This book was first published in 1980. A great number of metallic
materials in practical use owe their strength to the presence in their
microstructure of particles of a hard precipitated phase. The text
emphasises the importance of scientific rather than empirical methods in
attempting to develop particle-hardened alloys. The author progresses
from an elementary knowledge of metallurgy to theories relating to the
deformation and fracture of alloys of this type. He also discusses the
use of such theories to describe observations on both model materials
and practical metals. After a discussion of the microstructures of these
alloys, how they form and how to describe them quantitatively, their
deformation and fracture behaviour at both low and elevated temperatures
are examined.