Adaptive Materials
Volume 27 - 2003

Editorial

This edition of Materials Forum aims to make the reader aware of the latest materials research, practical industry applications, research and development issues, newly-developed commercial end products, as well as future possibilities of new materials. It covers themes and classes of materials including environmental, energy, communications and information technology, biomaterials, engineering materials for construction and manufacturing, nanostructures, alloys and composites.

The papers in this volume of Materials Forum are based on the invited lectures delivered at the “International Conference and Exhibition on Adaptive Materials for a Modern Society” held in Sydney Australia 1st -3rd October, 2003, chaired by Professor Jim Williams. While this edition is a slight departure from past practice, it is an opportunity for Materials Forum to illustrate the breadth of this field of materials research currently in progress in Australia, to contribute to the development of the discipline, and to serve the interests of the wider Australian and international materials community. All contributions were subject to the usual independent peer review process.

The success of any journal is critically dependant on the efforts of the reviewers who read the manuscipts on the Editors behalf. The high calibre of this journal is a result of the dedication of the independent referees who carefully review each manuscipt and provide the authors with constructive criticism. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the reviewers. This Journal would not be possible without their help.

Editor

Dr Richard Wuhrer
Microstructural Analysis Unit
Faculty of Science
University of Technology, Sydney
Australia

Aims and Scope

Materials Forum is published annually and presents critical reviews of recent research in materials science and engineering. These are written by researchers active in the field, reflecting areas of Australian interest and expertise, but are not limited to Australian research. Most importantly, it is expected that articles will, in the first instance, be intelligible to a wide audience of materials scientists and engineers who are not necessarily familiar with the specific field. Reviews will be succinct but authoritative. They may also be extended to include a complex analysis of current theories or present a new interpretation of existing knowledge. In this way, the reviews may also be useful to specialists. All articles are solicited by the Editorial Committee and are independently refereed by two or more assessors.

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