Materials Characterization

This book highlights methods of characterizing material properties at nano, micro, and macro levels. Chapter 1 addresses nanaoindentation techniques comprehensively. Chapter 2 concerns polymer surface properties using nanoindentation techniques. Chapter 3 deals with the wear properties of dental composites. Chapter 4 compares global and local properties of a lead free solder. Chapter 5 discusses methods of determining plastic zones at the crack tip. Fatigue resistance of a synthetic polymer under different loading conditions is dealt with in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 is a review of methods of measuring fatigue crack growth resistance. Chapter 8 treats bulk and surface properties of coated materials. Chapter 9 presents a method for determining elastic constants using a resonance technique.

This book gives a comprehensive state-of-the-art treatment to nanoindentation techniques and applications (four chapters cover metals, polymers, and rubber-novel applications such as creep and impact tests results at micro/nano level are considered). In fact Chapter 1 is a thorough analysis of this technique, its possibilities, and future developments. There are two chapters regarding corrosion and abrasion resistance of metals and dental composites and three chapters treating fatigue-one on rubber that highlights a hitherto unknown mechanism in a chloroprene rubber. There is one chapter on a very precise technique for modulus measurements up to 1200 °C.