Imperfections, Diffusion, and Plastic Deformation in Crystalline Materials

Perhaps this chapter's title should have been "Material Imperfections," since the scope of this book includes both crystalline and amorphous materials. However, imperfections at the atomic level in amorphous polymers and amorphous ceramics (glasses) do not play a major role in their properties. Imperfections on the order of a micrometer (1 0-6 m) and larger in glasses and crystalline ceramics do affect their mechanical strength and fracture toughness, but this subject is treated in Chapter 7.