Overview: Status and current developments in nanomaterials

During the post year several conferences have focused on tbe synthesis and processing of nanostructured materials, as well as their properties and performance in consolidated forms. (PMTEC)-T-2'99 provided yet another forum for scientific and technical discussions lit this rapidly growing field. In what follows, we will I present highlights of the progress being mode in tbe nanomaterials field One of the most significant developments has been the shift in emphasis from powder synthesis to powder consolidation, The major challenge has been to maintain on ultrafine grain structure in the consolidated material. This is relatively easy to achieve in thermal spraying of coatings, because of the short particle residence times in the hot zone of the plasma or combustion flame. On tbe other bond consolidation of bulk materials, involving solid or liquid phase sintering, inevitably exposes the materials to high temperatures for much longer times, so that grain coarsening is more difficult to circumvent.