........ published in NEWSLETTER # 69
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........ published in NEWSLETTER # 69
MATERIALS SCIENCES
ADVANCED LIGHT ALLOYS AND COMPOSITES
by Professor W. Reif, TU Berlin, Berlin (Germany) and Professor R. Ciach, Polish Academy of Sciences, Krakow (Poland)
This book (NATO ASI SERIES 3-59) widens and enhances our knowledge of the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of light alloys and composites. This field of science has been developing rapidly in recent years due to increased application of these materials. On the other hand a revolution in this field has begun with the emergence of supercomputer simulations and modelling of properties of alloys and composites.
The basic interest in constructional light materials is focused on alloys suitable for automobile and aviation application due to an advantageous weight-to-strength ratio, anticorrosion properties and high strength at elevated temperatures. Such alloys are under development at the moment, for example, magnesium alloys with zirconium, silver, yttrium, neodymium and other rare earth metals, titanium alloys as well as TiAl based intermetallic compounds. The aluminium alloys, which were first applied before the Second World War, may still be improved as far as strength is concerned. Several alloys with lithium, zirconium, copper, zinc and magnesium have already found application, but still research is carried on in the direction of improving strength by the addition of scandium, silver and others. The mechanism of deformation, particularly superplastic deformation is also very important and is extensively studied. + Among materials of low weight and high stiffness, composites are of increasing importance. Most of them are used in a sheet form comprising a number of alternating layers that are bonded together with resin to produce laminates. Replacing polymeric matrices with metals would improve both the elevated temperature performance and elastic modulus of fibre-reinforced composites. Special interest has been focused on metal matrix composites in which short fibres of a high modulus are incorporated into the metal matrix. Such composites can be re-melted, cast and worked in conventional processes. However, their commercial application is still limited, because of cost factors and design criteria.
The advanced materials, their structure, properties, technology and applications are such, that only a small fraction is presented in our NATO ASI SERIES book. But is has to be noted that quite frequently a small contribution stands for a missing link in the researcher's work.
Reference books: 3-50, 3-58, 3-59, B189, B191, B355, E241