Papers from The American Ceramic Society's 31st International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, held in Daytona Beach, Florida, January 21-26, 2007. Content includes fundamental links among processing, microstructure, properties and performance of ceramics and composites, and how these change as a function of time, temperature and environment. Reviews progress on ternary compounds, ultra-high temperature ceramics, innovative processing techniques to achieve multifunctional properties and materials for power generation and nuclear energy applications.

Jonathan Salem is a Materials Research Engineer at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH. He received a BS in Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering from theUniversity ofCincinnati in 1983 and worked at NASA-Lewis as a Materials Research Engineer for two years performing heat treatment and fracture studies of titanium and steel alloys. In 1987 he received an MS in Materials Science from theUniversity ofWashington,Seattle and served at NASA–Glenn as Project Leader of the Toughened Ceramics Life Prediction Program on development of mechanical testing methods and standards for ceramic materials. In 1999 he received a PhD in Mechanical engineering from the University of Washington. Presently, he is involved with the room and elevated temperature mechanical testing and reliability modeling of ceramic, intermetallic and composite materials for the Life Prediction, where briefly served as a temporary Deputy Branch Chief. Prior to working at NASA, he worked in Quality Assurance at Powell Valve,Cincinnati,OH, and at Forest City Foundries, Cleveland, OH. He authored or co-authored over 60 archival publications, over 70 proceedings publications, and four national and international standards on mechanics of ceramics. He is a fellow of American Society for Testing and Materials and received a NASA Manned Spaced Flight Awareness Award for work on ceramic bearings for the Space Shuttle Main Engine Turbo-pump. In 2004, he received the Richard M. Fulrath Award from the American Ceramic Society for development of technical standards for design of structural ceramics.

Dongming Zhu is a senior Materials Research Engineer at Army Research Laboratory, Vehicle Technology Directorate, and Durability and Protective Coatings Branch of Structures and Materials Division, at NASA Glenn Research Center. His expertise covers the areas of thermal conductivity, lattice defects and transport, high temperature oxidation, high-heat-flux testing, and mechanical behavior of ceramic coating systems, with an emphasis on experimental investigation and analytical modeling of processing, thermal fatigue and fracture behavior of advanced protective coatings and composites. His major contributions include the development of low conductivity thermal barrier coatings for turbine airfoil applications, 1650°C thermal/environmental barrier coatings for SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composite (CMC) turbine vane and combustor liner applications. He has authored more than 100 archival publications and three patents. He is a member of the American Ceramic Society and ASM, International, has been a lead organizer for several International Symposia. He is currently the Chair-elect of the Engineering Ceramic Division of the American Ceramic Society, and an associate editor of the International Journal of Applied Ceramic Technology. He has received several awards from NASA and professional societies. He received his Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science from the University of Minnesota in 1996.

Edgar Lara-Curzio has co-edited 6 books and has authored 4 book chapters and more than 140 publications in refereed journals and conference proceedings.