This book is devoted to non-destructive materials characterization (NDMC) using different non-destructive evaluation techniques. It presents theoretical basis, physical understanding, and technological developments in the field of NDMC with suitable examples for engineering and materials science applications. It is written for engineers and researchers in R&D, design, production, quality assurance, and non-destructive testing and evaluation. The relevance of NDMC is to achieve higher reliability, safety, and productivity for monitoring production processes and also for in-service inspections for detection of degradations, which are often precursors of macro-defects and failure of components. Ultrasonic, magnetic, electromagnetic and X-rays based NDMC techniques are discussed in detail with brief discussions on electron and positron based techniques.

Professor Walter Arnold studied physics and obtained a PhD in Solid State Physics in 1974 from the Technical University Munich, Germany. He then held various positions as a researcher in Solid State and Applied Physics in academia and industry in France, USA, Switzerland, and in Germany. From 1980 until retirement in 2008, he was employed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Non-Destructive Testing (IZFP), Saarbrücken, Germany, as a group leader and department head. W. A. was appointed professor of materials technology in 1989 at the Saarland University, Saarbrücken. He gave courses on non-destructive testing (NDT), non-destructive materials characterization (NMDC), and applied physics subjects. W.A. is retired since 2008. Professor Klaus Goebbels studied physics and obtained a PhD in Metal Physics in 1972 from the Saarland University in Saarbrücken, Germany. Thereafter, he joined the Fraunhofer IZFP, carrying out research in non-destructive evaluation and characterization of materials as group and department head and finally as deputy director. In 1986 he was appointed managing director at Tiede Rissprüfanlagen in Aalen, Germany. In 1992, K.G. became head of the division Hydraulic Accumulators with Hydac in Sulzbach Germany. K.G. was appointed adjunct professor at the Saarland University in 1990. He gave courses on NDT, Medical Ultrasonics, and Pressure Engineering Technologies. K.B. is retired since 2008. Prof. Anish Kumar obtained a B.Sc. and a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering from Bihar Institute of Technology, Sindri and Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 1996 and 2005, respectively. He joined the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam in 1997 as a scientific officer. He is currently heading the Non-Destructive Evaluation Division at IGCAR, Kalpakkam. He worked as an Alexander von Humboldt fellow at the Fraunhofer IZFP and as postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan, USA. A.K. was appointed as a faculty member in the Engineering Sciences in the Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai in 2008 and gives courses on NDT and NDMC.