Significant advances have been made over the past several years in applying fracture mechanics principles to understand cracking type failures in single and multi-layered thin films and coatings. Fracture mechanics methods have become the means for not only gaining a fundamental understanding of failure mechanisms, but have also become the basis for designing debond-resistant and crack-resistant film and coating structures. Although research into the fracture of thin film and coating systems has become established within the mechanics research community, failures in new coating and thin film systems that can be best understood through application of fracture mechanics principles continue to be identified. The fracture processes in these new applications may or may not lie within the strict limits of linear elastic fracture theory. New fracture mechanics-based testing techniques continue to be developed that offer the opportunity for more fundamentally based measurement of failure resistance. Also, despite their relative acceptance within the academic community, in many cases fracture principles are just now being transitioned for their use in industry. The purpose of this symposium is to offer a forum for presentation of the latest developments in applying fracture mechanics to understanding failure in single and multi-layered thin films, coatings and similar structures. In particular, papers are encouraged which address such issues as the consequences of the limits of linear elastic fracture theory applied to layered materials, new coating and thin film applications of fracture mechanics principles, new testing techniques, and current applications of fracture methods within coatings and thin film industries.
Those interested in participating in the symposium are requested to
submit a one page abstract to fit on a 8.5 by 11 inch (21.6 by 28.9 cm)
space with a 1 inch (2.5 cm) margin on all four sides. The title
(16 point, bold) should be followed by a single space, authors names (12
point, bold), and their affiliations (12 point) (all single spaced). The
authors' complete address and email address should be included so that
interested persons can contact the authors. This header is to be
followed by a single space and then the text of the abstract, 12 point
and single spaced. Figures, if included in the abstract, should be
simple line drawings. Accepted abstracts will be published in the
conference proceedings. In order to be included in the symposium, abstracts
are due by December 7, 1998 and should be mailed to Jack Beuth. Questions
concerning the symposium can be sent to either of the symposium organizers.
Symposium Organizers:
Jack Beuth
Department of Mechanical Engr.
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
beuth@andrew.cmu.edu
phone: (412) 268-3873
fax: (412) 268-3348
Scott Mao
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Calgary
2500 University Drive N.W.
Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
mao@enme.ucalgary.ca
phone: (403) 220-7185