering topics that the majority of engineering students will need in their professional lives. The text is well-suited for curriculums that have a common introductory course or a two-course sequence on thermal-fluid sciences. The book addresses tomorrow's engineers in a simple, yet precise manner, and it leads students toward a clear understanding and firm grasp of the basic principles of thermal-fluid sciences. Special effort has been made to appeal to readers' natural curiosity and to help students explore the various facets of the exciting subject area of thermal-fluid sciences. To enhance student reading, the sixth edition now includes SmartBook (R) 2.0. SmartBook 2.0-Our adaptive reading experience has been made more personal, accessible, productive, and mobile.

Defects in Two-Dimensional Materials addresses the fundamental physics and chemistry of defects in 2D materials and their effects on physical, electrical and optical properties. The book explores 2D materials such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD). This knowledge will enable scientists and engineers to tune 2D materials properties to meet specific application requirements. The book reviews the techniques to characterize 2D material defects and compares the defects present in the various 2D materials (e.g. graphene, h-BN, TMDs, phosphorene, silicene, etc.). As two-dimensional materials research and development is a fast-growing field that could lead to many industrial applications, the primary objective of this book is to review, discuss and present opportunities in controlling defects in these materials to improve device performance in general or use the defects in a controlled way for novel applications.

Sustainable Polylactide-Based Blends provides a critical overview of the state-of-the-art in polylactide (PLA)-based blends, addressing the latest advances, innovative processing techniques and fundamental issues that persist in the field. Sections cover the fundamentals of sustainable polymeric materials, polylactide and polymer blends, current and upcoming processing technologies, structure and morphology characterization techniques for PLA and PLA-based blends, and the processing, morphology development, and properties of polylactide-based blends. Final chapters focus on current and future applications, market potential, key challenges and future outlooks. Throughout the book, theoretical modeling of immiscible polymer blends helps to establish structure-property relationships in various PLA-based polymer blends. With in-depth coverage of fundamentals and processing techniques, the book aims to support the selection of each processing method, along with an understanding of surface chemistry to achieve improved compatibility between phases.