This proceedings covers the general problem related to the damage initiation and development, the failure criteria and the specific aspects related to fatigue, creep behaviour, moisture diffusion and the problem of the joining systems.

Highlights the recent developments in the fundamental understanding of composites; important information for researchers and composite scientists.

This book contains 31 papers presented at the symposium on "Recent Advances in Composite Materials" which was organized in honor of Professor Stephanos A. Paipetis. The symposium took place at Democritus University of Thrace, in Xanthi, Greece on June 12-14, 2003. The book is a tribute to Stephanos A. Paipetis, a pioneer of composite materials, in recognition of his continuous, original diversified and outstanding contributions for half a century. The book consists of invited papers written by leading experts in the field. It contains original contributions concerning the latest developments in composite materials. It covers a wide range of subjects including experimental characterization, analytical modeling and applications of composite materials. The papers are arranged in the following six sections: General concepts, stress and failure analysis, mechanical properties, metal matrix composites, structural analysis and applications of composite materials. The first section on general concepts contains seven papers dealing with composites through the pursuit of the consilience among them, computation and mechatronic automation of multiphysics research, a theory of anisotropic scattering, wave propagation, multi-material composite wedges, a three-dimensional finite element analysis around broken fibers and an in situ assessment of the micromechanics of large scale bridging in ceramic composites.

Composite material systems are the basis for much of the natural world around us and are rapidly becoming the basis for many modern engineering components. A controlling feature for the general use of such systems is their damage tolerance, durability and reliability. The present book is a comprehensive cross section of the state of the art in the field of the durability of polymer-based, composite, and adhesive systems. As such, it is of special value to researchers concerned with the frontier of the field, to students concerned with the substance of the subject, and to the applied community concerned with the finding methodologies that make it possible to design safe and durable engineering components using material systems.

Nothing stays the same for ever. The environmental degradation and corrosion of materials is inevitable and affects most aspects of life. In industrial settings, this inescapable fact has very significant financial, safety and environmental implications. The Handbook of Environmental Degradation of Materials explains how to measure, analyse, and control environmental degradation for a wide range of industrial materials including metals, polymers, ceramics, concrete, wood and textiles exposed to environmental factors such as weather, seawater, and fire. Divided into sections which deal with analysis, types of degradation, protection and surface engineering respectively, the reader is introduced to the wide variety of environmental effects and what can be done to control them. The expert contributors to this book provide a wealth of insider knowledge and engineering knowhow, complementing their explanations and advice with Case Studies from areas such as pipelines, tankers, packaging and chemical processing equipment ensures that the reader understands the practical measures that can be put in place to save money, lives and the environment. The Handbook's broad scope introduces the reader to the effects of environmental degradation on a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, concrete,wood and textiles For each type of material, the book describes the kind of degradation that effects it and how best to protect it Case Studies show how organizations from small consulting firms to corporate giants design and manufacture products that are more resistant to environmental effects

This book collects major research contributions in composite materials and sandwich structures supported by the U.S. Office of Naval Research. It contains over thirty chapters written by experts and serves as a reference and guide for future research.

The papers from these proceedings address experimental and analytical methods for the characterization and analysis of modern composite and adhesive systems. They have been produced to provide understanding that can be used to design safe, reliable engineering components.

Creep and Fatigue in Polymer Matrix Composites, Second Edition, updates the latest research in modeling and predicting creep and fatigue in polymer matrix composites. The first part of the book reviews the modeling of viscoelastic and viscoplastic behavior as a way of predicting performance and service life. Final sections discuss techniques for modeling creep rupture and failure and how to test and predict long-term creep and fatigue in polymer matrix composites. - Reviews the latest research in modeling and predicting creep and fatigue in polymer matrix composites - Puts a specific focus on viscoelastic and viscoplastic modeling - Features the time-temperature-age superposition principle for predicting long-term response - Examines the creep rupture and damage interaction, with a particular focus on time-dependent failure criteria for the lifetime prediction of polymer matrix composite structures that are illustrated using experimental cases

While this proceedings volume deals primarily with the conventional areas of metal, ceramic, and polymer composites for civil construction, several of the papers report on new developments in the emerging fields of wood and nanocomposites. The 63 papers from the September 2002 workshop includes the further integration of the fabrication and function processes, aspects of the scale of components which improve the competitive position of composites relative to conventional materials and the exploitation of new types of composite such as nanocomposites which exploit a variety of new length scales to achieve their functionality. This also gives rise to multifunctional composites which have attributes other than structural properties. In this talk these aspects of the future of composites will be explored and illustrated.