This book focuses on the investigation of the basic properties of magnetic nanostructures, and the fundamental physics of novel nanostructures for submicron devices. It provides a broad overview of the latest developments in this emerging and fascinating field of nano-sized materials, with emphasis on the practical understanding and operation of devices using or based on nanostructured magnetic materials. The topics also include submicron technologies, nanoscale characterization, new techniques for the synthesis of nanoparticles as well as an in-depth treatment of their characterization and chemical and physical properties. Potential industrial applications of these advanced materials are also discussed.

Written by authorities in the subject, this book provides a complete treatment of metal forming and machining by using the computational techniques FEM, fuzzy set theory and neural networks as modelling tools. The algorithms and solved examples included make this book of value to postgraduates, senior undergraduates, and lecturers and researchers in these fields. Research and development engineers and consultants for the manufacturing industry will also find it of use.

The book comprises three parts. Part 1 gives a historical description of the development of ironworking techniques since the earliest times. Part 2 is the core of the book and deals with the metallurgical basis of microstructures, with four main themes: phase diagrams, solidification processes, diffusion, and solid state phase transformations. Part 3 begins by an introduction to steel design principles. It then goes on to consider the different categories of steels, placing emphasis on their specific microstructural features. Finally, a comprehensive reference list includes several hundred pertinent articles and books. The book is the work of a single author, thus ensuring uniformity and concision. It is intended for scientists, metallurgical engineers and senior technicians in research and development laboratories, design offices and quality departments, as well as for teachers and students in universities, technical colleges and other higher education establishments.

The age of nanotechnology is upon us. Engineering at the molecular level is no longer a computer-generated curiosity and is beginning to affect the lives of everyone. Molecules which can respond to their environment and the smart machines we can build with them are and will continue to be a vital part of this 21st-century revolution. Liming Dai presents the latest work on many newly-discovered intelligent macromolecular systems and reviews their uses in nano-devices.

Intelligent Macromolecules for Smart Devices features:

- An accessible assessment of the properties and materials chemistry of all the major classes of intelligent macromolecules from optoelectronic biomacromolecules to dendrimers, artificial opals and carbon nanotubes

- In-depth analysis of various smart devices including a critique of the suitability of different molecules for building each type of device

- A concise compilation of the practical applications of intelligent macromolecules including sensors and actuators, polymer batteries, carbon-nanotube supercapacitors, novel lasing species and photovoltaic cells

As an exposition of cutting-edge research against a backdrop of comprehensive review, Intelligent Macromolecules for Smart Devices will be an essential addition to the bookshelf of academic and industrial researchers in nanotechnology. Graduate and senior undergraduate students looking to make their mark in this field of the future will also find it most instructive.

A major barrier to the introduction of ferroelectric devices into mass markets remains their limited reliability due to fatigue. The underlying physical and chemical mechanisms of this material fatigue phenomenon are extremely complex, and the relevant influences range from single-point defects to macroscopic boundary conditions. This book summarizes the different aspects of fatigue in ferroelectrics. It is primarily concerned with bulk material effects. Mechanical, electrical, and physico-chemical processes are described; reference data are given for different loading regimes and boundary conditions; and various fatigue models are compared. The monograph also demonstrates how the results of acoustic emission and of microscopy studies reveal the microscopic origins of fatigue in ferroelectric devices.

Interest in the study of early European cultures is growing. These cultures have left us objects made of gold, other metals and ceramics. The advent of metal detectors, coupled with improved analytical techniques, has increased the number of findings of such objects enormously. Gold was used for economic and ceremonial purposes and thus the gold objects are an important key to our understanding of the social and political structures, as well as the technological achievements, of Bronze and Iron Age European societies. A correct interpretation of the information provided by gold and other metal objects requires the cooperation of experts in the fields of social, materials and natural science. Detailed investigation of gold deposits in Europe have revealed the composition and genesis of the deposits as sources of the metal. In Prehistoric Gold in Europe, a group of leading European geoscientists, metallurgists and archaeologists discuss the techniques of gold mining and metallurgy, the socioeconomic importance of gold as coinage and a symbol of wealth and status, and as an indicator of religious habits, as well as a mirror of trade and cultural relations mirrored by the distribution and types of gold objects in prehistoric times.

An expert exposition of the structural and mechanical properties of light alloys and composites, bridging the gap between scientists and industrial engineers in its consideration of advanced light materials, their structure, properties, technology and application. Includes basic problems of alloy constitution and phase transformations. The aluminium alloys are the main topic of the book, consideration being given to their properties, casting technology, thermomechanical treatment and structure. Attention is also given to the magnesium alloys, particularly those having rare earth metal constituents. Both commercial titanium alloys and intermetallic compounds are discussed, as are metallic composites. The latest engineering techniques are discussed in both theoretical and practical terms.

The main purpose of this book is to provide a unified and systematic continuum approach to engineers and applied physicists working on models of deformable welding material. The key concept is to consider the welding material as an thennodynamic system. Significant achievements include thermodynamics, plasticity, fluid flow and numerical methods. Having chosen point of view, this work does not intend to reunite all the information on the welding thermomechanics. The attention is focused on the deformation of welding material and its coupling with thermal effects. Welding is the process where the interrelation of temperature and deformation appears throughout the influence of thermal field on material properties and modification of the extent of plastic zones. Thermal effects can be studied with coupled or uncoupled theories of thermomechanical response. A majority of welding problems can be satisfactorily studied within an uncoupled theory. In such an approach the temperature enters the stress-strain relation through the thennal dilatation and influences the material constants. The heat conduction equation and the relations governing the stress field are considered separately. In welding a material is either in solid or in solid and liquid states. The flow of metal and solidification phenomena make the welding process very complex. The automobile, aircraft, nuclear and ship industries are experiencing a rapidly-growing need for tools to handle welding problems. The effective solutions of complex problems in welding became possible in the last two decades, because of the vigorous development of numerical methods for thermal and mechanical analysis.

Superplasticity is the ability of polycrystalline materials under certain conditions to exhibit extreme tensile elongation in a nearly homogeneous/isotropic manner. Historically, this phenomenon was discovered and systematically studied by metallurgists and physicists. They, along with practising engineers, used materials in the superplastic state for materials forming applications. Metallurgists concluded that they had the necessary information on superplasticity and so theoretical studies focussed mostly on understanding the physical and metallurgi cal properties of superplastic materials. Practical applications, in contrast, were led by empirical approaches, rules of thumb and creative design. It has become clear that mathematical models of superplastic deformation as well as analyses for metal working processes that exploit the superplastic state are not adequate. A systematic approach based on the methods of mechanics of solids is likely to prove useful in improving the situation. The present book aims at the following. 1. Outline briefly the techniques of mechanics of solids, particularly as it applies to strain rate sensitive materials. 2. Assess the present level of investigations on the mechanical behaviour of superplastics. 3. Formulate the main issues and challenges in mechanics ofsuperplasticity. 4. Analyse the mathematical models/constitutive equations for superplastic flow from the viewpoint of mechanics. 5. Review the models of superplastic metal working processes. 6. Indicate with examples new results that may be obtained using the methods of mechanics of solids."

The application of microbiological methods to the extraction of metals from minerals has definitely gained a prominent role and is supported by the several bioleaching and biooxidation processes operating in different sites over the world. In recent years new techniques and new results about proteomic and bioinformatics are bringing a new perspective on the microbial processes.

This book focuses on the basic aspects of the process with special emphasis on recent contributions regarding the chemical and microbial aspects of the bioleaching process and the use of microorganisms in the treatment of complex ores and concentrates.

It has been written by recognized researchers in order to introduce the main subjects of microbial processing to undergraduate and postgraduate students, scientists working in this field as well as interested industrialists.

In the paper the author attempts to assess the fatigue life of chosen welded joints. It focuses especially on chosen problems that accompany deter- nation of the fatigue life of welded joints, taking into consideration the strain energy density parameter. Chapter 2 describes the welded joint as a stress concentrator. The state of stress and strain in the notch are described and theoretical and fatigue coefficients are indicated. The fatigue coef- cient of the notch effect is estimated on the basis of fictitious radius in the notch root. Chapter 3 presents a model of fatigue life assessment under uniaxial stress state with statistical handling of data presented. The new energy model of fatigue life assessment, which rests upon the analysis of stress and strain in the critical plane, is described in detail in chapter 4. The principle of such a description is presented in the uniaxial as well as in - axial state of loading. Chapter 5 contains the analysis of tests of four ma- rials subjected to different loadings: cyclic, variable-amplitude with Ga- sian distribution, and variable amplitude with Gaussian distribution and overloading for symmetric and pulsating loading. The analysis is based on the determined fatigue characteristics for all the considered materials. Chapter 6 shows the application of the model in the fatigue life assessment in the complex state of loading (bending with torsion of flange-tube and tube-tube joints) based on fatigue research of steel and aluminum welded joints carried out in well-known German centres.

The annual global production of ferrous materials exceeds the sum of all other metallic materials by more than one order of magnitude. The huge demand for ferrous materials is driven not only by costs and availability, but chiefly by their wide range of useful properties that can be tailored by alloying and processing. This book addresses these relationships and applications of ferrous materials. Each chapter deals with particular topics relating to both steel and cast iron, which have hitherto been handled separately for historical reasons.

Part A describes the fundamental principles. Part B comprises almost two thirds of the book and discusses standardised materials, their processing and applications as well as recent developments. Annex C describes the designation systems and gives a brief history of ferrous materials. The individual chapters are:

A1 Constitution B1 Materials for general applications

A2 Microstructure B2 High-strength materials

A3 Heat treatment B3 Materials for surface layer treatments

A4 Properties B4 Tools for processing minerals

B5 Tools for processing materials

B6 Chemically resistant materials

C1 Material designations B7 Creep-resistant materials

C2 History of iron B8 Functional materials

This book focuses on materials technology and is intended for engineers working with ferrous materials in practical situations who wish to deepen their understanding or who are looking for advice. The necessary practical relevance is based on the authors' many years of industrial experience. Students will find a clear and well-structured presentation with useful diagrams, informative tables, plenty of data and many cross-references in the text. A list of the effects of alloying and tramp elements as well as a detailed index and keyword list assist the reader in finding the required information.

Harmonisation of European standards has made it possible to translate this book from German, currently in its third edition, into English. It was translated by Gillian Scheibelein B.Sc.(Hons.).

Solder joints are ubiquitous in electronic consumer products. The European Union has a directive to ban the use of Pb-based solders in these products on July 1st, 2006. There is an urgent need for an increase in the research and development of Pb-free solders in electronic manufacturing. For example, spontaneous Sn whisker growth and electromigration induced failure in solder joints are serious issues. These reliability issues are quite complicated due to the combined effect of electrical, mechanical, chemical, and thermal forces on solder joints. To improve solder joint reliability, the science of solder joint behavior under various driving forces must be understood. In this book, the advanced materials reliability issues related to copper-tin reaction and electromigration in solder joints are emphasized and methods to prevent these reliability problems are discussed.

The fascinating phenomenon ferromagnetism is far from being fully understood, although it surely belongs to the oldest problems of solid state physics. For any investigation it appears recommendable to distinguish between materials whose spontaneous magnetization stems from localized electrons of a partially ?lled atomic shell and those in which it is due to itinerant electrons of a partially ?lled conduction band. In the latter case one speaks of band-ferromagnetism, prototypes of which are the classical ferromagnets Fe, Co, and Ni. The present book is a status report on the remarkable progress that has recently been made towards a microscopic understanding of band-ferromagnetism as an electron c- relation e?ect. The authors of the various chapters of this book "Band-Ferromagnetism: Ground-State and Finite-Temperature Phenomena" participated as selected - perts in the 242nd WE-Heraeus-Seminar (4-6 October 2000) held under almost the same title in Wandlitz near Berlin (Germany). It was the second seminar of this type in Wandlitz. (The ?rst in 1998 dealt with the complementary topic of the physics of local-moment ferromagnets such as Gd). Twenty-six invited spe- ers from ten di?erent countries together with ?fty-?ve further participants, who presented contributions in form of posters, spent three days together discussing in an enthusiastic and fertile manner the hot topics of band-ferromagnetism.

100 years after the first observation of ripening by Ostwald and 40 years after the first publication of a theory describing this process, this monograph presents in a self-consistent and comprehensive manner, all the bits and pieces of coarsening theories so that the main issues and the underlying mathematics of self-similar coarsening of dispersed systems can be understood. Rather than giving a complete survey of the field, it presents a careful derivation of the existing results and places them into some perspective.

The fact that magnetite (Fe304) was already known in the Greek era as a peculiar mineral is indicative of the long history of transition metal oxides as useful materials. The discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in 1986 has renewed interest in transition metal oxides. High-temperature su perconductors are all cuprates. Why is it? To answer to this question, we must understand the electronic states in the cuprates. Transition metal oxides are also familiar as magnets. They might be found stuck on the door of your kitchen refrigerator. Magnetic materials are valuable not only as magnets but as electronics materials. Manganites have received special attention recently because of their extremely large magnetoresistance, an effect so large that it is called colossal magnetoresistance (CMR). What is the difference between high-temperature superconducting cuprates and CMR manganites? Elements with incomplete d shells in the periodic table are called tran sition elements. Among them, the following eight elements with the atomic numbers from 22 to 29, i. e., Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni and Cu are the most im portant. These elements make compounds with oxygen and present a variety of properties. High-temperature superconductivity and CMR are examples. Most of the textbooks on magnetism discuss the magnetic properties of transition metal oxides. However, when one studies magnetism using tradi tional textbooks, one finds that the transport properties are not introduced in the initial stages."

The book is important because it reflects a trend, especially in microelectronics manufacture toward recyclability. Europe and Asia are moving towards legislation to ban the use of lead in solders and public demand in the US will likely have the same result. Producers of solders and manufacturers who use them will have to invent and employ suitable substitutes and A Guide to Lead-free Solders will show them how to do so.

Advanced magnetic nanostructures is an emerging field in magnetism and nanotechnology, but the literature consists of a rich variety of original papers and parts of reviews and books whose scope is comparatively broad. This calls for a book with specific emphasis on state-of-the-art synthetic methods for fabricating, characterizing and theoretically modeling new magnetic nanostructures. This book is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the present state of the field. Leading researchers world-wide have contributed a survey of their special ties to guide the reader through the exploding literature in nanomagnetic structures.

The focus is on deliberately structured nanomagnets. It includes cluster assembled, self-organized and patterned thin films but excludes, for example, multilayered thin films. We target both industrial and academic researchers in magnetism and related areas, such as nanotechnology, materials science, and theoretical solid-state physics.

"Machining with Nanomaterials" focuses on the application of thin film nanostructures to the solution of machining problems. The solution to machining materials in an environmentally conscious manner is to use newly developed thin film superlattice layer coatings that provide a means to eliminate the use of flood cooling and the associated peripheral equipment. The practical significance of the development of these coatings is related to eliminating the need for cooling and lubrication by fluids and the need to machine at ever increasing cutting speeds. The effects of reducing tool life is a particular challenge in high speed machining, and this text explains how coatings can improve tool life, reduce machining costs, and machine in an environmentally acceptable way.

The worldwide trend toward lead-free components and soldering is especially urgent in the European Union with the implementation strict new standards in July 2006, and with pending implementation of laws in China and California. This book provides a standard reference guide for engineers who must meet the new regulations, including a broad collection of techniques for lead-free soldering design and manufacture, which up to now have been scattered in difficult-to-find scholarly sources.

Today's wireless communications and information systems are heavily based on microwave technology. Current trends indicate that in the future along with - crowaves, the millimeter wave and Terahertz technologies will be used to meet the growing bandwidth and overall performance requirements. Moreover, motivated by the needs of the society, new industry sectors are gaining ground; such as wi- less sensor networks, safety and security systems, automotive, medical, envir- mental/food monitoring, radio tags etc. Furthermore, the progress and the pr- lems in the modern society indicate that in the future these systems have to be more user/consumer friendly, i. e. adaptable, reconfigurable and cost effective. The mobile phone is a typical example which today is much more than just a phone; it includes a range of new functionalities such as Internet, GPS, TV, etc. To handle, in a cost effective way, all available and new future standards, the growing n- ber of the channels and bandwidth both the mobile handsets and the associated systems have to be agile (adaptable/reconfigurable). The complex societal needs have initiated considerable activities in the field of cognitive and software defined radios and triggered extensive research in adequate components and technology platforms. To meet the stringent requirements of these systems, especially in ag- ity and cost, new components with enhanced performances and new functionalities are needed. In this sense the components based on ferroelectrics have greater - tential and already are gaining ground.

Manufacture of components from powders frequently requires a compaction step. Modelling of Powder Die Compaction presents a number of case studies that have been developed to test compaction models. It will be bought by researchers involved in developing models of powder compaction as well as by those working in industry, either using powder compaction to make products or using products made by powder compaction.

A comprehensive collection of overview articles on novel microscopy methods for imaging magnetic structures on the nanoscale. Written by leading scientists in the field, the book covers synchrotron based methods, spin-polarized electron methods, and scanning probe techniques. It constitutes a valuable source of reference for graduate students and newcomers to the field.

Ferroelectric thin films continue to attract much attention due to their developing applications in memory devices, FeRAM, infrared sensors, piezoelectric sensors and actuators. This book, aimed at students, researchers and developers, gives detailed information about the basic properties of these materials and the associated device physics. The contributing authors are acknowledged experts in the field.

This is the first comprehensive book on ferroelectric memories which contains chapters on device design, processing, testing, and device physics, as well as on breakdown, leakage currents, switching mechanisms, and fatigue. State-of-the-art device designs are included and illustrated among the books many figures. More than 500 up-to-date references and 76 problems make it useful as a research reference for physicists, engineers and students.