The physics of degradation in engineered materials and devices : fundamentals and principles / edited by Jonathan Swingler ; with major contribution by Alec Feinberg.

1. Introduction
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Rationale and emphasis
1.3 Thermodynamics and entropy
1.4 Technologies and applications
1.5 Conclusion
References


2. History of the physics of degradation
2.1 Context
2.2 History
2.3 Conclusion
References


3. Thermodynamics of ageing and degradation in engineering devices and machines
3.1 Introduction to degradation and ageing
3.2 Thermodynamic degradation paradigm
3.3 Review of the DEG theorem
3.4 Review of thermodynamics
3.5 Entropy and production of irreversible entropy
3.6 Dissipative mechanisms and ageing
3.7 Example applications of the DEG theorem
3.8 Conclusion
References


4. Thermodynamic damage within physics of degradation
Section 1. Equilibrium thermodynamic damage assessment
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The system (device) and its environment
4.3 Thermodynamic work and the first law
4.4 Thermodynamic second law in terms of device entropy damage
4.5 Thermodynamic catastrophic and parametric failures
4.6 Entropy of a complex system
4.7 Measuring damage entropy processes
4.8 Measures for system-level entropy damage
Section 2. Non-equilibrium thermodynamic damage assessment
4.9 Equilibrium versus non-equilibrium ageing approach
4.10 Application to cyclic work and cumulative damage
4.11 Thermodynamic damage in mechanical systems
4.12 Thermal activation free energy approach
Appendix
References


5. Monitoring degradation in the field
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Electromagnetic NDT
5.3 Insulation degradation
5.4 PD measurement
5.5 Conclusion
References


6. Physics of degradation in ferroelectric devices
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Humidity
6.3 Temperature effects on reliability of piezoelectric actuators
6.4 Measurement techniques
6.5 Conclusion


Acknowledgments
References
About the contributing authors
Index.