Developments in fracture mechanics - 2

a very wide range of tool materials, including forming materials such as dies, moulds and rolls, but also attempt to outline current and future developmerits in tool materials. The wide scope of the presented papers necessitates careful eategorisation to facilitate the search, by a reader, for a particular piece of information on a given topic. This has been achieved by dividing the papers into three sections, each with its own introduction. Papers from the first section, entitled 'The Performance of Tool Materials', stress the scope for improved performance but also emphasise the importance of reliability and consistency of performance in achieving maximum productive efficiency. Two papers in this section on recent developments in the use of polycrystalline diamond tooling and superplastie alloys for mould manufacture, highlight the wide range of topics covered by the conference. A second section on 'Tool Materials Manufacture and Development', is subdivided further into tool steel, other tool materials and heat treatment processes. Many significant developments are covered, including the advances made in the application of ceramic and diamond tools. Papers detailing the many developments that have taken place in the manufacture of high speed and tool steels are combined with others, describing the recent significant advances in the powder metallurgy field as well as other related topics such as controlled spray deposition and rapid solidification techniques. Papers from the third and final section on 'Predicting Tool Performance by Fundamental and Type Testing', attempt to relate results to service conditions. There is general agreement by the authors that while laboratory tests provide useful comparisons, the final requirement is for assessment under actual conditions. The invited papers introducing each section provide an extremely valuable review of the various aspects of tool material manufacture and development and in conjunction with the section on heat treatment should make interesting reading for both tool users and tool manufacturers. The large number of papers presented at the conference limited the time available for subsequent discussion. However, it is unfortunate

487

that the discussions which did take place have not been included in these proceedings, since a number of'in'ferestLug points were made. This criticism does not, however,'alte'r my favourable impression of the overall high quality of the presented papers, which offer such a wide variety of information of interest to those concerned with th~ use, manufacture and development of tool materials. B.R. Knott

THE SOCIETY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF MATERIAL AND PROCESS Volume 13 No. 3 Sampe Quarterly April 1982 This issue contains the following papers: Effect of moisture on flexural creep of resins Corrosivity of epoxy resins to copper Cure kinetics of epoxy matrix resin by differential scanning calorimetry Study of sand erosion processes in composite metallic alloys Protective clothing for unusual hazards Bonding metals with acrylic structural adhesives Characterization of composition variations in a structural adhesive.

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CENTRES DIRECTORY First Edition Issue Number One, January 1982. The Gale Reserach Company, Detroit, Michigan. Rather like some popular reference works which are issued as weekly magazines. This directory will be issued in three parts at 4 to 6 monthly intervals. Even with 500 entries per part, this directory will be rather incomplete and it is rather difficult to judge as to its quality from the first issue. Some important countries are missing, i.e., Belgium, Italy, and Switzerland amongst others and the present emphasis seems to be towards agriculture, biological and medical sciences. Most of the British Research

Associations, many of the important Max Planck Institute in Germany and CERN are missing. It is hoped that these will be included in later issues. On the credit side the format of the entries is very satisfactory.

DEVELOPMENTS IN F R A C T U R E MECHANICS - 2 The Meclumicsand Mechanism of Fracture in Metals. G.G. Chell (Ed) 1981 Applied Science Publishers ISBN 0-85334-973-8 Price £26.00 Volume 1 in the series dealt with the methods of solving fracture mechanics problems. The book under review is a follow-up and extends into the relationship between the mechanics and mechanisms of fracture. A number of specialists have contributed to the volume but have done so with such uniformity of style and philosophy that the whole reads as though it has been written by one author. The introductory chapter reviews fracture m e c h a n i c s of metals covering, in some detail, parameters such as K and J. A brief description is given of various crack extension modes and a broad outline is presented of crack propagation under different loading and environmental conditons. These basic ideas are then developed in much greater detail in later sections of the book. The remaining four chapters examine the mechanics and mechanisms of ductile, cleavage and intergranular fracture and fatigue crack growth; each topic being treated, in depth, in separate chapters. In these sections emphasis is placed on both the metallurgical and continuum mechanics variables which affect the fracture modes; this has produced a subtle blend of phenomenological and analytical treatments. All the contributors have confined their attention to up-to-date material and the lists of references are extremely comprehensive. The text is very readable and may be used as a convenient reference source for most topics relating to fracture. The book will appeal to metallurgists and engineers alike whether they be researchers, teachers or students. T. EUIS

MATERIALS IN ENGINEERING, Vol. 3, JUNE 1982