Program and compilation of abstracts from the conference entitled "NATO Advanced Study Institute: Materials Science of Carbides, Nitrides and Borides" held 12 - 22 August 1998 in St. Petersburg, Russia.

An Advanced Study Institute (ASI) is a high-level teaching meeting where a carefully defined subject, systematically presented, is treated in depth by lecturers of international standing, and new advances in a field, not taught elsewhere, are reported in tutorial form. AS Is, as short courses, contribute to dissemination of knowledge and the formation of international scientific contacts. The teaching in ASIs is aimed at scientists at the postdoctoral level with an appropriate scientific background who wish to learn of recent developments. The objective of this ASI is to present current research on a wide range of carbide, nitride and boride materials.

A survey of current research on a wide range of carbide, nitride and boride materials, covering the general issues relevant to the development and characterisation of a variety of advanced materials. Topics include structure and electronic properties, modeling, processing, high-temperature chemistry, oxidation and corrosion, mechanical behaviour, manufacturing and applications. The volume complements more specialised books on specific materials as well as more general texts on ceramics or hard materials, presenting a survey of materials research as a key to technological development. After decades of research, the materials are being used in electronics, wear resistant, refractory and other applications, but numerous new applications are possible. Roughly equal numbers of papers cover theoretical and experimental research in the general field of materials science of refractory materials. Audience: Researchers and graduate students in materials science and engineering.