PREFACE

This monograph on Physical and Elastic Characterisation is the fourth in a series of seven covering various aspects of the Characterisation of High Temperature Materials. The papers were presented at a seminar at The Institute of Metals on 8 March 1989.

The topics covered by this particular monograph include the measurement of elastic constants, dimensional changes determined by dilatometry, thermal analysis and calorimetry, thermal conductivity, diffusion/mass transport and surface tension. All of these factors can give important indirect information on structural changes occurring within a complex alloy that can augment more direct observation and can provide measures of important parameters controlling a wide range of metallurgical phenomena.

There is also a growing need for reliable data on these physical properties to relate to numerical modelling of various manufacturing processes and to the simulation of service performance. The dearth of information on thermal, constitutional and mass transport behaviour is a serious barrier to advancing computer-aided engineering in manufacturing technology and computer-aided design of plant.

The aim of the monograph is to provide a broad overview of the range of techniques that is available on each topic. It is not intended that the reader become an expert in any subject, but that he or she should become a more knowledgeable customer being able to select the most appropriate approach to obtaining information for a particular requirement.

Edited by: M. McLean