It seems there is no special need to comment on the term 'nanostructure' now, when one often meets the 'nano' words not only in scientific journals but even in newspapers. Moreover, today they are even to be heard in TV and radio programmes. In academic science, where the terms 'nanostructure' and 'nan otechnology' have been extremely popular since the early 1990s, they have been successfully extended to the sphere of economics and business, and now to politics. This is quite natural because nanostructures and nanotechnolo gies will surely serve as a basis for the most advanced and highest technology production in the nearest and probably also the remote future. Hence, the struggle to create and occupy its markets is already under way. In this respect, it is of great interest to review data on the dynamics of U. S. Federal Goverment expenditure for nanotechnology [1,2]. In the fiscal years 1997 and 2002, expenditure was approximately US$116 and US$ 697 million, respectively. In the fiscal year 2004, the President's request for US federal in vestment in nanoscale science, engineering and technology is about US$ 849 million [2]. The indicative budget allocated to the Thematic Priority enti tled 'Nanotechnologies and nanosciences, knowledge-based multifunctional materials and new production processes and devices' for the duration 2002- 2006 of the sixth EU Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development is EUR 1300 million [3].

Nanocrystalline materials exhibit exceptional mechanical properties, representing an exciting new class of structural materials for technological applications. The advancement of this important field depends on the development of new fabrication methods, and an appreciation of the underlying nano-scale and interface effects. This authored book addresses these essential issues, presenting for the first time a fundamental, coherent and current account at the theoretical and practical level of nanocrystalline and nanocomposite bulk materials and coatings. The subject is approached systematically, covering processing methods, key structural and mechanical properties, and a wealth of applications. This is a valuable resource for graduate students studying nanomaterials science and nanotechnologies, as well as researchers and practitioners in materials science and engineering.

Recently, it was reported that nanostructured materials processed under high pressure by HPT and ECAP have an extraordinary combination of both high strength and high ductility, which are two desirable, but rarely co-existing properties. These findings indicate that high-pressure is a critical factor that can be employed to process nanostructured materials with superior mechanical, and possibly also physical, properties. It is the objective of this workshop to review our current knowledge, identify issues for future research, and discuss future directions on the processing and properties of nanostructured materials via SPD techniques, with a special emphasis on high-pressure effects. The 42 peer-reviewed papers in this book cover areas of high pressure effect on the nanostructure and properties of SPD-processed materials, fundamentals of nanostructured materials, development of high-pressure SPD technologies for commercializations, recent advances of SPD technologies as well as applications and future markets of SPD-processed nanostructured materials.

It has been already well established that the nanostructured materials (materials with a grain size of 100mm or less) is the future materials. Nanostructured materials possess properties superior to those of conventional, coarse grained materials. Hence designing potentially cost efficient and environmentally friendly products with better performance is a possibility. Among others, nanostructured materials exhibit increased strength, hardness and ductility and provide an opportunity for superplastic forming. When all the procedures in use for the production of nanostructured materials are examined, only severe plastic deformation (SPD) processes exhibit a potential for producing relatively large samples suitable for industrial applications. In this monograph, the state-of-the-art on severe plastic deformation methods is presented in one volume. The monograph is organised into eight chapters, each of which contains papers on different aspect of severe plastic deformation methods prepared by the experts in this field. The topics covered in the monograph are structure formation, phase transformation, superplasticity, mechanical properties of nanostructured materials, electronic and magnetic properties of nanostructured materials, deformation analysis, novel SPD methods, commercialisation of ECAE method.

These proceedings of the "Second International Conference on Nanomaterials by Severe Plastic Deformation" review the enormous scientific avalanche that has been developing in the field over recent years. A valuable resource for any scientist and engineer working in this emerging field of nanotechnology.

This book delivers practical insight into a broad range of fields related to hard coatings, from their deposition and characterization up to the hardening and deformation mechanisms allowing the interpretation of results. The text examines relationships between structure/microstructure and mechanical properties from fundamental concepts, through types of coatings, to characterization techniques. The authors explore the search for coatings that can satisfy the criteria for successful implementation in real mechanical applications.

The rapid technological developments during the later half of the 20th century have demanded materials that are stronger, capable of use at much higher temperatures, more corrosion-resistant, and much less expensive than those currently used. These demands become even more significant on the threshold of the new century and the millennium. Significant improvements in properties can only be achieved by processing the materials under far-from-equilibrium (or non-equilibrium) conditions. Several new processing technologies have been developed during the past few decades including, rapid solidification, spray forming, mechanical alloying, ion mixing, vapor deposition, laser processing and plasma processing. Remarkable advances have been made in recent years in the science and technology of these processes used to synthesize, characterize, and apply these materials processed under non-equilibrium conditions. Some of these techniques have evolved from laboratory curiosity to commercial-scale manufacturing in just a few years. In other cases, industrial necessity prompted development of the technology, and the science followed later. The chapters in this book have been written by people who are world-recognized experts in their respective fields. Each chapter describes the principles, processing techniques, special features of the materials produced, and their applications. An extensive list of references is provided at the end of each chapter that will facilitate location of additional information on specific aspects of any technique.

Material processing techniques that employ severe plastic deformation have evolved over the past decade, producing metals, alloys and composites having extraordinary properties. Variants of SPD methods are now capable of creating monolithic materials with submicron and nanocrystalline grain sizes. The resulting novel properties of these materials has led to a growing scientific and commercial interest in them. They offer the promise of bulk nanocrystalline materials for structural; applications, including nanocomposites of lightweight alloys with unprecedented strength. These materials may also enable the use of alternative metal shaping processes, such as high strain rate superplastic forming. Prospective applications for medical, automotive, aerospace and other industries are already under development.

In the monograph, the first of this type in the world, the authors discuss systematically the current state of investigations into nanocrystalline materials. The experimental results on the effect of the nanocrystalline state on the microstructure and the mechanical, thermophysical, optical, and magnetic properties of metals, alloys and solid-phase compounds are generalised. Special attention is given to the main methods of production of isolated nanoparticles, ultrafine powders and dense nanocrystalline materials. The dimensional effects in isolated nanoparticles and high-density nanocrystalline materials are discussed in detail, and the important role of the interface in the formation of the structure and properties of dense nanocrystalline materials is shown. The modelling considerations, explaining special features of the structure and anomalous properties of substances in the nanocrystalline condition, are analysed.

This book presents a collection of papers prepared by the researches of the Institute for Problems in Mechanical Engineering of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPME RAS) on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Institute. The IPME RAS is one of the leading research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences and consists of 18 research units (laboratories). The chapters cover the main research directions of the institute, including nano-,micro-, meso- and macro- mechanics and materials, with ,special emphasis on the problems of strength of materials and service life of structures.