In this volume, the shock compression technology of materials is described in parallel with the latest research results and their background. In the past, this type of technology was developed in connection with military techniques by certain particular research organizations. For this reason, researchers of materials in general have had less opportunity to make use of the technology. The conventional technology of shock compression has now been established, and is recognized as being remarkably useful as a means of materials science study. The feasibility of shock compression technology is dealt with in this book, as well as the latest research results for general material scientists. The shock synthesis of ceramics and intermetallic compounds, as well as shock compression behavior, are also described. In contrast to conventional works of this kind, this book describes shock compression studies performed by material scientists.

Table of Contents:
1 Heterogeneous Distribution of Temperatures and Pressures in the Shock Recovery Fixtures and its Utilization to Materials Science Study.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Reasonable size of recovery fixture.- 3 Sock wave reflection in solids.- 4 Recovery assembly of a very thin specimen, sandwiched between high impedance materials.- 5 Recovery fixture having thick specimen chamber.- 6 Numerical simulation of shock compression in the recovery capsule.- 7 Shock compression of a solid by means of converging shock waves.- 8 Conclusions.- 2 Dynamic Synthesis of Superhard Materials.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Dynamic synthesis of super hard materials.- 3 Considerations of synthesis mechanism.- 4 Conclusions.- 3 Solid State Reactivity of Shock-Processed Solids.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Shock modification of shock-processed solids.- 3 Single-component system.- 4 Multiple-component systems.- 5 Summary and concluding remarks.- 4 Shock-Induced Chemical Reactions in Inorganic Powder Mixtures.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Materials synthesis.- 3 Computational modeling.- 4 Conclusions.- 5 Shock Effects on Structural and Superconducting Properties of High Tc Oxides.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Specific features of high Tc oxides as type II superconductor.- 3 Mechanical and chemical effects of shock waves on high Tc oxides.- 4 Shock effects on superconducting properties.- 5 Concluding remarks.- 6 Shock compression studies on ceramic materials.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Experimental facilities combined with the keyed-powder gun.- 3 Shock compression studies oa selected ceramics.- 4 Phenomenological discussion on the shock-yielding phenomena of brittle materials.- 5 Concluding remarks.- 7 The role of Thermal Energy in Shock Consolidation.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Energy deposition during shock processing.- 3 Experimental techniques.- 4 Consolidation experiments: Results and discussion.- 5 Conclusions.- 8 A New Processing for the Self- propagating High Temperature Synthesis (SHS) Combined with Shock Compression Technique.- 1 Introduction.- 2 Explosive treatment of final SHS products.- 3 Shock wave effects in starting SHS compositions.- 4 Concomitant occurrence of SHS and explosive pressing.- 5 Conclusions.- 9 Shock wave interaction in solid materials.- 1 Introduction ~.- 2 Gas gun based methods of realizing wave interaction.- 3 Symmetrically converging cylindrical shock waves in solids.- 4 Collision of plane shock waves and Mach stem produced by conical convergence.- 5 Concluding remarks.