Book excerpt: Over the last three decades, the evolution of techniques for the experimental testing of composite materials has struggled to keep up with the advances and broadening areas of application of the composite materials themselves. In recent years, however, much work has been done to consolidate and better understand the test methods being used. Finally, a consensus regarding the best available methods exists, and definitive recommendations can be made. Experimental Characterization of Advanced Composite Materials provides a succinct, authoritative treatment of the best available methods for determining the mechanical properties, thermal expansion coefficients, and fracture and strength data for composite materials. With an emphasis firmly on practical matters, it presents processing techniques, specimen preparation, analyses of test methods, test procedures, and data reduction schemes. Five chapters covering specific aspects of lamina testing are followed by discussions extending those principles to laminate responses. The treatment concludes by exploring composite durability issues with a detailed examination of defects and fracture mechanics. The Fourth Edition is revised to include: New figures, updated ASTM standards, and an expanded index Major additions in processing of thermoset resins, neat resin tests, sandwich structures, cure analyses, damage tolerance tests, single fiber tests, fiber matrix interface tests, interlaminar tension tests, through-thickness tension and compression tests, open-hole compression tests, falling weight impact tests, compression-after-impact tests, sandwich beam and core tests, and more With its concise format, detailed procedures, and expert assessments, this book is an outstanding resource for composites manufacturing and test engineers, lab technicians, and other industry professionals, as well as students, academia, and government research and engineering organizations. It brings together all of the most appropriate and widely accepted test methods developed to date.