Intro to Special Issue

摘要

Worldwide demand for energy continues to grow and continues to be met largely by fossil fuels, as it will for the foreseeable future. The significance of this is two-fold: rising green-house gas emissions and greater competition for energy resources. New materials technology will play a key role in helping to mitigate both challenges. However, it is likely that future power and energy applications will place increasing demands on materials performance with respect to stress, strain, temperature, pressure, chemical (corrosion) reactivity, photon or radiation flux, and electric/magnetic fields. In addition, continuing improvements in traditional power generation sources, such as coal and natural gas fired plants and gasoline/diesel based IC engines, and emerging technologies such as fuel cells, hybrid power plants, and hydrogen utilization combined with renewed interest in energy conservation and storage and in renewable energy sources (wind, solar, tidal, etc.) are spurring on exciting developments in materials research.