This article discusses the types, properties, and uses of continuous-fiber-reinforced composites, including glass, carbon, aramid, boron, continuous silicon carbide, and aluminum oxide fiber composites. While polyester and vinyl ester resins are the most used matrix materials for commercial applications, epoxy resins, bismaleimide resins, polyimide resins, and thermoplastic resins are used for aerospace applications. The article addresses design considerations as well as product forms and fabrication processes.

Polymers offer a wide range of choices for medical applications because of their versatility in properties and processing. This article provides an overview of polymeric materials and the characteristics that make them a unique class of materials. It describes the ways to classify polymers, including the polymerization method, how the material deforms, or molecular origin or stability. The article contains tables that list common medical polymers used in medical devices. It describes the medical polymer selection criteria and regulatory aspects of materials selection failure analysis and prevention. Failure analysis and prevention processes to determine the root cause of failures that arise at different stages of the product life cycle are reviewed. The article describes the mechanisms of plastic product failure analysis. It discusses the trends in the use of medical polymers, such as high-performance polymers for implants, tissue engineering, and bioresorbable polymers.

Corrosion is the electrochemical reaction of a material and its environment. This article addresses those forms of corrosion that contribute directly to the failure of metal parts or that render them susceptible to failure by some other mechanism. Various forms of corrosion covered are galvanic corrosion, uniform corrosion, pitting, crevice corrosion, intergranular corrosion, selective leaching, and velocity-affected corrosion. In particular, mechanisms of corrosive attack for specific forms of corrosion, as well as evaluation and factors contributing to these forms, are described. These reviews of corrosion forms and mechanisms are intended to assist the reader in developing an understanding of the underlying principles of corrosion; acquiring such an understanding is the first step in recognizing and analyzing corrosion-related failures and in formulating preventive measures.

The selection of engineered materials is an integrated process that requires an understanding of the interaction between materials properties, manufacturing characteristics, design considerations, and the total life cycle of the product. This article classifies various engineered materials, including ferrous alloys, nonferrous alloys, ceramics, cermets and cemented carbides, engineering plastics, polymer-matrix composites, metal-matrix composites, ceramic-matrix and carbon-carbon composites, and reviews their general property characteristics and applications. It describes the synergy between the elements of the materials selection process and presents a general comparison of material properties. Finally, the article provides a short note on computer aided materials selection systems, which help in proper archiving of materials selection decisions for future reference.

Thermal analysis provides a powerful tool for researchers and engineers in determining both unknown and reproducible behavioral properties of polymer molecules. This article covers the thermal analysis and thermal properties of engineering plastics with respect to chemical composition, chain configuration, conformation of the base polymers, processing of the base polymers with or without additives; and the response to chemical, physical, and mechanical stresses of base polymers as unfilled, shaped articles or as components of composite structures. It also describes thermal analysis techniques, including differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, thermomechanical analysis, and rheological analysis. This article also summarizes the basic thermal properties used in the application of engineering plastics, such as thermal conductivity, temperature resistance, thermal expansion, specific heat, and the determination of glass transition temperatures. It concludes with a discussion of the thermal and related properties of nine thermostat resin systems divided into three groups by low, medium, and high service temperature capabilities.

This article discusses the family characteristics, commercial forms, applications, resin grades, and mechanical and physical properties of traditional engineering thermoplastics in their neat (unmodified) form and as compounds and composites, namely, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrenes, acrylics, high-density polyethylenes, reinforced polypropylenes, high-impact polystyrenes, polyvinyl chloride, styrene-acrylonitriles, and styrene-maleic anhydrides.

Filament winding is a process that allows the precise lay-down of continuous reinforcement in predescribed patterns at a high rate of speed. This article discusses the filament winding process and includes a comparison to other compacting and curing processes. The article describes design factors, and techniques to produce aerodynamic surfaces, improve surface smoothness, and avoid slipping and bridging of filament. The article discusses tooling and the equipment used in the filament winding process, namely, mandrel design, winding machines, tensioners, and ovens.

A thermosetting resin, or thermoset, is a synthetic organic polymer that cures to a solid, infusible mass by forming a three-dimensional network of covalent chemical bonds. Significant applications include construction and thermoset engineering plastics. This article discusses the general and family characteristics of thermosetting resin families, including allyls, aminos (urea formaldehyde and melamine formaldehyde), cyanates, epoxies, polybenzimidazoles, unsaturated polyesters, thermoset polyimides, phenolics, and vinyl esters. It also explains processing methods, including curing and curing agents. The article provides descriptions of commercial product forms and the wide array of applications of thermosetting resins. It also tabulates the performance properties (mechanical, thermal, electrical and chemical resistance) of some families of unfilled or unreinforced thermosetting resins and reinforced or filled grades.

This article provides an overview of curing techniques, adhesive chemistries, surface preparation, adhesive selection, and medical applications for adhesives. The curing techniques are classified into moisture, irradiation, heat, and anaerobic. The article highlights the common types of curable adhesives used for medical device assembly, including acrylics, cyanoacrylates, epoxies, urethanes, and silicones. Other forms of adhesives, such as hot melts, bioadhesives, and pressure-sensitive adhesives, are also discussed. Adhesives are used for medical device assembly, hard-tissue attachment in the fields of orthopedics and dentistry, and soft-tissue attachment such as wound closure. The typical characteristics and applications of biocompatible medical device adhesives are listed in a table. The article concludes with a section on selection of materials for medical adhesives.

This article begins with an overview of the fundamentals of adhesive technology, including functions, limitations, adhesive joint types, and the key factors in the selection of adhesives, including application, type of joint, process limitation, mechanical requirement, and service conditions. It then focuses on the characteristics, types, and properties of the five groups of adhesives, such as structural, hot melt, pressure sensitive, water based, ultraviolet, and electron beam cured adhesives. The article also discusses the functions and applications of adhesive modifiers, including fillers, adhesion promoters, tackifiers, and tougheners. It gives a short note on functions of primers and primerless bonding. Applications of adhesives in automotive, aerospace, electronics, electrical, medical, sports, and construction sectors are also described. Finally, the article describes the steps in adhesive bonding, including storage and handling of adhesives, bonding preparation, adhesive application, tooling, and curing.

Advanced thermoplastics are stiff, moldable plastics that compete with traditional engineering thermoplastics and thermosets owing to their good tensile, compressive, impact, and shear strength, electrical properties, and corrosion resistance. This article discusses commercial forms, family characteristics, properties and applications of the following advanced thermoplastics: homopolymer and copolymer acetals, fluoropolymers, ionomers, polyamides, polyamide-imides, polyarylates, polyketones, polyaryl sulfones, polybutylene terephthalates, polycarbonates, polyether-imides, polyether sulfones, polyethylene terephthalates, thermoplastic polyimides, liquid crystal polymers, polyphenylene ether blends, polyphenylene sulfides, and polysulfones.

This article reviews the applications of traditional glasses in architecture, transportation, construction, houseware, containers, and fibers. It also describes uses of specialty glasses for aerospace and military applications, biomedical and dental applications, chemical-resistant applications, lighting, information display, electronic processing and electronic devices, optical and ophthalmic products, and communications equipment.

This article reviews cleaning and finishing operations that have proven to be effective on titanium, its alloys, and semi-fabricated titanium products. It explains how to remove scale, tarnish films, grease, and other soils and how to achieve required finishes and/or improve wear and oxidation resistance through the use of polishing, buffing, and wire brushing operations. The article also covers a wide range of surface modification and coating processes, including ion implantation, diffusion, chemical and physical vapor deposition, plating, anodizing, and chemical conversion coatings as well as sprayed and sol-gel coatings and laser and electron-beam treatments.