Advanced Inorganic Fibers

This text describes the fabrication, structures, properties and applications of advanced inorganic glass, glass-ceramic, ceramic and metal fibres for the researcher, industrial scientist and product designer. The text is divided into sections highlighting the commonalities of the three main fabrication routes. The section on vapour phase processes includes the production of silicon and silicon-carbide whiskers, and silicon-carbide, boron, diamond, and ultrasong fibres using a variety of techniques including physical, conventional chemical, and laser assisted chemical vapour deposition. The melt process section deals with glass, metal and single crystal sapphire fibres, using processes such as strong silicate and fragile supercooled melts, inviscid melts, and edge defined film fed growth or laser heated pedestal growth. The final section describes creating fibres from precursor fibres. PAN, pitch and other precursors are used to make carbon fibres, orgonometallic precursors for silicon nitride fibres, and the slurry process for alumina fibres. The text describes fibre testing, the economics of experimental processes, and highlights recent experimental and commerical breakthroughs with a strong emphasis on the conceptual relationship between commercial and advanced experimental processes. It offers a presentation of the state of inorganic fibre technology today, whilst offering insights into the progress of the future. It should be of interest to university libraries, industrial and university research groups in physics, materials science, chemistry, mechanical engineering and surface engineering.