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Book reviews Advanced materials C. z. Carroll- Porczynski
Astex Publishing Co, Guildford, England (1969) 95s This book is essentially the appendix to one which first appeared in 1962 with the same title. It consists of two parts, the first of 270 pages and the second of 91 pages. The first part is the reprint of the original book which contained references up to about the end of 1961 and the additional part does not cover material later than 1965 in general, although there are isolated references to material occurring in the literature up to March 1968. The book aims to give a comprehensive account of refractory materials with a fibrous base. These can take the form of plastics reinforced with refractory fibres, wool-like materials composed of refractory silicates, titanates and other fibres, reinforced ceramics and reinforced metals. The accent rests on refractoriness rather than high strength or elastic modulus. Refractory is defined as able to withstand temperatures greater than 641 °C (1200 ° F). The approach is to give an account of the technology of production, availability, and some account of properties and promise for further development. The whole is copiously illustrated and the reader is given an account of the natural history of what is available, rather than any understanding of why this is so. The treatment of refractory materials available in fibrous form until the end of 1965 is quite comprehensive. Chapters are devoted to fused silica, high silica content fibres, aluminium silicate and potassium titanate fibres, refractory oxide fibres and graphite, asbestos and metallic fibres, and coated fibres; all of these constitute the contents of the original volume. The additional 91 pages which alone contain material since 1961 covers some of the newer fibres, such as boron, silicon carbide and graphite - with a short account of RAE carbon fibres. There is also some account of whiskers available and there is a chapter by P. T. B. Shaffer devoted to ceramic fibre composites. The last part of the book has been put together in a great hurry - identical material appears on pages 282 and 288 and is already dated in its coverage of the newer fibres and composites. The book is useful as a compilation of what was available a few years ago in a rapidly expanding field. Some of this is of course of value still and will continue to be particularly to newcomers to the field. A. Kelly
Composite engineering laminates A. G. H. Dietz (Editor) MIT Press (1969) Many engineers must have felt the need for a modem equivalent of 'Engineering laminates' which appeared as long ago as 1949. Prof A. G. H. Dietz, who edited that early work, reappears as the editor of a completely new volume which brings the subject matter fully up to date. The new
]82
COMPOSITES March 1970
volume is not merely a second edition of the earlier one; it is a fresh look at the entire field of laminated composite materials. The book leaves few types of laminate unmentioned and there is good coverage of materials such as laminated timber, plywood, high-pressure plastic laminates, glass/resin systems, sandwich construction, metal laminates and coated metals such as Alclad, adhesives and even glass laminates, such as safety glass and insulating units. Composite materials which cannot be readily described as laminates are omitted, so there is no extensive mention of such things as concretes or whisker-reinforced metals. Each self-contained chapter is by an author who is a specialist in his own field and it is greatly to the credit of the editor that, even with so many authors, there are no glaring variations of style from place to place. To take an example at random, the engineer who wishes to start designing plywood structures can refer to the section on plywood where he will find a straight forward introduction followed by a good selection of basic data about plywood properties, allowable stresses, fastenings etc. After a brief discussion of structural form, information is given for the design of single-storey plywood buildings, plywood box beams and stressed-skin panels. Now although this is insufficient to turn a man into a qualified timber engineer, it does form a remarkably good digest of the state of knowledge on the topic. Much the same can be said for many other chapters on other materials. In every case elaborate mathematical treatments are avoided, the emphasis being on the intelligible presentation of hard facts. For the research worker and for the engineer with a mathematical turn of mind, however, there is a special section dealing with the mathematical basis of the theory of laminated materials. This section, by Stavsky and Hoff, is well written and covers thoroughly all aspects of the mechanical behaviour of sheets made by superimposing orientated anistropic laminae. There is but a brief mention of sandwich construction (in which the inner layer is thick and weak). Readers to whom such mathematical excursions are anathema may pass on to the rest of the book, confident in the knowledge that they have seen the last of such things. In summary, this attractively produced book should appeal to all who need to have ready and convenient access to practical information about the properties of laminates of all kinds. The book looks expensive but declines to disclose its price; nevertheless this is one of the books one has to have, whatever the price may be. Howard G. Allen
ERRATUM: THE FILON PROCESS The article 'Forming processes for glass fibre and resin other methods' by Mr J. Mountfield, published in Composites Vol No 1, contained a description of the Filon process (Fig 9) patented by the Filon Corporation. We apologise to the Filon Division of the Vistron Corporation for not acknowledging them at the time and hereby draw our readers' attention to the patent coverage.
Astex Publishing Co, Guildford, England (1969) 95s This book is essentially the appendix to one which first appeared in 1962 with the same title. It consists of two parts, the first of 270 pages and the second of 91 pages. The first part is the reprint of the original book which contained references up to about the end of 1961 and the additional part does not cover material later than 1965 in general, although there are isolated references to material occurring in the literature up to March 1968. The book aims to give a comprehensive account of refractory materials with a fibrous base. These can take the form of plastics reinforced with refractory fibres, wool-like materials composed of refractory silicates, titanates and other fibres, reinforced ceramics and reinforced metals. The accent rests on refractoriness rather than high strength or elastic modulus. Refractory is defined as able to withstand temperatures greater than 641 °C (1200 ° F). The approach is to give an account of the technology of production, availability, and some account of properties and promise for further development. The whole is copiously illustrated and the reader is given an account of the natural history of what is available, rather than any understanding of why this is so. The treatment of refractory materials available in fibrous form until the end of 1965 is quite comprehensive. Chapters are devoted to fused silica, high silica content fibres, aluminium silicate and potassium titanate fibres, refractory oxide fibres and graphite, asbestos and metallic fibres, and coated fibres; all of these constitute the contents of the original volume. The additional 91 pages which alone contain material since 1961 covers some of the newer fibres, such as boron, silicon carbide and graphite - with a short account of RAE carbon fibres. There is also some account of whiskers available and there is a chapter by P. T. B. Shaffer devoted to ceramic fibre composites. The last part of the book has been put together in a great hurry - identical material appears on pages 282 and 288 and is already dated in its coverage of the newer fibres and composites. The book is useful as a compilation of what was available a few years ago in a rapidly expanding field. Some of this is of course of value still and will continue to be particularly to newcomers to the field. A. Kelly
Composite engineering laminates A. G. H. Dietz (Editor) MIT Press (1969) Many engineers must have felt the need for a modem equivalent of 'Engineering laminates' which appeared as long ago as 1949. Prof A. G. H. Dietz, who edited that early work, reappears as the editor of a completely new volume which brings the subject matter fully up to date. The new
]82
COMPOSITES March 1970
volume is not merely a second edition of the earlier one; it is a fresh look at the entire field of laminated composite materials. The book leaves few types of laminate unmentioned and there is good coverage of materials such as laminated timber, plywood, high-pressure plastic laminates, glass/resin systems, sandwich construction, metal laminates and coated metals such as Alclad, adhesives and even glass laminates, such as safety glass and insulating units. Composite materials which cannot be readily described as laminates are omitted, so there is no extensive mention of such things as concretes or whisker-reinforced metals. Each self-contained chapter is by an author who is a specialist in his own field and it is greatly to the credit of the editor that, even with so many authors, there are no glaring variations of style from place to place. To take an example at random, the engineer who wishes to start designing plywood structures can refer to the section on plywood where he will find a straight forward introduction followed by a good selection of basic data about plywood properties, allowable stresses, fastenings etc. After a brief discussion of structural form, information is given for the design of single-storey plywood buildings, plywood box beams and stressed-skin panels. Now although this is insufficient to turn a man into a qualified timber engineer, it does form a remarkably good digest of the state of knowledge on the topic. Much the same can be said for many other chapters on other materials. In every case elaborate mathematical treatments are avoided, the emphasis being on the intelligible presentation of hard facts. For the research worker and for the engineer with a mathematical turn of mind, however, there is a special section dealing with the mathematical basis of the theory of laminated materials. This section, by Stavsky and Hoff, is well written and covers thoroughly all aspects of the mechanical behaviour of sheets made by superimposing orientated anistropic laminae. There is but a brief mention of sandwich construction (in which the inner layer is thick and weak). Readers to whom such mathematical excursions are anathema may pass on to the rest of the book, confident in the knowledge that they have seen the last of such things. In summary, this attractively produced book should appeal to all who need to have ready and convenient access to practical information about the properties of laminates of all kinds. The book looks expensive but declines to disclose its price; nevertheless this is one of the books one has to have, whatever the price may be. Howard G. Allen
ERRATUM: THE FILON PROCESS The article 'Forming processes for glass fibre and resin other methods' by Mr J. Mountfield, published in Composites Vol No 1, contained a description of the Filon process (Fig 9) patented by the Filon Corporation. We apologise to the Filon Division of the Vistron Corporation for not acknowledging them at the time and hereby draw our readers' attention to the patent coverage.