Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters CPCI-S (WoS). This volume comprises papers presented at the 2011 International Conference on Multi-Functional Materials and Structures Engineering (ICMMSE2011), June 11-12, 2011, Suzhou, China. The aim was to provide a platform where researchers, engineers, academics and industrial professionals from all over the world could present their research results and development activities in the fields of multi-functional materials and structures engineering. The result is an eminently up-to-date guide to these topics.

This volume comprises papers presented at the 2011 International Conference on Multi-Functional Materials and Structures Engineering (ICMMSE2011), June 11-12, 2011, Suzhou, China. The aim was to provide a platform where researchers, engineers, academics and industrial professionals from all over the world could present their research results and development activities in the fields of multi-functional materials and structures engineering. The result is an eminently up-to-date guide to these topics.

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters CPCI-S (WoS). Smart Materials are materials that can respond to environmental stimuli by exhibiting particular changes in some of their properties. Depending upon the change in some external condition, a smart materials can change its own characteristics (mechanical, electrical, appearance), structure, composition and/or response. These materials are usually embedded into systems whose inherent properties change favourably in order to meet performance needs.

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters CPCI-S (WoS). It has become a essential but formidable task for all industries to concentrate on developing Nature-friendly products and services. The present work aims to bring together the current knowledge concerning Nature-friendly multi-functional materials and structures. The contributions concentrate on natural fiber composites, smart materials and structures, and advanced composites and their applications, and so on. Readers will find within the most up-to-date advances in the field of multi-functional materials and structures.

With the rapid development of science and technology, the functionalization of structural materials, and the structurization of functional materials are attracting increasing attention in the scientific and engineering fields. The development of multi-functional materials and structures (MFMS), at the micro- and nano-scale levels, has grown rapidly due to the requirement of increasing safety margins for all infrastructure, biomedical and engineering elements. Multi-functional material systems are capable of performing multiple “primary” functions, simultaneously or sequentially in time, and are specially designed to improve system performance via a reduction in the redundancy between sub-system materials and functions.

Integrated Design of Multiscale, Multifunctional Materials and Products is the first of its type to consider not only design of materials, but concurrent design of materials and products. In other words, materials are not just selected on the basis of properties, but the composition and/or microstructure iw designed to satisfy specific ranged sets of performance requirements. This book presents the motivation for pursuing concurrent design of materials and products, thoroughly discussing the details of multiscale modeling and multilevel robust design and provides details of the design methods/strategies along with selected examples of designing material attributes for specified system performance. It is intended as a monograph to serve as a foundational reference for instructors of courses at the senior and introductory graduate level in departments of materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering and civil engineering who are interested in next generation systems-based design of materials. First of its kind to consider not only design of materials, but concurrent design of materials and products Treatment of uncertainty via robust design of materials Integrates the "materials by design approach" of Olson/Ques Tek LLC with the "materials selection" approach of Ashby/Granta Distinquishes the processes of concurrent design of materials and products as an overall systems design problem from the field of multiscale modeling Systematic mathematical algorithms and methods are introduced for robust design of materials, rather than ad hoc heuristics--it is oriented towards a true systems approach to design of materials and products

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters CPCI-S (WoS). The main focuses collection of 184 peer reviewed papers was to cover all aspects of materials, including advanced and functional materials, composites and applications, green and biomaterials, smart and intelligent materials and structures, processing and engineering of materials, natural and synthetic fiber composites and materials for specific applications. The papers are grouped as follows: I. Advanced Composites and their Applications; II. Bio-materials and Biomimetic Materials; III. Intelligent Processing of Materials and Structures; IV. Nano-Materials, -Sensors and –Actuators; V. Engineering and Structural Materials; VI. Smart Materials and Structures; VII. Tribology (Surface Engineering); VIII. Materials for Fuel Cells and Solar Cells; IX. Natural Fiber Composites; X. Synthetic Fiber Composites; XI. Construction and Building Materials; XII. Soft Materials; XIII. Functional Materials; XIV. Materials Processing, Modeling and Technology; XV. Green Materials; XVI. Others.