As the shift from the Metal Age progresses, materials engineers and materials scientists seek new analytical and design methods to create stronger and more reliable materials. Based on extensive research and developmental work done at the author’s multi-disciplinary material laboratory, this graduate-level and professional reference addresses the relationship between fracture mechanisms (macroscale) and the microscopic, with the goal of explaining macroscopic fracture behavior based on a microscopic fracture mechanism. A careful fusion of mechanics and materials science, this text and monograph systematically considers an array of materials, from metals through ceramics and polymers, and demonstrates lab-tested strategies to develop desirable high-temperature materials for technological applications.

The second- or third-year engineering student who has completed a materials science course now requires a firm grounding on the principles and applications of the origins of mechanical properties of engineering materials. This book provides essential knowledge of mechanical properties, in a systematic sequence from the simple to the complex, so that the student can apply this knowledge to the design and manufacturing courses that follow.

This practical reference provides thorough and systematic coverage on both basic metallurgy and the practical engineering aspects of metallic material selection and application.

This volume represents a continuation of the Polymer Science and Technology series edited by Dr. D. M. Brewis and Professor D. Briggs. The theme of the series is the production of a number of stand alone volumes on various areas of polymer science and technology. Each volume contains short articles by a variety of expert contributors outlining a particular topic and these articles are extensively cross referenced. References to related topics included in the volume are indicated by bold text in the articles, the bold text being the title of the relevant article. At the end of each article there is a list of bibliographic references where interested readers can obtain further detailed information on the subject of the article. This volume was produced at the invitation of Derek Brewis who asked me to edit a text which concentrated on the mechanical properties of polymers. There are already many excellent books on the mechanical properties of polymers, and a somewhat lesser number of volumes dealing with methods of carrying out mechanical tests on polymers. Some of these books are listed in Appendix 1. In this volume I have attempted to cover basic mechanical properties and test methods as well as the theory of polymer mechanical deformation and hope that the reader will find the approach useful.

The strength of a material refers to the material's ability to withstand an applied stress without failure. The applied stress may be tensile, compressive, or shear. A material's strength is dependent on its microstructure. The engineering processes to which a material is subjected can alter this microstrucure. This book provides a variety of material strength research including an extensive overview on the state of the art ceramic composite material BIOLOX delta which, since 2001, has successfully implanted more than 500,000 artificial hip joints. Due to the unique strength and toughness of this material, the risk of fracture has been substantially reduced when compared to conventional ceramic materials. Several different aspects of ionomer research from a physical property standpoint is discussed as well, including the history and current trends in ionomer research and a discussion on the immediate needs in this field. Furthermore, particle modelling (PM) as an innovative particulate dynamics based modelling approach is examined as a robust tool for simulating fracture problems of solids under extreme loading conditions, including situations of collapse, impact, blasting or high strain rate tension/compression. This book includes research on the ability of particle modelling to correctly predict dynamic fragmentation of materials with good accuracy.

The book gives a description of the failure phenomena of ceramic materials under mechanical loading, the methods to determine their properties, and the principles for material selection. The book presents fracture mechanical and statistical principles and their application to describe the scatter of strength and lifetime, while special chapters are devoted to creep behaviour, multiaxial failure criteria and thermal shock behaviour. XXXXXXX Neuer Text Describing how ceramic materials fracture and fail under mechanical loading, this book provides methods for determining the properties of ceramics, and gives criteria for selecting ceramic materials for particular applications. It also examines the fracture-mechanical and statistical principles and their use in understanding the strength and durability of ceramics. Special chapters are devoted to creep behavior, criteria for multiaxial failure, and behavior under thermal shock. Readers will gain insight into the design of reliable ceramic components.

In materials, their strength is the ability to bear an applied load before their failure. In this direction, the Strength of Materials studies the stresses and deformations that happen in materials as an outcome of loads acting on them. The book contains eleven peer-reviewed chapters organized into two sections. Section 1 is focused on the strength of metals and composites materials, in other words on traditional materials used in engineering projects. Section 2 contains chapters on sustainable materials or non-conventional materials. We sincerely hope that you enjoy this book and the contents will help in the dissemination of knowledge to researchers and students working with materials and their applications.