Materials for the 21st Century

David Segal

Covers a wide range of materials in many disciplines
Up-to-date entries on latest discoveries in materials science
Includes extensive glossary of 500 materials with descriptions and uses
Extensive cross-references link diverse materials, such as cotton candy and Kevlar
Useful as a resource for undergraduate and upper-level high school students preparing for a science career

Materials for the 21st Century

David Segal

Description

What does cotton candy, which dissolves at the touch, have in common with Kevlar, used for bullet-proof vests? How can our understanding of such materials help us to tackle essential problems of the 21st century?

Materials play a key role in our search for solutions to many pressing issues. They underpin many industries, are critical for the development of consumer goods, are essential components of medical diagnostic techniques, offer hope for the treatment of currently incurable diseases, and provide answers to environmental problems. This handbook is a guide to the materials we rely on for the future.

Materials for the 21st Century serves as a useful resource for undergraduate and high school students preparing for a career in physical sciences, life sciences,or engineering, by helping them to identify new areas of interest. It is also an excellent reference for readers interested in learning more about the diverse range of materials that underlie key aspects of our economy and everyday lives.

Materials for the 21st Century

David Segal

1:Introduction: The importance of materials for 21st-century economies
2:Candy floss, cellulose, sugars and foods
3:Chips with everything
4:Polymers
5:Healthcare: The benefits of materials
6:Let there be lights
7:Energy supplies for the 21st century
8:Preparation of materials
9:Disruptive technologies
10:The importance of microstructure on material properties
11:Patents, patent trolls and intellectual property
12:Everyday products: the role of materials

Materials for the 21st Century

David Segal

Author Information

David Segal

David Segal is an author or co-author of over forty scientific papers and an inventor or co-inventor of over twenty-five patent families. He has worked for the UK Atomic Energy Authority at the Harwell Laboratory and Coller IP Management. He earned his Ph.D. on foaming in lubricating oils at Bristol University, and carried out post-doctoral work at Brunel University on the surface chemistry of copper phthalocyanine pigments.

Materials for the 21st Century

David Segal

Reviews and Awards

"Providing an overview of materials science is a worthy goal, and Segal's writing is clear and engaging." - Melinda Baldwin, Physics Today

"A fascinating read, with a wide coverage which is bound to tell you something new about materials you know, or to introduce you to materials you had not met before." - A.H. Harker, Contemporary Physics

"The book is written at a "technical level" and will be of interest to undergraduate and graduate students. It can also serve as a reference work for technical libraries ... Recommended" - CHOICE

"Segal offers a refreshing and unifying overview of modern materials, including the latest nano-materials, nicely combining chemistry and solid-state physics and effectively bringing in patent literature. The wide-ranging extended Glossary, containing substantial paragraph-length entries with references, seems particularly valuable." - Ed Wolf, New York University Tandon School of Engineering

"The book is well structured and written, covers a variety of interesting topics and has a fantastic glossary. The entries include references to the literature that enable the interested reader to find pertinent reading material that will encourage their voyage of discovery into the field. The book should be an accessible and useful reference for high school students, undergraduates, postgraduates, academics and industrialists." - John G. Hardy, Lancaster University, UK

Materials for the 21st Century

David Segal

From Our Blog

Living in a material world

The singer Madonna had a worldwide hit record in the 1980s ('Material Girl') in which she described herself as 'the material girl living in a material world'. This is a prescient phrase for the world of today some 30 years after the release of this record. Although Madonna may have been referring to wealth and 'cold hard cash' in her song, the rapid development of goods for professional and consumer use really do put us at the mercy of all things material.

Posted on July 20, 2017

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