Materials are evolving faster today than at any time in history. As a consequence the engineer must be more aware of materials and their potential than ever before. In comparing the properties of competing materials with precision involves an understanding of the basic properties of materials, how they are controlled by processing, formed, joined and finished and of the chain of reasoning that leads to a successful choice. This book will provide the reader with this understanding.Materials are grouped into four classes: Metals, Ceramics, Polymers and Composites, and each are examined in turn. The chapters are arranged in groups, with a group of chapters to describe each of the four classes of materials. Each group first of all introduces the major families of materials that go to make up each materials class. The main microstructural features of the class are then outlined and the reader is shown how to process or treat them to get the structures (properties) that are wanted. Each group of chapters is illustrated by Case Studies designed to help the reader understand the basic material.This book has been written as a second level course for engineering students. It provides a concise introduction to the microstructures and processing of materials and shows how these are related to the properties required in engineering design. - Unique approach to the subject - World-renowned author team - Improved layout and format

Dr. Jones is co-author of Engineering Materials 1 and 2 and lead author for the 3rd and 4th editions. He was the founder editor of Elsevier's journal Engineering Failure Analysis, and founder chair of Elsevier's International Conference on Engineering Failure Analysis series. His research interests are in materials engineering, and along with serving as President of Christ's College at the University of Cambridge he now works internationally advising major companies and legal firms on failures of large steel structures.

CONTENTS: General Introduction; Metals: Metals; Metal Structures; Equilibrium Constitution and Phase Diagrams; Case Studies in Phase Diagrams; The Driving Force for Structural Change; Kinetics of Structural Change: I - Diffusive Transformations; Kinetics of Structural Change: II - Nucleation; Kinetics of Structural Change: III - Displacive Transformations; Case Studies in Phase Transformations; The Light Alloys; Steels: I - Carbon Steels; Steels: II - Alloy Steels; Case Studies in Steels; Production, Forming and Joining of Metals. Ceramics and Glasses: Ceramics and Glasses; Structure of Ceramics; The Mechanical Properties of Ceramics; The Statistics of Brittle Fracture and Case Study; Production, Forming and Joining of Ceramics; Special Topic: Cements and Concretes. Polymers and Composites: Polymers; The Structure of Polymers; Mechanical Behaviour of Polymers; Production, Forming and Joining of Polymers; Composites: Fibrous, Particulate and Foamed; Special Topic: Wood. Designing with Metals, Ceramics, Polymers and Composites: Design with Materials; Case Studies in Design. Appendix 1 - Teaching Yourself Phase Diagrams; Appendix 2 - Symbols and Formulae; Index.