Amorphous, hydrogenated carbon (AHC) films can be deposited on various substrates using several techniques, e.g. plasma deposition and ion beam deposition. The resulting films can be hard, wear resistant and transparent.

The contributions in this two-volume set represent the work of over two hundred international researchers from universities, government laboratories and industry, with diverse backgrounds and interests in a wide range of coatings and thin film processes. The two hundred and six papers attest to the fact that Metallurgical Coatings is a rapidly growing field attracting experts from the large materials, scientific and technical community. The papers will be a useful and dynamic tool for those wishing to increase their knowledge on metallurgical coatings, as well as providing a guide to recent literature in this field.

This book presents the status quo of the structure, preparation, properties and applications of tetrahedrally bonded amorphous carbon (ta-C) films and compares them with related film systems. Tetrahedrally bonded amorphous carbon films (ta-C) combine some of the outstanding properties of diamond with the versatility of amorphous materials. The book compares experimental results with the predictions of theoretical analyses, condensing them to practicable rules. It is strictly application oriented, emphasizing the exceptional potential of ta-C for tribological coatings of tools and components.

This book is a comprehensive introduction on infrared anti-transparent materials and their applications in anti-reflective and protective coatings. Optical, mechanical and thermal properties and preparations of various kinds of films, such as amorphous diamond films, germanium carbide films, boron phosphide films, alumina films and yttrium oxide film are discussed in detail making it suitable for material scientists and industrial engineers.

"Advanced Tribology" is the proceedings of the 5th China International Symposium on Tribology (held every four years) and the 1st International Tribology Symposium of IFToMM, held in Beijing 24th-27th September 2008. It contains seven parts: lubrication; friction and wear; micro/nano-tribology; tribology of coatings, surface and interface; biotribology; tribo-chemistry; industry tribology. The book reflects the recent progress in the fields such as lubrication, friction and wear, coatings, and precision manufacture etc. in the world. The book is intended for researchers, engineers and graduate students in the field of tribology, lubrication, mechanical production and industrial design. The editors Jianbin Luo, Yonggang Meng, Tianmin Shao and Qian Zhao are all the professors at the State Key Lab of Tribology, Tsinghua University, Beijing.

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology are experiencing a rapid development in many aspects, like real-space atomic-scale imaging, atomic and molecular manipulation, nano-fabrication, etc. , which will have a profound impact not only in every field of research, but also on everyday life in the twenty-first century. The common efforts of researchers from different countries and fields of science can bring complementary expertise to solve the rising problems in order to take advantage of the nanoscale approaches in Materials Science. Nanostructured materials, i. e. materials made with atomic accuracy, show unique properties as a consequence of nanoscale size confinement, predominance of interfacial phenomena and quantum effects. Therefore, by reducing the dimensions of a structure to nanosize, many inconceivable properties will appear and may lead to different novel applications from na- electronics and nanophotonics to nanobiological systems and nanomedicine. All this requires the contribution of multidisciplinary teams of physicists, chemists, materials scientists, engineers and biologists to work together on the synthesis and processing of nanomaterials and nanostructures, und- standing the properties related to the nanoscale, the design of nano-devices as well as of new tools for the characterization of nano-structured materials. The first objective of the NATO ASI on Nanostructured Materials for Advanced Technological Applications was to assess the up-to-date achie- ments and future perspectives of application of novel nanostructured materials, focusing on the relationships material structure ? functional properties ? possible applications.