Mechanical Behaviour of Nanostructured Materials (Materials Science Foundations)

The investigation of nanocrystalline materials has been an active field for the past two decades as it promises to bring new properties, which will test scientific understanding of the behaviour of materials in general, and offer further scope for applications. While progrss has been made in basic understanding, the shift from fundamental science to technological application has been slow, especially in the exploitation of the mechanical behaviour of these materials. This review aims to provide basic, comprehensive accounts of the processing and structure of nanostructured materials, the underlying principles of relevant deformation mechanism, and the typical mechanical properties and behaviours of these materials when examined under laboratory conditions or similar environments. The text also looks at the advances already made and assess the areas where further research is required.