This handbook provides a comprehensive and academically rigorous examination of materials characterisation, focusing on the technologies, processes, designs, and applications that underpin modern materials science and engineering.

It explains how advanced characterisation techniques are used to analyse the structure, composition, and properties of materials across different length scales. The book integrates principles from physics, chemistry, and engineering to illustrate how microscopic and spectroscopic methods support material selection, quality control, and performance evaluation.

It also explores the relationship between material structure and manufacturing processes, demonstrating how analytical techniques guide design decisions, process optimisation, and innovation in industrial practice. Emphasis is placed on understanding both conventional and advanced processing methods and their influence on material behaviour and functionality.

The book further addresses the application of characterisation knowledge in manufacturing and engineering environments, linking analytical insights with fabrication, joining, forming, and surface treatment processes.