The use of new engineering materials in the aerospace and space industry is usually governed by the need for enhancing the bearing capacity of structural elements and systems, improving the performance of specific applications, reducing structural weight and improving its cost-effectiveness. Crystalline composites and nanomaterials are used to design lightweight structural elements because such materials provide stiffness, strength and low density/weight. This book reviews the effect of high temperature creep on structural system response, and provides new phenomenological creep models (deterministic and probabilistic approach) of composites and nanomaterials. Certain criteria have been used in selecting the creep functions in order to describe a wide range of different behavior of materials. The experimental testing and evaluation of time variant creep in composite and nanomaterials is quite complex, expensive and, at times, time consuming. Therefore, the analytical analysis of creep properties and behavior of structural elements made of composite and nanocomposite materials subjected to severe thermal loadings conditions is of great practical importance. Composite elements and heterogeneous materials, from which they are made, make essential changes to the classical scheme for constructing the phenomenological creep model of composite elements, because it reflects the specificity of the composite material and manifests itself in the choice of two basic functions of the creep constitutive equation, namely memory and instantaneous modulus of elasticity functions. As such, the concepts and analytical techniques presented here are important. But the principal objective of this book is to demonstrate how nonlinear viscoelastic engineering creep theory can be incorporated into the general theory of mechanics of materials so that composite components can be designed and analyzed. The results are supported by step-by-step practical structural design examples and will be useful for structural engineers, code developers as well as material science researchers and university faculty. The phenomenological creep models presented in this book provide a usable engineering approximation for many applications in composite engineering.

In recent years, the application of composites and nanocomposites has been increasing steadily in industries such as aerospace, automotive, marine, and civil engineering. It is among the most complex and crucial aspects of the mechanics of a deformable solid, due to several specific phenomena and analytic factors arising from cyclic loading. The problems are primarily associated with the development of fatigue damage, and the need to assess the cyclic and structural instability of composite and nanocomposite materials. The study of structural strength under cyclic loading has gained much attention, especially in aircraft manufacturing, power engineering, aviation, and rocket technology. Cyclic loading significantly reduces creep-fatigue lifespan during the entire frequency range. It is clear that characteristics such as endurance limit, static creep limits and long-term static strength will not suffice in the design criteria for fatigue life. New aspects have emerged in high-temperature strength - cyclical creep and long-term cyclic strength, leading to the creation of new methods and means of determining the resistance of composites and nanocomposites materials and continuum damage development under cyclic loading to the creation of appropriate physical models. Particularly relevant is the intensification of creep by high-frequency cyclic loading in composite materials, which usually occurs at high temperatures. Most studies in the field of cyclic creep are experimental, and the direct use of number of cycles to define damage model cannot escape the empirical relation that predicts multi-stress level fatigue life well. The book presents new phenomenological cyclic creep – fatigue models for describing the fatigue life and behavior of time-dependent composites and nanocomposites. Since the main difference between the creep process from the fatigue process is that from a physical point of view, the first is quasi-static, and the second is dynamic. Therefore, the functions of creep should reflect the oscillatory nature of the fatigue process. The results are supported by step-by-step practical design examples and will be useful for practicing structural engineers, code developers as well as research and university faculty.

Nanomaterials for Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells explains nanomaterials and nanocomposites as well as the characterization, manufacturing, and design of alcohol fuel cell applications. The advantages of direct alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) are significant for reliable and long-lasting portable power sources used in devices such as mobile phones and computers. Even though substantial improvements have been made in DAFC systems over the last decade, more effort is needed to commercialize DAFCs by producing durable, low-cost, and smaller-sized devices. Nanomaterials have an important role to play in achieving this aim. The use of nanotechnology in DAFCs is vital due to their role in the synthesis of nanocatalysts within the manufacturing process. Lately, nanocatalysts containing carbon such as graphene, carbon nanotubes, and carbon nanocoils have also attracted much attention. When compared to traditional materials, carbon-based materials have unique advantages, such as high corrosion resistance, better electrical conductivity, and less catalyst poisoning. This book also covers different aspects of nanocomposites fabrication, including their preparation, design, and characterization techniques for their fuel cell applications. This book is an important reference source for materials scientists, engineers, energy scientists, and electrochemists who are seeking to improve their understanding of how nanomaterials are being used to enhance the efficiency and lower the cost of DAFCs. - Shows how nanomaterials are being used for the design and manufacture of DAFCs - Explores how nanotechnology is being used to enhance the synthesis and catalysis processes to create the next generation of fuel cells - Assesses the major challenges of producing nanomaterial-based DAFCs on an industrial scale

This new volume offers a state-of-the-art report on various recent scientific developments in the theory of engineering materials. It addresses the close connection between modeling and experimental methods for studying a wide range of nanomaterials and nanostructures.Focusing on practical applications and industry needs, and supported by a solid outlining of theoretical background, the volume provides an overview of approaches that have been developed for designing nanostructured materials. It also covers several aspects of the simulation and design of nanomaterials, analyzed by a selected group of active researchers in the field. The volume also looks at how the advancement of computational tools have enabled nanoscopic prediction of physical and chemical properties and how they can be used to simulate and analyze nanostructures.Materials Modeling for Macro to Micro/Nano Scale Systems is addressed to a wide readership and will be useful for undergraduate and graduate students and as a reference source for professionals including engineers, applied mathematicians, and others working on different application of nanomaterials in engineering.

Ceramic nanocomposites have been found to have improved hardness, strength, toughness and creep resistance compared to conventional ceramic matrix composites. Ceramic nanocomposites reviews the structure and properties of these nanocomposites as well as manufacturing and applications.Part one looks at the properties of different ceramic nanocomposites, including thermal shock resistance, flame retardancy, magnetic and optical properties as well as failure mechanisms. Part two deals with the different types of ceramic nanocomposites, including the use of ceramic particles in metal matrix composites, carbon nanotube-reinforced glass-ceramic matrix composites, high temperature superconducting ceramic nanocomposites and ceramic particle nanofluids. Part three details the processing of nanocomposites, including the mechanochemical synthesis of metallic–ceramic composite powders, sintering of ultrafine and nanosized ceramic and metallic particles and the surface treatment of carbon nanotubes using plasma technology. Part four explores the applications of ceramic nanocomposites in such areas as energy production and the biomedical field.With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, Ceramic nanocomposites is a technical guide for professionals requiring knowledge of ceramic nanocomposites, and will also offer a deeper understanding of the subject for researchers and engineers within any field dealing with these materials. - Reviews the structure and properties of ceramic nanocomposites as well as their manufacturing and applications - Examines properties of different ceramic nanocomposites, as well as failure mechanisms - Details the processing of nanocomposites and explores the applications of ceramic nanocomposites in areas such as energy production and the biomedical field

Summary: A Generalized Multiscale Analysis Approach brings together comprehensive background information on the multiscale nature of the composite, constituent material behaviour, damage models and key techniques for multiscale modelling, as well as presenting the findings and methods, developed over a lifetime's research, of three leading experts in the field. The unified approach presented in the book for conducting multiscale analysis and design of conventional and smart composite materials is also applicable for structures with complete linear and nonlinear material behavior, with numerous applications provided to illustrate use. Modeling composite behaviour is a key challenge in research and industry; when done efficiently and reliably it can save money, decrease time to market with new innovations and prevent component failure.

Recent interest in nanotechnology is challenging the community to analyse, develop and design nanometer to micrometer-sized devices for applications in new generations of computer, electronics, photonics and drug delivery systems. To successfully design and fabricate novel nanomaterials and nanosystems, we must necessarily bridge the gap in our understanding of mechanical properties and processes at length scales ranging from 100 nanometers (where atomistic simulations are currently possible) to a micron (where continuum mechanics is experimentally validated). For this purpose the difficulties and complexity originate in the substantial differences in philosophy and viewpoints between conventional continuum mechanics and quantum theories. The challenge lies in how to establish the relationship between a continuum mechanical system and its atomistic counterpart in order to define continuum variables that are calculable within an atomic system.