Materials Characterisation Five

Book excerpt: Until recently, engineering materials could be characterized successfully using relatively simple testing procedures. However, advanced materials technology has led to the development of materials with complex meso-, micro- and nano-structures that can no longer be characterised with simple testing procedures. Materials modelling and characterisation have become ever more closely intertwined. Characterisation, in essence, connects the abstract material model with the real-world behaviour of the material in question. Characterisation of complex materials often requires a combination of experimental and computational techniques. This book contains papers to be presented at the Fifth International Conference, convened to facilitate the sharing of recent work between researchers who use computational methods, those who perform experiments, and those who do both, in all areas of materials characterisation. The papers cover such topics as: Advances in composites; Thermal analysis; Nano-materials; Damage mechanics; Computational models and experiments; Mechanical characterisation and testing; Nano-composites; Energy materials; Chemo-mechanical problems; Innovative experiments; Recycled materials; and Corrosion problems.