This book gives an introduction to the highly interdisciplinary field of biomaterials. It concisely summarizes properties, synthesis and modification of materials such as metals, ceramics, polymers or composites. Characterization, in vitro and in vivo testing as well as a selection of various applications are also part of this inevitable guide.

Calcium phosphates are key materials to sustain life on Earth as constituent of the gravity-defying bony skeletons of all vertebrates as well as the dentine and enamel materials of teeth. This book contains accounts on the historical development of the scientific knowledge gained on calcium orthophosphates, the latest information on the structure of carbonate-bearing hydroxyapatite, the role played by small amounts of molecular water residing in synthetic hydroxyapatite and bone mineral, as well as the nature of oxyhydroxyapatite and oxyapatite as intermediates during dehydroxylation of hydroxyapatite, pertinent information to unravel the complex processes relevant for plasma-sprayed calcium phosphate coatings on endoprosthetic implants. This book is recommended to industrial and academic professionals in the fields of medical technology, orthopedy, dentistry, biology, materials science, chemistry, environmental engineering, and mineralogy.

Based on the author's lectures to graduate students of geosciences, physics, chemistry and materials science, this didactic handbook covers basic aspects of ceramics such as composition and structure as well as such advanced topics as achieving specific functionalities by choosing the right materials. The focus lies on the thermal transformation processes of natural raw materials to arrive at traditional structural ceramics and on the general physical principles of advanced functional ceramics. The book thus provides practice-oriented information to readers in research, development and engineering on how to understand, make and improve ceramics and derived products, while also serving as a rapid reference for the practitioner. The choice of topics and style of presentation make it equally useful for chemists, materials scientists, engineers and mineralogists.