One of my favorite parts of the Sunday paper are the weekly New York Times best seller lists. (I’m partial to the nonfiction list.) I’ve been following the list since high school when I had a part-time job reshelving books in my town’s library .

The American Ceramic Society’s publishing partner, Wiley, also keeps a “best sellers” list. On the off chance that these are not on Sunday’s NYT list, I’m reporting the list here.

There are two types of books on the list—authored books and proceedings. Authored books make great reference books, for example the Bergeron and Risbud book, “Introduction to Phase Equilibria in Ceramics” is a great how-to book on phase diagrams. If you need to read a phase diagram only a few times a year—or need to make a subtle interpretation—having this book on your shelf will make your life much easier. Or, if all heads turn to you to explain why something failed, Freiman’s “The Fracture of Brittle Materials: Testing and Analysis” will help you provide the answer.

Perhaps, something more general may be just what your bookshelf needs, though. For example, you may find it helpful to loan out Richerson’s “Magic of Ceramics” to help “lay” colleagues understand what engineered ceramics are and how they are used.

Aside from going to conferences, the Ceramic Transactions and Ceramic Engineering and Science Proceedings are the best way to stay abreast with what is new in your field. ACerS-Wiley just released Ceramic Transactions Vol. 239—the proceedings from the 2012 Materials Challenges for Alternative and Renewable Energy. Energy technology continues to be a national priority, and MCARE comprehensively covered the latest trends. Will it be a “Top 10″ book for 2013? I will let you know.

And, remember, select ACerS–Wiley journal articles and book chapters are available for free through March 31!

Go to the ACerS–Wiley homepage for ordering information or to the individual links below.

ACerS-Wiley 2012 Best Sellers
1. Glass-Ceramic Technology, Second Edition, by W. Höland and G. Beall
2. Ceramics and Composites Processing Methods, edited by by N. Bansal and A. Boccaccini
3. Ceramic Integration and Joining Technologies: From Macro to Nanoscale, edited by M. Singh, et al.
4. Advanced Structural Ceramics, B. Basu and K. Balani
5. Advanced Biomaterials: Fundamentals, Processing, and Applications, by B. Basu et al.
6. The Fracture of Brittle Materials: Testing and Analysis, by S. Freiman and J. Mecholsky
7. Materials Challenges in Alternative and Renewable Energy: Ceramic Transactions Vol. 224 , edited by G. Wicks
8. Tribology of Ceramics and Composites: A Materials Science Perspective, by B. Basu and M. Kalin
9. The Magic of Ceramics, Second Edition, by D. Richerson 
10. Introduction to Phase Equilibria in Ceramics, by C. Bergeron and S. Risbud

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This deal is better than Costco’s free food samples on Saturday morning. Through March 31, The American Ceramic Society and its publishing partner, Wiley, have teamed up to offer Ceramic Tech Today readers a no-cost opportunity to explore and preview some of the Society’s best technical papers and books.

And by “best” I mean really good—as in, the most popular papers (as determined by the number of downloads) from ACerS’ peer-review journals, such as the Journal of the American Ceramic Society (JACerS), the International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology (ACT), and the International Journal of Applied Glass Science (IJAGS).

Access to these journal papers usually requires a membership to ACerS, enrollment at a subscribing institution, or a per-paper download fee, so this is a really good chance to see what you are missing.

ACerS and Wiley are also offering a free chapter download from their three best-selling books during the 2012 period:  The Magic of Ceramics (2nd Edition), Glass-Ceramic Technology (2nd Edition) and Ceramics and Composites Processing Methods.

Of course, ACerS and Wiley hope that CTT readers who aren’t members of the organization see how much is available and decide to join the Society, as have thousands of others around the world who work in the ceramics and glass fields.

This content is from the top academic and corporate researchers in the world and is representative of the high-quality articles the journals have to offer. It includes the top-10 papers from JACerS, the top-seven papers from ACT and the top-six papers from IJAGS.

Here is a partial selection of the papers available for a “test drive” for CTT readers. From JACerS:

• Challenges in Ceramic Science: A Report from the Workshop on Emerging Research Areas in Ceramic Science, by Gregory S. Rohrer, Mario Affatigato, Monika Backhaus, Rajendra K. Bordia, Helen M. Chan, et al.

• Ceramic Dusting Corrosion of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia in Ultra High Temperature Reverse-Flow Pyrolysis Reactors, by ChangMin Chun, Sanket Desai, Frank Hershkowitz, and Trikur A. Ramanarayanan

• Corrosion- and Damage-Resistant Nitride Coatings for Steel by Mohammad Shoeb Ahmed, Paul Munroe, Zhong-Tao Jiang, Xiaoli Zhao, Magdalena Wajrak, Hua Guo, William Rickard, and Zonghan Xie

• Developing Interfacial Phase Diagrams for Applications in Activated Sintering and Beyond: Current Status and Future Directions, by Jian Luo

• Preparation of Porous Glass Monoliths with an Aligned Pore System via Stretch Forming, by Andrei Barascu, Jens Kullmann, Bjoern Reinhardt, Thomas Rainer, Hans Roggendorf, Manfred Dubiel, and Dirk Enke

• Sintering of 3D-Printed Glass/HAp Composites, by Alexander Winkel,Robert Meszaros, Stefan Reinsch, Ralf Müller, Nahum Travitzky, Tobias Fey,Peter Greil, and Lothar Wondraczek

From ACT:

• The Defeat of Shaped Charge Jets by Explosively Driven Ceramic and Glass Plates, by Paul J. Hazell, Trevor Lawrence, Chris Stennett

• Fabrication and Characterization of Anode-Supported BaIn_0.3Ti_0.7O_2.85 Thin Electrolyte for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, by Mathilde Rieu, Pankaj Kumar Patro, Thibaud Delahaye, Etienne Bouyer

• Development of Monolithic YSZ Porous and Dense Layers through Multiple Slip Casting for Ceramic Fuel Cell Applications, by Amir Reza Hanifi, Alyssa Shinbine, Thomas H. Etsell, Partha Sarkar

• In Vitro Cytotoxicity of Rare Earth Oxide Nanoparticles for Imaging Applications, by Peter E. Petrochenko, Qin Zhang, Haorong Wang, Ted Sun, Bridget Wildt, Martha W. Betz, Peter L. Goering, Roger J. Narayan

From IJAGS:

• The Fracture of Glass: Past, Present, and Future, by Stephen Freiman

• Magnesium-Containing Bioactive Glasses for Biomedical Applications, by Mani Diba, Felipe Tapia, and Aldo R. Boccaccini

• Finite Element Calculation of Refractive Index in Optical Glass Undergoing Viscous Relaxation and Analysis of the Effects of Cooling Rate and Material Properties, by Lijuan Su

• Glass Fiber-Reinforced Composites: From Formulation to Application, by Joy M. Stickel and Mala Nagarajan

ACerS and Wiley also are offering free downloads of the first chapters to each of the books below:

The Magic of Ceramics (2^nd Ed.), by David W. Richerson
Free Chapter 1: Our Constant Companions

Glass-Ceramic Technology (2^nd Ed.), by Wolfram Holand and George H. Beall
Free Chapter 1: Principles of Designing Glass-Ceramic Formation

Glass-Ceramic Technology, edited by Narottam P. Bansal and Aldo R. Boccaccini
Free Chapter 1: Sintering: Fundamentals and Practice

Don’t delay. This offer expires March 31, 2012. Why not kick the tires and see if ACerS and its family of journals and books are for you?

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If you describe yourself as a ceramic engineer or ceramic scientist, you are willing to be different, and you probably have had the experience of explaining to lay folk (like family) how the things you work on are different from the ceramic stuff the average person uses—whitewares, dishes, flower pots, etc.

However, as we know, the average person on an average day uses many more engineered ceramics than they realize—as cell phone antennae, automotive gas tank sensors, catalytic substrates, television electronics—and so on. To the lay person, ceramics can seem mysterious, even magical. In my experience, people like to know how things work and are really interested when the magic of ceramics is presented to them in an understandable way. Sometimes, that curiosity to understand how the magic happens leads people to careers in engineered ceramics, as several of our members who studied ceramic art can attest.

In the just-released new edition of his book, “The Magic of Ceramics,” David Richerson shares the wonder of ceramics with us. His own sense of awe comes through the text and images. His generous use of images draws the reader in, and before you know it, you are learning about ancient ceramics, or single crystals, or electrical insulators, or superconductors, or lightweight vehicles, or armor ceramics, or lighting, or …

A few weeks ago, Peter interviewed Richerson about what’s new in the book that is well worth reading. The book is ready for shipping and can be ordered directly from Wiley. Be sure to use your member discount when ordering!

Switching gears—if you are a ceramic engineer or ceramic scientist, you probably know that the ACerS-Wiley Ceramic Transactions series of conference proceedings is a subject-specific way to stay abreast of the latest science and technology in your field. Several new CTs have just been released (listed below) that may be right up your alley. These also can be ordered directly from the Wiley website.

We also have two new technical books that may fill a gap on your bookshelf. Check out “Glass Ceramic Technology (2^nd Edition)”, by Wolfram Holand and George Beall, as well as “Ceramics and Composites Processing Methods,” edited by Narattam Bansal and Aldo Boccaccini.

Ceramic Transactions, Volume 230
Fractography of Glasses and Ceramics VI
James R. Varner and Marlene Wightman, Editors

Ceramic Transactions, Volume 231
Processing, Properties and Applications of Glass and Optical Materials
Arun K. Varshneya, Helmut A. Schaeffer, Kathleen R. Richardson, Marlene Wightman and L. David Pye, Editors

Ceramic Transactions, Volume 232
Advances in Sintering Science and Technology II
Suk-Joong L. Kang, Rajendra Bordia, Eugene Olevsky and Didier Bouvard, Editors

Ceramic Transactions, Volume 233
Advances in Inorganic Phosphate Materials
Ilias Belharouak and Vilas G. Pol, Editors

Ceramic Transactions, Volume 234
Processing and Properties of Advanced Ceramics and Composites IV
Jitendra P. Singh, Narottam P. Bansal, Takashi Goto, Jacques Lamon, Sung R. Choi, Morsi M. Mahmoud and Guido Link, Editors

Ceramic Transactions, Volume 235
Advances and Applications in Electroceramics II
Shashank Priya and K. M. Nair, Editors

Ceramic Transactions, Volume 236
Advances in Materials Science for Environmental and Energy Technologies
Tatsuki Ohji, Mrityunjay Singh, Elizabeth Hoffman, Matthew Seabaugh and Z. Gary Yang, Editors

Ceramic Transactions, Volume 237
Biomaterials Science - Processing, Properties and Applications II
Roger Narayan, Susmita Bose and Amit Bandyopadhyay, Editors

Ceramic Transactions, Volume 238
Advances in Synthesis, Processing and Applications of Nanostructures
Kathy Lu, Navin Jose Manjooran, Ri-ichi Murakami and Gary Pickrell Editors

Ceramic Transactions, Volume 239
Materials Challenges in Alternative and Renewable Energy II
George Wicks, Jack Simon, Ragaiy Zidan, Thad Adams, Robin Brigmon, Steven Bossart, Greg Stillman, Gary Fischman, Sivaram Arepalli and Ann Norris, Editors

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A carbon fiber propped against a human hair. Was their “discovery” an accident? Credit: Wikimedia Commons.

Have you ever wondered how carbon fibers were discovered? It turns out the guy who “invented” them was a sharp young physicist who knew his way around a phase diagram.

In 1958 Roger Bacon, a newly minted PhD physicist, went to work at Union Carbide’s Parma Technical Center, Parma, Ohio. (The company is now part of GrafTech International.) An article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer chronicling the discovery says Bacon was studying the melting properties of graphite under high temperature and pressure, and that he was trying to find the triple point of graphite where solid, liquid and gas are in equilibrium. The story explains what happened:

Small amounts of vaporized carbon would travel across the arc and then deposit as liquid. As Bacon decreased the pressure in the [carbon] arc, he noticed the carbon would go straight from the vapor phase to the solid phase, forming a stalagmitelike deposit on the lower electrode.

On examining them, he found they were “long filaments of perfect graphite,” about an inch long with “amazing properties.” He calculated the cost of these laboratory curiosities was about $10 million per pound. Time passed, advances were made and carbon fiber composites are now a multibillion dollar industry.

Most materials scientists know their way around a phase diagram, too. They are fundamental tools that answer the questions, “Can these elements or compounds react?” and “If so, what will they react to form?” The best and most comprehensive collection of ceramic phase diagrams is the ACerS/NIST collection, which is nearing 25,000 diagrams.

The SrO-Nb2O6 binary system. Credit: ACerS

The ACerS/NIST phase diagrams partnership has nearly 70 years experience culling the best, most relevant diagrams from the peer-reviewed scientific literature. Each diagram is evaluated by experts, who provide valuable commentary on each diagram to help the investigator know the “back story” on the diagram’s data, which can be invaluable in knowing how to interpret and use the phase diagram. For example, here is a selection from the commentary provided for the SrO-Nb₂O₅ diagram (pictured right):

Over 30 compositions were prepared for study from starting materials “ultrapure” grade SrCO₃ and Nb₂O₅, generally at 5 mol% intervals but more closely spaced near compounds and across the solid solution region. Specimens were synthesized by solid-state reaction in air in “Alundum” crucibles between 850° and 1,500°C in muffle or “Silit” furnaces. Atmosphere control, temperature control, accuracy, and annealing times were not stated. Phase analysis was by powder X-ray diffraction using Guinier-deWolff and FR-552 cameras and CuK-alpha radiation with germanium as internal standard. Maximum error in lattice parameter determination was <0.1%. DTA was performed using the apparatus described in Ref. 1, under He atmosphere at 100-200°C/min. The accuracy of reported temperatures is ±20°C. Of the six compounds observed, all are essentially line compounds with the marked exception of Sr₆N₂O₁₁. This compound, having the cryolite structure type, has a significant solid solution region at higher temperatures, narrowing as temperature decreases. The solid solution region does not include the stoichiometric composition below 1,300°C. The ideal structure contains …

The ACerS/NIST phase diagram collection is offered in three platforms.

• Phase diagrams online - the ideal platform for institutions and organizations with multiple users.
• Phase diagrams on CD - the ideal platform for consultants and organizations with a small number of users. CD licenses are available for single users and multiple users.
• Single diagram access - the option best suited for the user with occasional, specific phase diagram needs.

To decide which is the right platform for your situation, check the expanded descriptions of these products in the FAQ page on the ACerS website or this earlier CTT post. If you purchased a CD after Oct. 1, 2011, you automatically qualify for a free update to the most recent version, Phase 3.4.

Just this summer, ACerS and NIST signed a five-year agreement to continue their partnership, which ensures the addition of about 1,000 diagrams per year to the database.

You can “test drive” the database by ordering a demonstration CD or downloading a demo CD.

Purchase of the access to the database is quite easy. Order your Single-User License or your Multiple-User License online directly from ACerS or contact Customer Service at 1-866-721-3322 or 240-646-7054 to order by phone.

If you or someone in your lab needs a refresher on phase diagram principles and applications, I highly recommend “Introduction to Phase Equilibria in Ceramics,” by Clifton G. Bergeron and Subhash H. Risbud. The book is concise, clear and includes many good examples of binary and ternary diagrams.

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If you work in ceramic science and engineering, you probably know that phase diagrams are a must-have reference material. That’s why The American Ceramic Society and NIST put so much continuous effort into expanding and keeping the ACerS-NIST Phase Equilibria Diagrams database up-to-date.

Along these lines, the partners have just issued Version 3.4 of the Phase Equilibria Diagrams CD-ROM Database (NIST Standard Reference Database 31), which contains 892 new entries and approximately 1,400 new diagrams (the largest-ever update!), bringing the total number of diagrams to approximately 24,800.

This comprehensive, searchable CD-ROM includes all the information printed in the 21 hard-copy volumes as well as “virtual” Volumes 15, 16, and special-Volume P (phosphorus-containing).

The new content includes experimental and calculated data for an unprecedented range of nonorganic material types, including oxides and mixed systems with oxides, chalcogenides (sulfides, selenides, tellurides), pnictides (N, P, As, Sb, Bi), actinides (U, Pu, Th) and actinide-surrogates (Ce), oxycation systems (e.g. molybdates, vanadates), semiconductors (Si, Ge, Sn), group 3 systems (B, Al, Ga, In, Tl), and salts including mixed systems with salts.

The new figures are labeled as Volume 17 in this latest release. Note that, as for all post-Volume-14 content, these figures are only available in electronic form and will not be published in printed book form. However, all post-Volume-14 figures (and newly revised older figures) are available via the CD-ROM as .pdf files which are identical in quality to those in the hard-copy “blue books” (simply use the View/Print PDF button at the bottom of the CD-ROM’s user interface).

So, if you are involved with optics, non-linear optics, luminophores, advanced composites, nuclear fission/fusion, radioactive waste, catalysis, batteries, alloy-property tailoring, coatings (thermal/electrical/structural/corrosion), thermoelectrics, ionizing radiation detectors, dyes, corrosion inhibitors, heat insulators, chemical processing, metallurgical processing, cement, glass-ceramic technology, energy storage (thermoaccumulators), infrared and laser technologies, memory cells, gas sensors, electrical and magnetic switches, varistors, thermistors, electrical conductors, ionic conductors, solid-oxide fuel cells, separation membranes, semiconductor technology, microelectronics, optically-transparent conducting oxides, photoelectrics, ferroelectrics, piezoelectrics (including lead-free), gate dielectrics, magnetoelectrics, or holographic information storage—Version 3.4 of the Phase Equilibria Diagrams CD-ROM is for you!

Discounts are available for Version 3.3 Single-User and Multiple-User license owners. Customers who purchased Phase 3.3 after Oct. 1, 2011 will automatically receive a free update to Phase 3.4.

Anyone interested can also order a free Demo & Cumulative Index CD from ACerS that features 202 figures from Annual 1992 and 11 diagrams from Volume 15 to “test drive” the features of the CDROM phase database. (Demo CDs ship after July 7, 2012.)

Order your Single-User License or your Multiple-User License online today from ACerS or contact Customer Service at 1-866-721-3322 or 240-646-7054 to order by phone.

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