This book, which is a result of a coordinated effort by 22 researchers from five different countries, addresses the methods of determining the local and global mechanical properties of a variety of materials: metals, plastics, rubber, and ceramics. The first chapter treats nanoindentation techniques comprehensively. Chapter 2 concerns polymer surface properties using nanoindentation techniques. Chapter 3 deals with the wear properties of dental composites. Chapter 4 compares the global and local properties of a lead-free solder. Chapter 5 discusses the methods of determining plastic zones at the crack tip. Fatigue resistance of a synthetic polymer under different loading conditions is dealt with in chapter 6. Chapter 7 is a review of the methods used to measure fatigue crack growth resistance. Chapter 8 treats bulk and surface properties of coated materials, and the final chapter presents a method for determining elastic constants using a resonance technique.
The book gives a comprehensive treatment to the nanoindentation technique and its applications (4 chapters cover metals, polymers, and rubber, and novel applications such as creep and impact test results at the micro and nano levels are considered). Chapter 1 is a thorough analysis of this technique, its possibilities, and future developments. There are two chapters on the corrosion and abrasion resistance of metals and dental composites, whereas three chapters discuss fatigue. Moreover, besides one chapter on rubber that highlights a hitherto unknown mechanism in chloroprene rubber, there is one chapter on a very precise technique for modulus measurements up to 1200°C. All in all, its depth of coverage makes it a must-have for research scholars, graduate students, and teachers.
