Modeling in Materials Processing

Mathematical modeling and computer simulation have been widely embraced in industry as useful tools for improving materials processing. Although courses in materials processing have covered modeling, they have traditionally been devoted to one particular class of materials, that is, polymers, metals, or ceramics. This text offers a new approach, presenting an integrated treatment of metallic and nonmetallic materials. The authors show that a common base of knowledge - specifically, the fundamentals of heat transfer and fluid mechanics - provides a unifying theme for these seemingly disparate areas. Emphasis is placed on understanding basic physical phenomena and knowing how to include them in a model. Thus, chapters explain how to decide which physical phenomena are important in specific applications, and how to develop analytical models. A unique feature is the use of scaling analysis as a rational way to simplify the general governing equations for each individual process. The book also treats selected numerical methods, showing the relationship among the physical system, analytical solution, and the numerical scheme. A wealth of practical, realistic examples are provided, as well as homework exercises. Students, and practicing engineers who must deal with a wide variety of materials and processing problems, will benefit from the unified treatment presented in this book.