Several diborides, carbides and nitrides of the group IVB and VB transition metals are a family of materials known as ultrahigh temperature ceramics based on melting temperatures in excess of 3000C. In recent years, hafnium and zirconium borides in ultrahigh temperature ceramics have attracted increasing attention from material scientists and engineers due to their unique combination of high melting point, high strength, high electrical and thermal conductivities, excellent corrosion resistance, and good oxidation resistance. These properties make the ultrahigh temperature ceramics promising...

Key industrial equipment (such as pipelines, aircraft structure and tanks) should meet the requirements for reliability, integrity and safety for a long-term operation. During its service, defects that might be caused by natural disasters or external impacts could lead to a significant reduction in a structures strength and fatigue life. Therefore, structural health monitoring techniques, which are capable of achieving continuous monitoring and on-line damage detection, are important for increasing the service life and reducing the sustainment costs of key industrial equipment. Guided...