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There are new and emergent technologies - in the aerospace industry, advanced civil and mechanical structures, smart materials, biomaterials, microelectronics - which demand materials with particular response characteristics that cannot be met by conventional, monolithic systems. Composite materials, including laminated and fibre-reinforced systems, play significant roles in many scientific and engineering realms, primarily due to their unique physical and mechanical response characteristics, such as specific strength, fracture toughness, corrosion and wear resistance. These characteristics can be enhanced by the ability of the materials scientist and engineer to tailor the microstructure to suit the imposed working conditions. In this text researchers present the late 1990s advances in the areas of ceramic, metallic and polymeric composite systems, including new classes of ceramic composites. The book emphasizes the significance of local deformation effects and the principles and approaches of advanced experimental mechanics in the service of modern technology. There is a comprehensive treatment of functionally-graded materials and the various approaches to modelling the mechanical behaviour of multi-phase solids. The unified and comprehensive treatment means that the book can be used as a text for science and engineering students from senior undergraduate level upwards. It also forms a comprehensive reference for scientists and engineers involved in the design, processing and application of composite materials.
