Foreword Free

Volume 12 of the 9th Edition of Metals Handbook is the culmination of 43 years of commitment on the part of ASM to the science of fracture studies. It was at the 26th Annual Convention of the Society in October of 1944 that the term “fractography” was first introduced by Carl A. Zapffe, the foremost advocate and practitioner of early microfractography. Since then, the usefulness and importance of this tool have gained wide recognition.

This Handbook encompasses every significant element of the discipline of fractography. Such depth and scope of coverage is achieved through a collection of definitive articles on all aspects of fractographic technique and interpretation. In addition, an Atlas of Fractographs containing 1343 illustrations is included. The product of several years of careful planning and preparation, the Atlas supplements the general articles and provides Handbook readers with an extensive compilation of fractographs that are useful when trying to recognize and interpret fracture phenomena of industrial alloys and engineered materials.

The successful completion of this project is a tribute to the collective talents and hard work of the authors, reviewers, contributors of fractographs, and editorial staff. Special thanks are also due to the ASM Handbook Committee, whose members are responsible for the overall planning of each volume in the Handbook series. To all these men and women, we express our sincere gratitude.