Electronic Basis of the Strength of Materials

A 2003 reference relating the strength characteristics of atoms to their electronic structure.

John J. Gilman (Author)

9780521620055, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 20 March 2003

292 pages, 10 b/w illus.
24.4 x 17 x 1.7 cm, 0.67 kg

Review of the hardback: 'Gilman's book … represents an impressive accomplishment. It connects bonding with elasticity, plasticity, and fracture of materials. It does this at a level that can be comfortably assimilated by a graduate student, avoiding unnecessary esoteric convolutions of theory and explaining basic facts that are avoided in other textbooks.' MRS Bulletin

This 2003 book relates the complete set of strength characteristics of constituent atoms to their electronic structures. These relationships require knowledge of both the chemistry and physics of materials. The book uses both classical and quantum mechanics, since both are needed to describe these properties, and begins with short reviews of each. Following these reviews, the three major branches of the strength of materials are given their own sections. They are: the elastic stiffnesses; the plastic responses; and the nature of fracture. This work will be of great value to academic and industrial research workers in the sciences of metallurgy, ceramics, microelectronics and polymers. It will also serve well as a supplementary text for the teaching of solid mechanics.

Part I. Introduction: Part II. Elements of Solid Mechanics: 1. Nature of elastic stiffness
2. Generalized stress
3. Generalized strain
4. Elastic coefficients
Part III. Elements of Electron Mechanics: 5. Properties of electrons
6. Quantum states
7. Periodic patterns of electrons
8. Heisenberg's Principle
Part IV. Elastic Stiffness: 9. Cohesion of atoms
10. Intramolecular cohesion
11. Intermolecular cohesion
12. Bulk modulus
13. Shear moduli
14. Entropic elasticity (polymers)
15. Universality and unification
Part V. Plastic Strength: 16. Macroscopic plastic deformation
17. Microscopic plastic deformation
18. Dislocation mobility
Part VI. Fracture Resistance: 19. Mechanics of cracks
20. Surface and interfacial energies
21. Fracturing rates.

Subject Areas: Mechanics of solids [TGMD], Materials science [TGM], Mechanical engineering [TGB], Inorganic chemistry [PNK]