This book is based on the Fifth International Conference that was held on 16-21 August, 1992 in Melbourne, Australia, in conjunction with AUSTCERAM 92. It demonstrates that the field of Zirconia ceramics remains one of scientific challenge and technical attraction.

This volume provides a one-stop resource, compiling current research on advanced processing and manufacturing technologies for structural and multifunctional materials. It is a collection of papers from The American Ceramic Society s 32nd International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, January 27-February 1, 2008. Topics include advanced processing and manufacturing technologies for a wide variety of non-oxide and oxide based structural ceramics, ultra-high temperature ceramics and composites, particulate and fiber reinforced composites, and multifunctional materials. This is a valuable, up-to-date resource for researchers in the field.

Several topics ranging from crystalline ionic conductors, glasses, polymeric materials to proton conductors are discussed. Characterization techniques such as NMR and XPS and synthesis techniques such as sol-gel are emphasized. Some coverage of superconductors is also included. The proceedings of such an interdisciplinary conference would not be complete without a discussion on applications. Results based on the fabrication of fuel cells, solid state batteries, sensors and electrochromic displays are therefore presented.

This book contains 12 chapters with original and innovative research studies in the issues related to the broadly defined creep effect, which concerns not only the area of construction materials but also natural phenomena. The emphasis on the discussion of a new trend of experimental creep testing, which binds the classic creep methods to seek the correlation of parameters obtained in tests, deserves particular attention. This book aims to provide the readers, including, but not limited to, students and doctoral students and also the research personnel and engineers involved in the operation of equipment and structural components as well as specialists in high-temperature creep-resisting materials, with a comprehensive review of new trends in the field of creep-exposed materials and their research methodology. The chapters of this book were developed by respected and well-known researchers from different countries.