With the increased presence of nanomaterials in commercial products such as cosmetics and sunscreens, fillers in dental fillings, water filtration process, catalysis, photovoltaic cells, bio-detection, a growing public debate is emerging on toxicological and environmental effects of direct and indirect exposure to these materials. Nanomaterials: A Danger or a Promise? forms a balanced overview of the health and environmental issues of nanoscale materials. By considering both the benefits and risks associated with nanomaterials, Nanomaterials: A Danger or a Promise? compiles a complete and detailed image of the many aspects of the interface between nanomaterials and their real-life application. The full cycle of nanomaterials life will be presented and critically assessed to consider and answer questions such as: How are nanomaterials made? What they are used for? What is their environmental fate? Can we make them better? Including coverage of relevant aspects about the toxicity of manufactured nanomaterials, nanomaterials life cycle, exposure issues, Nanomaterials: A Danger or a Promise? provides a comprehensive overview of the actual knowledge in these fields but also presents perspectives for the future development of a safer nanoscience. This comprehensive resource is a key reference for students, researcher, manufacturers and industry professionals alike.

From the Author's Preface
Ceramic sensors have been in use for more than thirty years. Since ceramics exhibit a number of specific characteristics that enable their cost to become lower and their reliability to increase, they have occupied a significant position in sensor technology. This is why many companies and universities have directed their efforts towards investigating and developing new ceramic sensors and expanding their areas of application.
To the best of our knowledge.., there has been] no book treating different sensors on the basis of their common physical and chemical properties, technological principles, and applications. This book is] a detailed survey of ceramic sensors and a generalization of the results achieved in this field so far. Ceramic sensors for different physical quantities are discussed without going too deep into theory...
The concept of ceramic sensors includes all sensors that are produced using ceramic technology. It also covers thick film sensors, since from a structural and technological point of view, they can be regarded as a variety of ceramic sensors. The subject of scientific research in this book is humidity, gas. temperature, and pressure sensors on the basis of semiconductor and dielectric ceramic materials and solid electrolytes.
Special attention is paid to the physical and chemical, as well as the technological, bases of ceramic sensors, their classification, the types of materials used..., the methods of controlling their parameters and characteristics, the areas of application, and the electric circuits for connecting the sensors.

The Handbook of Chemical and Biological Sensors focuses on the development of sensors to recognize substances rather than physical quantities. This fully inclusive book examines devices that use a biological sensing element to detect and measure chemical and biological species as well as those that use a synthetic element to achieve a similar result. A first port of call for anyone with a specific interest, question, or problem relating to this area, this comprehensive source of reference serves as a guide for practicing scientists and as a text for many graduate courses. It presents relevant physics to chemists, chemistry to materials scientists, materials science to electronic engineers, and fabrication technology to all of the above. In addition, the handbook is useful both to newcomers and to experienced researchers who wish to broaden their knowledge of the constituent disciplines of this wide-ranging field.

Polymer films now play an essential and growing role in sensors. Recent advances in polymer science and film preparation have made polymer films useful, practical and economical in a wide range of sensor designs and applications. Further, the continuing miniaturization of microelectronics favors the use of polymer thin films in sensors.
This new book is the first comprehensive presentation of this technology. It covers both scientific fundamentals and practical engineering aspects. Included is an extensive survey of all types of sensors and applications. The very detailed table of contents in the next pages provides full information on content. More than 200 schematics illustrate a wide variety of sensor structures and their function.

Processing of polymer nanocomposites usually requires special attention since the resultant structure-micro- and nano-level, is directly influenced by among other factors, polymer/nano-additive chemistry and the processing strategy. This book consolidates knowledge, from fundamental to product development, on polymer nanocomposites processing with special emphasis on the processing-structure-property-performance relationships in a wide range of polymer nanocomposites. Furthermore, this book focuses on emerging processing technologies such as electrospinning, which has very exciting applications ranging from medical to filtration. Additionally, the important role played by the nanoparticles in polymer blends structures has been illustrated in the current book, with special focus on fundamental aspects and properties of nanoparticles migration and interface crossing in immiscible polymer blend nanocomposites. This book focuses heavily on the processing technologies and strategies and extensively addresses the processing-structure-property-performance relationships in a wide range of polymer nanocomposites, such as commodity polymers (chapter 1), engineering polymers (chapter 2), elastomers (chapter 3), thermosets (chapter 4), biopolymers (chapter 5), polymer blends (chapter 6), and electrospun polymer (chapter 7). The important role played by nanoparticles in polymer blends structures in particular is illustrated. The book is useful to undergraduate and postgraduate students (polymer engineering, materials science & engineering, chemical & process engineering), as well as research & development personnel, engineers, and material scientists.

Inelastic media constitute a rich source of interesting and important problems in theoretical, experimental and computationalmechanics. Signi?cantinsightshavebeengainedthroughstudiesofthemathematicalchar- teristics of new models. New constitutive theories have lead to variational and other formulations that are generally more complex, often highly nonlinear, and requ- ing new tools for their successful resolution. Likewise, there have been signi?cant advances of a computational nature, coupled to the development of new algorithms for solving such problems in discrete form. It is clear, therefore, that research in the broad area of inelastic media offers c- temporary investigators a range of challenges which are most fruitfully addressed througha combinationof theoretical, experimentaland computationalavenues.F- thermore, the ?eld is truly multidisciplinary in nature, drawing on the expertise of specialists in materials science, various branches of engineering, mathematics, and physics, and bene?ting from integrative approaches to the solution of problems. The objective of the IUTAM Symposium on Theoretical, Modelling and C- putational Aspects of Inelastic Media, held in Cape Town over the period 14-18 January 2008, was to provide a forum in which experts engaged in a spectrum of activities underthe theme of inelastic media could discussrecent developments, and also identify key open problem

The book contains high quality papers presented in conference Recent Advances in Mechanical Infrastructure (ICRAM-2019) held at IITRAM, Ahmedabad, India from 20-21 April, 2019.The topics covered in this book are recent advances in thermal infrastructure, manufacturing infrastructure and infrastructure planning and design.

This book presents state-of-the-art coverage of synthesis of advanced functional materials. Unconventional synthetic routes play an important role in the synthesis of advanced materials as many new materials are metastable and cannot be synthesized by conventional methods. This book presents various synthesis methods such as conventional solid-state method, combustion method, a range of soft chemical methods, template synthesis, molecular precursor method, microwave synthesis, sono-chemical method and high-pressure synthesis. It provides a comprehensive overview of synthesis methods and covers a variety of materials, including ceramics, films, glass, carbon-based, and metallic materials. Many techniques for processing and surface functionalization are also discussed. Several engineering aspects of materials synthesis are also included. The contents of this book are useful for researchers and professionals working in the areas of materials and chemistry.

Interfaces between dissimilar materials are met everywhere in microelectronics and microsystems. In order to ensure faultless operation of these highly sophisticated structures, it is mandatory to have fundamental understanding of materials and their interactions in the system. In this difficult task, the traditional method of trial and error is not feasible anymore; it takes too much time and repeated efforts. In "Interfacial Compatibility in Microelectronics," an alternative approach is introduced.

In this revised method four fundamental disciplines are combined: i) thermodynamics of materials ii) reaction kinetics iii) theory of microstructures and iv) stress and strain analysis. The advantages of the method are illustrated in "Interfacial Compatibility in Microelectronics" which includes:

solutions to several common reliability issues in microsystem technology,

methods to understand and predict failure mechanisms at interfaces between dissimilar materials and

an approach to DFR based on deep understanding in materials science, rather than on the use of mechanistic tools, such as FMEA.

Interfacial Compatibility in Microelectronics provides a clear and methodical resource for graduates and postgraduates alike."

The book Mechatronics: Recent Technological and Scientific Advances provides comprehensive and accessible coverage of the evolving disciplines of mechatronics for nanotechnology, automatic control & robotics, biomedical engineering, design manufacturing and testing of MEMS, metrology, photonics, mechatronic products majors. It is already the third volume following the previous editions in 2007 and 2009 providing a recent state of advances in mechatronics presented on the 9th International Conference Mechatronics 2011, hosted this year at the Faculty of Mechatronics, Warsaw University of Technology, Poland.

The carefully selected contributions give an insight into the current development of these scientific disciplines, present the new results of research and development and indicate the trends of development in the interdisciplinary field of mechatronics systems.

Even though many people believe that the presence of mechanical, electrical, electronic components, and computers make a system mechatronics, others do not feel the same as there is nothing wrong with the individual identity.

The enclosed material is original, and reflects the main research tendencies and developments in mechatronics among Mechatronics 2011 contributing countries. It helps to acquire the mix of skills needed to comprehend and design mechatronic systems and also provides with the frame of understanding to develop a truly interdisciplinary and integrated approach to engineering.

The enclosed material is original, and reflects the main research tendencies and developments in mechatronics among Mechatronics 2011 contributing countries. It helps to acquire the mix of skills needed to comprehend and design mechatronic systems and also provides with the frame of understanding to develop a truly interdisciplinary and integrated approach to engineering.

This book demonstrates how the new phenomena in the nanometer scale serve as the basis for the invention and development of novel nanoelectronic devices and how they are used for engineering nanostructures and metamaterials with unusual properties. It discusses topics such as superconducting spin-valve effect and thermal spin transport, which are important for developing spintronics; fabrication of nanostructures from antagonistic materials like ferromagnets and superconductors, which lead to a novel non-conventional FFLO-superconducting state; calculations of functional nanostructures with an exotic triplet superconductivity, which are the basis for novel nanoelectronic devices, such as superconducting spin valve, thin-film superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) and memory-elements (MRAM). Starting with theoretical chapters about triplet superconductivity, the book then introduces new ideas and approaches in the fundamentals of superconducting electronics. It presents various quantum devices based on the new theoretical approaches, demonstrating the enormous potential of the electronics of 21st century - spintronics. The book is useful for a broad audience, including researchers, engineers, PhD graduates, students and others wanting to gain insights into the frontiers of nanoscience.

The merging of the concept of introduction of asymmetry of the wave vector space of the charge carriers in semiconductors with the modern techniques of fabric- ing nanostructured materials such as MBE, MOCVD, and FLL in one, two, and three dimensions (such as ultrathin ?lms, nipi structures, inversion and accumu- tion layers, quantum well superlattices, carbon nanotubes, quantum wires, quantum wire superlattices, quantumdots, magnetoinversionand accumulationlayers, qu- tum dot superlattices, etc. ) spawns not only useful quantum effect devices but also unearth new concepts in the realm of nanostructured materials science and related disciplines. It is worth remaking that these semiconductor nanostructures occupy a paramount position in the entire arena of low-dimensional science and technology by their own right and ?nd extensive applications in quantum registers, resonant tunneling diodes and transistors, quantum switches, quantum sensors, quantum logic gates, heterojunction ?eld-effect, quantum well and quantum wire trans- tors, high-speed digital networks, high-frequency microwave circuits, quantum cascade lasers, high-resolution terahertz spectroscopy, superlattice photo-oscillator, advanced integrated circuits, superlattice photocathodes, thermoelectric devices, superlattice coolers, thin ? lm transistors, intermediate-band solar cells, micro- tical systems, high-performanceinfrared imaging systems, bandpass ?lters, thermal sensors, optical modulators, optical switching systems, single electron/molecule electronics, nanotube based diodes, and other nanoelectronic devices.

The phenomena of Japan emerging as one of the most competitive industrial nations in the twentieth century and the general shift of competitiveness to East Asia since the 1980s have been widely studied by many scholars from different fields of the social sciences. Drawing on sources from Japanese, Swiss, and American archives, the historical analysis of this book tackles a wide range of actors and sheds light on the various processes that enabled Japanese watch companies to transfer technology and expand commercially starting in the second half of the nineteenth century. By exploring the case of the watch industry, this book serves to establish a better understanding of the origins of the competitiveness of Japanese manufacturing and its evolution until its decline in the post-bubble economy (in the 1990s and 2000s).

The many intriguing examples on the application of mechatronics reinforce the excitement of this creative field of technology. As a collection they present a stimulating resource to developers of future mechatronics technology, and to educators searching for interesting examples. From structured-light measurement of the build-up of detritus on railway bogies and detection of uncracked spores of Chinese medicine to a practical tractor vision guidance system embedded in a smart-phone application, the practical applications of mechatronics and machine vision abound. Fruits are counted on the tree, pasture biomass is measured and a robot collects camel dung as a resource. 3D printing is in vogue, but papers here discuss the construction and strategy of the printer itself. The measurement and analysis of myoelectric muscle signals enable a prosthesis to be controlled and a feeding robot is used for patient care. An exoskeleton has both soft and rigid links and an optical sensor analyses the tissue into which a surgical needle is being inserted. These are some of the papers in this collection from the 26th annual conference on Mechatronics and Machine Vision in Practice, carefully selected to exclude papers that are merely theoretical and to highlight those that show practical verification. Papers have been contributed from China, New Zealand, the Philippines, Emirates, Germany and of course Australia.

Analog Electronics for Radiation Detection showcases the latest advances in readout electronics for particle, or radiation, detectors. Featuring chapters written by international experts in their respective fields, this authoritative text: Defines the main design parameters of front-end circuitry developed in microelectronics technologies Explains the basis for the use of complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors for the detection of charged particles and other non-consumer applications Delivers an in-depth review of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), evaluating the pros and cons of ADCs integrated at the pixel, column, and per-chip levels Describes incremental sigma-delta ADCs, time-to-digital converter (TDC) architectures, and digital pulse-processing techniques complementary to analog processing Examines the fundamental parameters and front-end types associated with silicon photomultipliers used for single visible-light photon detection Discusses pixel sensors with per-pixel TDCs, channel density challenges, and emerging 3D technologies interconnecting detectors and electronics Thus, Analog Electronics for Radiation Detection provides a single source for state-of-the-art information on analog electronics for the readout of radiation detectors.

Handbook of Optical Metrology: Principles and Applications begins by discussing key principles and techniques before exploring practical applications of optical metrology. Designed to provide beginners with an introduction to optical metrology without sacrificing academic rigor, this comprehensive text: Covers fundamentals of light sources, lenses, prisms, and mirrors, as well as optoelectronic sensors, optical devices, and optomechanical elements Addresses interferometry, holography, and speckle methods and applications Explains Moire metrology and the optical heterodyne measurement method Delves into the specifics of diffraction, scattering, polarization, and near-field optics Considers applications for measuring length and size, displacement, straightness and parallelism, flatness, and three-dimensional shapes This new Second Edition is fully revised to reflect the latest developments. It also includes four new chapters-nearly 100 pages-on optical coherence tomography for industrial applications, interference microscopy for surface structure analysis, noncontact dimensional and profile metrology by video measurement, and optical metrology in manufacturing technology.

"The Mechanics of Mechanical Watches and Clocks" presents historical views and mathematical models of mechanical watches and clocks. Although now over six hundred years old, mechanical watches and clocks are still popular luxury items that fascinate many people around the world. However few have examined the theory of how they work as presented in this book. The illustrations and computer animations are unique and have never been published before.
It will be of significant interest to researchers in mechanical engineering, watchmakers and clockmakers, as well as people who have an engineering background and are interested in mechanical watches and clocks. It will also inspire people in other fields of science and technology, such as mechanical engineering and electronics engineering, to advance their designs.
Professor Ruxu Du works at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, China. Assistant Professor Longhan Xie works at the South China University of Technology, China.

This book covers a variety of topics in the field of mechatronics engineering, with a special focus on innovative control systems and automation concepts for a wide range of applications. Based on a set of papers presented at the 2nd International Conference "Innovation in Engineering", ICIE, held in Minho, Portugal, on June 28-30, 2022, the chapters report on cutting-edge control algorithms for mobile robots, automatic monitoring systems and intelligent predictive maintenance techniques. They cover advanced scheduling, risk-assessment and decision-making strategies, and their applications in industrial production, training and education, and service organizations. This volume, which belongs to a three-volume set, provides engineering researchers and professionals with a timely overview and extensive information on trends and technologies behind the future developments of mechatronics systems in the era of Industry 4.0.

This book aims to present the different aspects of electrospinning for designing and fabricating high performing materials for sensors applied in gaseous and liquid environments. Since electrospinning is a versatile and inexpensive manufacturing technology, the book emphasizes the industrial applications perspective. The volume is an edited collection of the most recent and encouraging results concerning advanced nanostructured (bio) sensors. The feats achieved by these sensors range from high sensitivity to extreme operating conditions and satisfy a wide range of requirements. Most of the contributions in this book come from First International Workshop on Electrospinning for High Performance Sensing (EHPS2014) that was held in Rome in 2014, as part of the European COST Action MP1206 Electrospun Nanofibres for bio inspired composite materials and innovative industrial applications.

ATILA Finite Element Method (FEM) software facilitates the modelling and analysis of applications using piezoelectric, magnetostrictor and shape memory materials. It allows entire designs to be constructed, refined and optimized before production begins. Through a range of instructive case studies, Applications of ATILA FEM software to smart materials provides an indispensable guide to the use of this software in the design of effective products.
Part one provides an introduction to ATILA FEM software, beginning with an overview of the software code. New capabilities and loss integration are discussed, before part two goes on to present case studies of finite element modelling using ATILA. The use of ATILA in finite element analysis, piezoelectric polarization, time domain analysis of piezoelectric devices and the design of ultrasonic motors is considered, before piezo-composite and photonic crystal applications are reviewed. The behaviour of piezoelectric single crystals for sonar and thermal analysis in piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials is also discussed, before a final reflection on the use of ATILA in modelling the damping of piezoelectric structures and the behaviour of single crystal devices.
With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, Applications of ATILA FEM software to smart materials is a key reference work for all those involved in the research, design, development and application of smart materials, including electrical and mechanical engineers, academics and scientists working in piezoelectrics, magenetostrictors and shape memory materials.
Provides an indispensable guide to the use of ATILA FEM software in the design of effective productsDiscusses new capabilities and loss integration of the software code, before presenting case studies of finite element modelling using ATILADiscusses the behaviour of piezoelectric single crystals for sonar and thermal analysis in piezoelectric and magnetostrictive materials, before a reflection on the use of ATILA in modelling the damping of piezoelectric structures

This tutorial book offers an in-depth overview of the fundamental principles of micro/nano technologies and devices related to sensing, actuation and diagnosis in fluidics and biosystems. Research in the MEMS/NEMS and lab-on-chip fields has seen rapid growth in both academic and industrial domains, as these biodevices and systems are increasingly replacing traditional large size diagnostic tools. This book is unique in describing not only the devices and technologies but also the basic principles of their operation. The comprehensive description of the fabrication, packaging and principles of micro/nano biosystems presented in this book offers guidance for researchers designing and implementing these biosystems across diverse fields including medical, pharmaceutical and biological sciences. The book provides a detailed overview of the fundamental mechanical, optical, electrical and magnetic principles involved, together with the technologies required for the design, fabrication and characterization of micro/nano fluidic systems and bio-devices. Written by a collaborative team from France and Korea, the book is suitable for academics, researchers, advanced level students and industrial manufacturers.

For many decades, the semiconductor industry has miniaturized transistors, delivering increased computing power to consumers at decreased cost. However, mere transistor downsizing does no longer provide the same improvements. One interesting option to further improve transistor characteristics is to use high mobility materials such as germanium and III-V materials. However, transistors have to be redesigned in order to fully benefit from these alternative materials. High Mobility and Quantum Well Transistors: Design and TCAD Simulation investigates planar bulk Germanium pFET technology in chapters 2-4, focusing on both the fabrication of such a technology and on the process and electrical TCAD simulation. Furthermore, this book shows that Quantum Well based transistors can leverage the benefits of these alternative materials, since they confine the charge carriers to the high-mobility material using a heterostructure. The design and fabrication of one particular transistor structure - the SiGe Implant-Free Quantum Well pFET - is discussed. Electrical testing shows remarkable short-channel performance and prototypes are found to be competitive with a state-of-the-art planar strained-silicon technology. High mobility channels, providing high drive current, and heterostructure confinement, providing good short-channel control, make a promising combination for future technology nodes.

Metal Oxide Nanostructures as Gas Sensing Devices explores the development of an integrated micro gas sensor that is based on advanced metal oxide nanostructures and is compatible with modern semiconductor fabrication technology. This sensor can then be used to create a compact, low-power, handheld device for analyzing air ambience. The book first covers current gas sensing tools and discusses the necessity for miniaturized sensors. It then focuses on the materials, devices, and techniques used for gas sensing applications, such as resistance and capacitance variations. The author addresses the issues of sensitivity, concentration, and temperature dependency as well as the response and recovery times crucial for sensors. He also presents techniques for synthesizing different metal oxides, particularly those with nanodimensional structures. The text goes on to highlight the gas sensing properties of many nanostructured metal oxides, from aluminum and cerium to iron and titanium to zinc and zirconium. The final chapters deal with existing and future devices that are based on nanostructures. Miniaturized systems that analyze air ambience need sensors capable of identifying different gaseous species. Exploring state-of-the-art gas sensing devices, this book shows how nanostructured metal oxides are ideally suited for use as gas sensing elements.

The series Topics in Current Chemistry Collections presents critical reviews from the journal Topics in Current Chemistry organized in topical volumes. The scope of coverage is all areas of chemical science including the interfaces with related disciplines such as biology, medicine and materials science. The goal of each thematic volume is to give the non-specialist reader, whether in academia or industry, a comprehensive insight into an area where new research is emerging which is of interest to a larger scientific audience. Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

This volume gathers the latest advances, innovations, and applications in the field of robotics engineering, as presented by leading international researchers and engineers at the Latin American Symposium on Industrial and Robotic Systems (LASIRS), held in Tampico, Mexico on October-November 30-01 2019. The contributions cover all major areas of R&D and innovation in simulation, optimization, and control of robotics, such as design and optimization of robots using numerical and metaheuristic methods, autonomous and control systems, industrial compliance solutions, numerical simulations for manipulators and robots, metaheuristics applied to robotics problems, Industry 4.0, control and automation in petrochemical processes, simulation and control in aerospace and aeronautics, and education in robotics. The conference represented a unique platform to share the latest research and developments in simulation, control and optimization of robotic systems, and to promote cooperation among specialists in machine and mechanism area.