Rolf E. Hummel – författare

ties and applications of metals, alloys, ceramics, plastics, and electronic materials by means of easily understandable expla- tions and entertaining historical facts. It is also intended to raise the readers’ awareness of their obligations to society as pract- ing engineers and scientists. What has been changed compared to the first edition? Na- rally, there is always room for improvement. Accordingly, a large number of additions, corrections, and clarifications have been made on almost each page. Furthermore, the treatment of “hi- tech ceramics” has been substantially expanded (mostly at the suggestions of my colleagues) by including topics such as silicon nitride ceramics, transformation-toughened zirconia, alumina, ultra-hard ceramics, and bioceramics. A separate section on c- posite materials has been added, including fiber-reinforced composites, particular composites, and laminar composites. A section on advanced fabrics seemed to be of interest to the re- ers. Most of all, however, Chapter 18 (Economic and Envir- mental Considerations) has been rewritten and expanded in many places by updating the statistical information on prices of materials, production figures, world reserves, consumption (p- ticularly oil), recycling (particularly plastics, paper, household batteries, electronic scrap, automobiles), the possible use of “b- diesel” (rape plant oil), waste prevention, lead-free solder, energy savings through recycling, efficient design, and stability of - terials. The iron and steel production statistics were updated in Chapter 7, and new figures on gold production and consumption were included in Chapter 17.

This text on the electrical, optical, magnetic, and thermal properties of materials stresses concepts rather than mathematical formalism. Suitable for advanced undergraduates, it is intended for materials and electrical engineers who want to gain a fundamental understanding of alloys, semiconductor devices, lasers, magnetic materials, and so forth. The book is organized to be used in a one-semester course; to that end each section of applications, after the introduction to the fundamentals of electron theory, can be read independently of the others. Many examples from engineering practice serve to provide an understanding of common devices and methods. Among the modern applications covered are: high-temperature superconductors, optoelectronic materials, semiconductor device fabrication, xerography, magneto-optic memories, and amorphous ferromagnetics. The fourth edition has been revised and updated with an emphasis on the applications sections, which now cover devices of the next generation of electronics.

Suitable for advanced undergraduates, it is intended for materials and electrical engineers who want to gain a fundamental understanding of alloys, semiconductor devices, lasers, magnetic materials, and so forth.