This reference book is aimed at high-school students and the general public. It is written from the perspective that materials hold the key to solving 21st century problems, especially in the areas of energy, communications, and human health. The book has 13 short chapters followed by a descriptive glossary that lists 500 materials. The appendices that follow direct the reader to a comprehensive list of books on materials science topics and selected patent documents.
Chapter 1 discusses the important role of materials in the 21st century economy. Chapter 2 focuses on carbohydrates, processing of sugars by the human body, and common features of soft matter. Chapter 3 presents the development of computer chips, starting with vacuum tubes and going through transistors to quantum computing and biological computing. Chapter 4 discusses natural and synthetic polymers, Si-based polymers, protein structure, biofuels, and bioproducts.
Chapter 5 covers the uses of materials in health care, including lasers and imaging technologies, pharmaceuticals, drug delivery, coronary stents, implants, and antimicrobial agents. Chapter 6 deals with materials for solid-state lighting and highlights the large time lag between initial materials discovery and widespread deployment of technology using the example of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
Chapter 7 offers a peek at energy supplies and focuses on technologies that can reduce carbon dioxide emissions or limit global temperature rise. Chapter 8 discusses the synthesis of a variety of materials, such as rare earths, ultrapure materials, size-controlled powders, thin films, and DNA. Chapter 9 puts a spotlight on disruptive materials technologies, including gene editing, ceramic superconductors, three-dimensional (3D) printing, graphene, and metamaterials.
Chapter 10 touches upon the role of microstructure in determining materials properties; chapter 11 covers intellectual property; and chapter 12 mentions the materials associated with commonly used products. Chapter 13 hints that protein-based materials may come to define the 21st century. It concludes with a cautionary note regarding optimistic claims about the potential application of novel materials, such as ceramic superconductors and graphene, or processes, such as 3D printing. A list of references is included at the end of each chapter.
The author has included as much popular materials science as possible in the short chapters. The narrative feels disjointed as it jumps across a dizzying array of topics. A given chapter may cover van der Waals forces, biodegradable polymers, cotton candy, silicon chips, stevia-based sweeteners, and radioactive fission products. Equations and formulas are kept to a bare minimum, and there is a paucity of graphics in the chapters.
The glossary is the strength of this book. Entries in the glossary introduce topics in lay terms and present references that the reader can use for further exploration. Unusual topics, such as artificial nails, electronic ink, faded jeans, hairy adhesives, iridescent organisms, patent trolls, stain-resistant clothing, and wound dressing, are covered. Overall, this book is a useful reference volume for anyone curious about materials science and engineering.
Reviewer: Ram Devanathan, Technical Group Manager in the Energy and Environment Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, USA.
