Materials Characterization

More about the book

Now in its second edition, this textbook remains ideal for introductory courses on materials characterization, drawing from the author's extensive teaching experience with advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students. The new edition retains its effective didactical approach, featuring chapter introductions, exercise questions, and an online solution manual. All sections have been thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded, introducing two major new topics: electron backscattering diffraction and environmental scanning electron microscopy, along with fifty additional questions—approximately 20% new content overall. The first part focuses on methods for microstructure analysis, including light microscopy, X-ray diffraction, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, and scanning probe microscopy. The second part addresses chemical analysis techniques, introducing X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, fluorescence X-ray spectroscopy, and popular surface analysis techniques like photoelectron and secondary ion mass spectroscopy. This section concludes with vibrational spectroscopies (infra-red and Raman) and important thermal analysis. The theoretical concepts are presented with minimal mathematics and physics, while technical aspects are aligned with actual measurement practices, ensuring the text remains accessible to its intended audience.