in preparation

This special collection comprises 36 peer-reviewed papers giving an insight into the latest advances in extrusion technology and its simulation. The papers cover a wide range of topics and are grouped into the categories of: benchmark, microstructure, seam welds and composite extrusion, material flow and constitutive equations, dies and tools and process control and optimization. However, many other topics, such as new materials (magnesium and its composites) and new composite profiles, are covered.

in preparation

This special collection on the Mechanical Properties of Solids gives an accurate picture, of the distribution of current research, from the viewpoint of the mechanical properties of solids.

Composite materials are increasingly finding use in diverse applications requiring a wide range of property and performance requirements. Low density, high specific strength and stiffness are the main features that make composite materials most suitable for structural applications. The field covers the concurrent manipulation of the material’s composition and of the internal architecture of the composite in order to obtain the desired properties. The ability to tailor composite materials precisely is of great importance in structural applications. A systematic approach to the optimum tailoring of composite materials is a challenging design problem. The focus should be on the practical design aspects, and that is what is addressed in this special-topic volume.

This work on Ferromagnetic Shape Memory Alloys contains selected peer-reviewed papers. Such materials belong to the most exciting and fastest-growing group of martensitic multifunctional materials. The selected papers cover the following topics of: Basic phenomena and theory; Structure and magnetic properties; Magnetomechanics and magnetocaloric effect; Thin films and composites; Modeling and simulations and Processing and engineering.

in preparation

in preparation

Polymers make up one of the three main raw material groups used in the modern world, together with metals and inorganic non-metallics. They are widely used in all fields of economic development and scientific & technological innovation, and continue to play an increasingly important role. As China’s modern manufacturing forges ahead, going from a large producing country to a powerful manufacturing state, the extent of the knowledge, the tendency to innovation and the technical skill brought to bear on advanced polymer processing increase daily. There is a trend towards rapid development involving high performance and environmental-friendliness, backed up by lots of new research performed by the scientific and engineering communities.

in preparation

in preparation

This special collection brings to the reader the latest developments in the science and technology of electroceramics. It focuses on contributing to the exchange of Electroceramics knowledge; both scientific and industrial.

This special collection of peer-reviewed papers focuses on the technology, characterization and equipment required for handling nanocomposite films and hard and superhard coatings. It also covers subjects related to the development, properties and methods for the characterization of nanostructured materials for: solid-state electronics and energy technologies; nanocomposite films, hard and superhard coatings, tribological / corrosion-resistant coatings; surfaces and interfaces; nano-sensors, nanodevices and nanosystems, Equipment for deposition and characterization of nanocomposite films and industrial application of hard and superhard coatings.

in preparation

The theme of this special collection of peer-reviewed papers is the preparation and application of High-Performance Mineral-based Powders (HQMP). Here, HQMP refers to powder prepared from natural minerals with high specifications. It is predicted that the area of application of HQMP will become increasingly extensive. The future development of HQMP lies in the further exploitation and improvement of the manufacturing and production technologies of HQMP-orientated towards markets, and this collection will provide a handy roadmap for these likely developments.

Strength and ductility are two of the most important mechanical properties of structural materials,  but this usually involves a trade-off, because of the fundamental inverse proportionality of these two features. Since the 1980s, bulk nanostructured materials have emerged as a new class of material having unusual structures and, as a result, have attracted increasing attention. Unfortunately, most bulk nanostructured materials still do not evade the strength-ductility trade-off dilemma, and usually have very poor ductility. The poor ductility of bulk nanostructured materials has indeed become a seemingly insurmountable obstacle to the widespread technological application of structural bulk nanostructured materials.

in preparation

in preparation

This volume comprises a prestigious collection of refereed papers on Advanced Design and Manufacture. In the face of the current global financial crisis, it is extremely important to identify new technological needs and priorities in the fields of design and manufacture. The major topics tackled are: Engineering/product/industrial design, - Manufacture and production, - Engineering materials, - CAD/CAM/CAE, - Robotics, automation and control, - Sustainable technology, environment-friendly design and manufacture, - Web/Internet technologies, artificial intelligence and smart computing in design and manufacture, - Enterprise, management and supply chains.

Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) are multifunctional materials which exhibit spatial variations in composition and microstructure; created for the specific purpose of achieving variations in thermal, structural or functional properties. They are presently at the forefront of materials research and are receiving worldwide attention. They enjoy a broad range of application; including, for example, biomechanical, automotive, aerospace, mechanical, civil, nuclear and naval engineering. New applications are continually being discovered and developed.