Cover Photograph: Multiple mechanisms are suspected to be involved when ceramic materials evolve rapidly from powders to fully dense specimens while sintering under externally applied fields. These in turn may vary between different materials as well as across multiple (atomistic to continuum) scales within a material. These mechanisms still remain unknown, but unlocking them will accelerate technological development in areas ranging from manufacturing to electronics, and clean energy. Image Credit: Ella Maru Studio. DOI: 10.1111/jace.16061 .
Cover Photograph: Novel micro-spherical Si3N4 nanowire sponges are synthesized employing carbon-doped silica sol foams with uniform pore distribution and ultrathin wall structure as the reverse templates. Top-left: SEM image of micro-spherical Si3N4 nanowire sponges. Top-middle: SEM image of individual Si3N4 nanowire-weaving microsphere. Top-right: SEM image of the Si3N4 nanowires from the marked section in the single Si3N4 nanowire-weaving microsphere. Bottom-left: High-magnification SEM image of the Si3N4 nanowires. Bottom-middle: TEM image of several Si3N4 nanowires from the sponges. Bottom-right: HRTEM image of the marked section in an individual Si3N4 nanowire. Image Credits: Xiaoyan Zhang, Wenlong Huo, Yugu Chen, and Ke Gan. DOI: 10.1111/jace.16167 .
Cover Photograph: Grain boundary complexion diagram that conceptualizes the co-existence of complexions and bulk second phases. Reproduced with permissions from Lawrence AK, Kundu A, Harmer MP, Compson C, Atria J, Spreij M. Influence of complexion transitions on microstructure evolution in specialty aluminas. J Am Ceram Soc. 2015;98 (4):1347–1355. DOI: 10.1111/jace.13421 .
Cover Photograph: In-situ XRD level plot showing the peak shifts of the C2AHx phases (with 5 ≤ x ≤ 8.2) in a hydrating paste of pure CA2 during pre-curing at 23°C for 60 h with subsequent heating to 60°C. DOI: 10.1111/jace.16314 .
Cover Photograph: Glasses in the Al2O3-SiO2 system are notoriously difficult to form without phase-separation or crystallization, as shown for a composition quenched from the melt along Path A. By instead subjecting alkali aluminosilicate glasses to a poling process under electric-fields at low temperature (Path B), surface depletion layers of the same composition are formed that circumvent these issues, and moreover show unique structural characteristics within the glassy layer. DOI: 10.1111/jace.16405 .
Cover Photograph: Image segmentation process for grain size analysis, with a) original SE micrograph, b) micrograph with traced grain boundaries, c) black and white threshold image and d) final grain count produced by ImageJ. Image Credit: Ms. Jamesa Stokes (The Pennsylvania State University). DOI: 10.1111/jace.16317 .
Cover Photograph: Conceptual representation of the confl uence of data science and informatics with ceramic and glass science. Circular images from left: MAX phases (courtesy M. Radovic), fi ber optics, injection molded ceramic parts (courtesy Ceramco Inc.), a glass manufacturing process. Credit: Tess Speakman (The American Ceramic Society). DOI: 10.1111/jace.16677
Cover Photograph: Button type specimen of a thermal barrier coating (TBC) for gas turbine application under test in a burner rig environment. Precursors of calcium-magnesium-aluminosilicates (CMAS) are injected to the flame to form corrosive deposits. The orange coloring indicates atomic emission spectra of dissolved CMAS constituents. Image Credit: Ms. Hiltrud Moitroux (Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH). DOI: 10.1111/jace.16465
Cover Photograph: Depiction of the life cycle assessment process of a product including raw material extraction, material processing, manufacturing, assembly, product use, end of life, and transportation. DOI: 10.1111/jace.16712 .
The cover image is based on the Research Article Graphite fluoride and fluorographene as a new class of solid lubricant additives for high‐performance polyamide 66 composites with excellent mechanical and tribological properties by Haoyang Sun et al., https://doi.org/10.1002/pi.5975 .
The cover image, by Gustavo Acosta‐Santoyo et al., is based on the Research Article Stimulation of the germination and growth of different plant species using an electric field treatment with IrO2‐Ta2O5|Ti electrodes, DOI: 10.1002/jctb.5517 .
Cover Photograph : Photograph of a dipole antenna with the 3D electromagnetic band‐gap (EBG) material as the subtract. Shibin Chen, et al. (Figure 3c).
Images representing four of the research challenges highlighted in “The Role of Ceramic and Glass Science Research in Meeting Societal Challenges” by K. T. Faber et al., from left to right, Molecular dynamics simulations of densification during deformation of pressure‐quenched glass prepared (Image credit, Liping Huang); ordered planar defects in a strontium titanate epitaxial film (Image credit, Darrell Schlom); reaction between an environmental barrier coating and molten deposits at elevated temperatures (Image credit, John Shaw); Ceramic microlattice fabricated by stereolithography using a preceramic polymer (Image credit, Tobias Schaedler).
Nanocratches on phosphate glass ~2 to 40 nm in depth created using an AFM tip. The nanomechanical deformations on glass surfaces during optical polishing were studied by mimicking the interaction of polishing particles and glass using AFM nano scratching. See this paper by Nan Shen et al., this issue.
Cover Photograph : Cover photo Hong Lisa Rueschhoff et al. Photo of additive manufacturing of an alumina part via direct ink writing of a 55 vol.% alumina suspensions after binder removal and sintering (Fig. 6a)
Crack that formed during hot‐pressing of a transparent polycrystalline magnesium aluminate (MgAl2O4) spinel compact. Color change is from birefringence caused by uniaxial strain due to lattice shrinkage caused by MgO vaporization. Dark spots at upper left are spherical clusters of abnormal grains originating from an unknown impurity (10X objective, polarized light, first‐order retardation plate). Micrograph courtesy Marc Rubat du Merac.
