Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 05 Oct 2015).

Hardness in materials science and engineering -- Microhardness in polymer science -- Microhardness and deformation modes in polymers -- Microhardness additivity law -- Tabor's relation -- Microhardness of polymers in contrast to metals -- Microhardness determination in polymeric materials -- Mechanics and geometry of indentation -- Time dependence -- Experimental details: sample preparation -- Microhardness measurement on cylindrical surfaces -- Microhardness calculation of crystalline polymers -- Crystal destruction boundary -- Temperature dependence of microhardness in crystalline polymers -- Microhardness of oriented materials -- Effect of plastic deformation on the microhardness -- Anisotropy behaviour of oriented polymers -- Microindentation vs nanoindentation -- Microindentation instruments -- Nanoindentation instruments -- Outlook -- Microhardness of glassy polymers -- Introduction to glassy polymers -- The glass transition -- Physical ageing -- Temperature dependence of microhardness in polymer glasses: determination of T[subscript g] -- Physical ageing of polymer glasses as revealed by microhardness -- Homopolymers -- Copolymers -- Correlation between microhardness and the glass transition temperature -- Micromechanics of polymer glasses -- Crazing in glassy polymers -- Micromechanics of crazes studied by ultramicrohardness -- Microhardness and elastic moduli of glassy microfibrils -- Microhardness of crystalline polymers -- Introduction to crystalline polymers -- Polymer crystallization -- Morphology -- Polymorphism.

This book, first published in 2000, deals with the micromechanical characterization of polymer materials. Particular attention is given to microhardness as a technique capable of detecting a variety of morphological and textural changes in polymers. A comprehensive introduction to the microhardness of polymers is provided, including descriptions of the various testing methods in materials science and engineering. The book also includes the micromechanical study of glassy polymers and discusses the relevant aspects of microhardness of semicrystalline polymers. The volume also presents selected application examples of the microhardness technique for the characterization of polymeric materials, including the influence of polymer processing, the use in weathering tests, the characterization of modified polymer surfaces, and others. This book will be of use to graduate-level materials science students, as well as research workers in materials science, mechanical engineering and physics departments interested in the microindentation hardness of polymer materials.