Metals and Materials: Science, Processes, Applications

This is a comprehensive account of the science of materials, ranging in its coverage from pure elements to superalloys, from glasses to engineering ceramics, and from everyday plastics to in situ composites. Numerous examples are given of the ways in which knowledge of the relation between fine structure and properties has made it possible to optimise the service behaviour of traditional engineering materials and to develop completely new and exciting classes of materials. Special consideration is given to the crucial processing stage that enables materials to be produced as marketable commodities. Whilst attempting to produce a useful and relatively concise survey of key materials and their interrelationships, the authors have tried to make the subject accessible to a wide range of readers, to provide insights into specialised methods of examination and to convey the excitement of an atmosphere in which new materials are being conceived and developed.