Engineering Materials Science

CHAPTER 1 – Introduction
Why study materials science and engineering

Many scientists or engineers, whether mechanical, civil, chemical, or electrical, will be

exposed to a design problem involving materials. Examples : transmission gear,
superstructure for a building, oil refinery component, or an integrated circuit chip…

Materials Science
The discipline of investigating the relationships that exist between the structures and
properties of materials.

Materials Engineering
The discipline of designing or engineering the structure of a material to produce a
predetermined set of properties based on established structure-property correlation.
Engineering Materials Science

Components of Material Science and Engineering

Four Major Components of Material Science and Engineering :

 Processing of Materials
 Structure of Materials
 Properties of Materials
 Performance of Materials
Engineering Materials Science

Historical review

 Stone Age (2.5 million years ago) : hominids chipped stones to form weapons for hunting
 Copper Age (4000 B.C. to 3000 B.C.) : in Europe, using pure copper
 Glass artifacts have been traced back to 4000 B.C. in Mesopotamia
 Bronze Age (2000 B.C. to 1000 B.C) : foundation of metallurgy, alloys of copper and tin for tools and
weapons
 Iron Age (1000 B.C. to 1 B.C.) : iron alloys largely replaced bronze for tools and weapons
 Pottery Age : vessels made from baked clay
 Modern culture (second half of the 20th century) : plastics, composites, nano-materials, smart
materials…
Engineering Materials Science

Classification of materials
 Metals
 Ceramics
 Polymers
 Semiconductors
 Composites
 Biomaterials
 Advanced materials
 Smart Materials
 Nanomaterials
Engineering Materials Science

Metals

Composed of one or more metallic elements (e.g., iron, aluminum, copper, titanium,
gold, and nickel), and often also nonmetallic elements (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, and
oxygen) in relatively small amounts
Characteristics :
 Strong, can be readily formed into practical shapes
 Ductility (permanent deformability) : small amount of yielding to absorb sudden loads
 Good conductor of electrical current and good thermal conductivity
 Opaque and reflective.
Engineering Materials Science

Ceramics

Ex. : Concrete, Brick, Alumina (or aluminum oxide Al2O3), Zirconia (or Zirconium oxide ZrO2),
SiC (silicon carbide or Carborundum), MgO, Silica (or silicon dioxide SiO2), Silicon Nitride
(Si3N4), Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) and traditional ceramics composed of clay minerals (i.e., porcelain)…
Characteristics :
 Compounds of metallic & non-metallic elements (oxides, carbides, nitrides, sulfides)
 Chemically stable in severe environments, whereas metals would be oxidized
 Refractory : high temperature resistant material ( ex. : melting point of Al2O3 is 2020°C
whereas the melting point of Al is 660°C)
 Brittle and glassy
 Non-conducting (electrical and thermal insulators)
Engineering Materials Science

Ceramics

SiC Al2O3

ZrO2 MgO
Engineering Materials Science

Polymers

 Thermoplastics : Polypropylene (PP), Polyvinylchloride (PVC), Polycarbonate (PC),

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK), …
 Thermosetting polymer : Polyester (PET), Polyurethane (PU), Polystyrene PS, …
 Elastomer : rubbers…
Characteristics :
 “Poly” and “mer” : mer is a single hydrocarbon molecule such as ethylene (C2H4), polymer
is a long chain molecules composed of many mers bonded together (C2H4)n , n = 100 to 1000
 Ductile, low density
 Thermal and electrical insulators
 Optically translucent or transparent.
Engineering Materials Science

Composite materials

Ex. : Glass Fiber-reinforced polymers, Carbon Fiber-reinforced polymers, Metal Matrix

Composites…
Characteristics :
 Made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or
chemical properties which remain separate and distinct within the finished structure

Glass fiber Carbon fiber Kevlar fiber

Engineering Materials Science

Advanced Materials
 Semiconductors
Ex. : Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), Gallium arsenide (GaAs), Cadmium Sulfide (CdS)…
Characteristics :
Semiconductors have electrical properties that are intermediate between the electrical
conductors (metals and metal alloys) and insulators (ceramics and polymers)
 Biomaterials
Biomaterials are employed in components implanted into the human body to replace diseased or
damaged body parts. These materials must not produce toxic substances and must be compatible
with body tissues

 Smart Materials
Smart (or intelligent) materials are a group of new and state-of-the-art materials now being
developed that will have a significant influence on many of our technologies. Components of a
smart material (or system) include some type of sensor and an actuator.

 Nanomaterials…
Engineering Materials Science

Comparison
Stiffness
Engineering Materials Science

Strength
Engineering Materials Science

Electrical conductivity