Understanding cooperative phenomena far from equilibrium is one of the fascinating challenges of present-day many-body physics. Glassy behaviour and the physical ageing process of such materials are paradigmatic examples. The present volume, primarily intended as introduction and reference, collects six extensive lectures addressing selected experimental and theoretical issues in the field of glassy systems.

Understanding cooperative phenomena far from equilibrium is one of the fascinating challenges of present-day many-body physics. Glassy behaviour and the physical ageing process of such materials are paradigmatic examples. The present volume, primarily intended as introduction and reference, collects six extensive lectures addressing selected experimental and theoretical issues in the field of glassy systems.

Glass is out of equilibrium and reduces into an equilibrium solid. This whole process is a thermodynamical phase transition, while the so-called glass transition is an observable transition with no changes in structure. We describe that the glass transition is a purely kinetic phenomenon due to strong fluctuations in molecular configurations in supercooled liquid. Intermediate-range orders (IROs) have important roles on the glass transition process which is explained by the embryo and freezing of IROs. We conclude that the glass transition is an emergence of a new system of glass in a nonequilibrium state and a glass is a nanomaterial which is composed of a periodic nano-structure of IROs. The mean field theory introduced the random first order transition (RFOT) as the ideal glass transition which prevents the Kauzmann paradox. Recently, an ideal glass was realized using silicate glass during long aging below the Kauzmann temperature. An ideal glass is a nanomaterial which is composed of a periodic nano-structure of intermediate-range orders in an amorphous phase. The results identified the (spontaneous) dissipative structure as an equilibrium state of an ideal glass. An ideal glass is a temporal steady state toward the ground state of materials, which is a polycrystal.

Written by renowned researchers in the field, this up-to-date treatise fills the gap for a high-level work discussing current materials and processes. It covers all the steps involved, from vitrification, relaxation and viscosity, right up to the prediction of glass properties, paving the way for improved methods and applications. For solid state physicists and chemists, materials scientists, and those working in the ceramics industry. With a preface by L. David Pye and a foreword by Edgar D. Zanotto

Handbook of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry: Recent Advances, Techniques and Applications, Volume Six, Second Edition, presents the latest in a series that has been well received by the thermal analysis and calorimetry community. This volume covers recent advances in techniques and applications that complement the earlier volumes. There has been tremendous progress in the field in recent years, and this book puts together the most high-impact topics selected for their popularity by new editors Sergey Vyazovkin, Nobuyoshi Koga and Christoph Schick—all editors of Thermochimica Acta. Among the important new techniques covered are biomass conversion; sustainable polymers; polymer nanocompsoties; nonmetallic glasses; phase change materials; propellants and explosives; applications to pharmaceuticals; processes in ceramics, metals, and alloys; ionic liquids; fast-scanning calorimetry, and more. - Features 19 all-new chapters to bring readers up to date on the current status of the field - Provides a broad overview of recent progress in the most popular techniques and applications - Includes chapters authored by a recognized leader in each field and compiled by a new team of editors, each with at least 20 years of experience in the field of thermal analysis and calorimetry - Enables applications across a wide range of modern materials, including polymers, metals, alloys, ceramics, energetics and pharmaceutics - Overviews the current status of the field and summarizes recent progress in the most popular techniques and applications

Ageing of composites is a highly topical subject given the increasing use of composites in structural applications in many industries. Ageing of composites addresses many of the uncertainties about the long-term performance of composites and how they age under conditions encountered in service.The first part of the book reviews processes and modelling of composite ageing including physical and chemical ageing of polymeric composites, ageing of glass-ceramic matrix composites, chemical ageing mechanisms, stress corrosion cracking, thermo-oxidative ageing, spectroscopy of ageing composites, modelling physical and accelerated ageing and ageing of silicon carbide composites. Part two examines ageing of composites in transport applications including aircraft, vehicles and ships. Part three reviews ageing of composites in non-transport applications such as implants in medical devices, oil and gas refining, construction, chemical processing and underwater applications.With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Ageing of composites is a valuable reference guide for composite manufacturers and developers. It also serves as a source of information for material scientists, designers and engineers in industries that use composites, including transport, chemical processing and medical engineering. - Addresses many of the uncertainties about the long-term performance of composites and how they age under conditions encountered in service - Reviews processes and modelling of composite ageing including chemical ageing mechanisms and stress corrosion cracking - Discusses ageing of composites in both transport and non-transport applications ranging from aircraft to implants in medical devices

Describes and interrelates the following processes: cooperative alpha processes in a cold liquid, structural relaxation in the glass near Tg, the Johari-Goldstein beta process, the Williams-Götze process in a warm liquid, fast nonactivated cage rattling and boson peak, and ultraslow Fischer modes.

The last few years have seen many developments in the study of ?frustrated? systems, such as spin glasses and random fields. In addition, the application of the idea of spin glasses to other branches of physics, such as vortex lines in high temperature superconductors, protein folding, structural glasses, and the vulcanization of rubber, has been flourishing. The earlier reviews are several years old, so now is an appropriate time to summarize the recent developments. The articles in this book have been written by leading researchers and include theoretical and experimental studies, and large-scale numerical work (using state-of-the-art algorithms designed specifically for spin-glass-type problems), as well as analytical studies.