Higher Technological Institute

Biomedical Engineering Department

Course Overview:
Material Science, Fundamentals
Structural Materials for Engineering Applications
Materials Selection for Engineering Applications
Introduction to Nanomaterials

Synthesis
crystal Microstructure
structure - morphology Material Properties
- grain size
- micro porosity
Atomic
bonding

PERFORMANCE
Processing of material : (Engineering Application)
Conditions and history
eg. annealing
Classification of Materials
All solid materials may be classified into one of these major categories based on the elemental
constituents and atomic bonding

1. Metals - one or more metallic element, sometimes non-metallic elements (C, N, O) in small
amounts - good electrical conductivity, good thermal conductivity; ductile,

2. Ceramics - oxides, nitrides, carbides; good insulators; brittle; refractory (good thermal
resistance)
eg. Alumina (Al2O3), silica (SiO2), magnesia (MgO),

3. Semi-conductors – intermediate between conductor and insulator; very important in

electronics; important in catalysis; eg. Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), Titania TiO 2

4. Polymers - organic macromolecules (plastics, rubber, )

5. Composites - consists of two or more structural materials; trade off in properties; eg.
reinforcement of matrix
Advanced Materials:
6. Biomaterials – tissue engineering, drug delivery systems,
7. Nanoengineered materials - Mechanical, electronic, magnetic, catalytic and other
properties designed from the molecular level in a “bottom-up” approach as opposed to a top
down approach
Metals and Metallic Bonding
A simple model from classical physics ignoring quantum mechanical behaviour

• valence electrons are not bound by a single atom, but are delocalized and may be considered to form “a
sea of electrons”

• valence electrons are free to flow about the crystal lattice which consists of stationary ion cores (atomic
nuclei and non valence electrons)

• Free electrons shield ion cores from repulsive forces

Valence electrons are loosely bound

+ + + + + + - High thermal conductivity (k)
- - - - - - high electrical conductivity ()
+ + + + + +
- - - - - Metallic lattice is less stable than ionic solids
+ + + + + + - low melting points (relative to ceramics)
- - - - -
+ + + + + +
- - - - -
+ + + + + +
- - - - -
+ + + + + +
- - - - -
 Ceramics and Ionic Bonding
Eg. NaCl
Ions are created by the electron transfer from Na to Cl due to
large difference in electronegativities
Cl- Cl- Cl-
Na+ Na+ Ions are more stable, since outer shells become filled
(Assignment One – problem 3c)
Cl- Cl- Cl-
Unlike metals, the electrons are tightly bound by the ions

Low electrical and thermal conductivities

An Na+ and Cl- ion pair are attracted Very strong lattice energy results in very high melting points
by the coloumbic force
(eg. Al2O3 Tmp=2020°C)

kq1 q 2 kZ 1eZ 2e Materials with very high temperature resistance are said to be
F C  2
 refractory.
r r2
k
1
4 0
2
 8.987 x 109 Nm 2
C
  Ceramics have good insulative properties, thermal stability,
are usually hard and are strong

e  1.602 x 10 19 C Ceramics are also brittle and subject to fracture

For Na+ Z1 = +1, for Cl-, Z2 = -1

Classification by Morphology:
Solids may be classified according to the inherent degree of molecular order or disorder

1. Crystalline – most highly structured and ordered of all solids

- periodicy; unit cell is repeated in all dimensions of crystal

2. Amorphous - molecular structure is completely random and disordered (Eg. glass) -

the unit cell may be considered to be infinite in size

3. Semi-crystalline - Eg. Polymers; crystallinity is localized within amorphous structure

4. Liquid Crystal Polymers – eg. Liquid crystal display

- do not fall into first three categories;
- a structurally unique and novel state of matter neither liquid nor crystal in melt condition
- complex; extended rod shaped, rigid molecules
So,

• Performance depends on material properties

• Macroscopic material properties are governed by the microstructure

• The microstructure is determined by crystal structure

• Crystal structure is determined by atomic bonding

• Classification of solids by atomic bonding and elemental constituents

Metals, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, composites
 Orthopedic applications (screws, tacks… )

• Metal alloys present greatest load bearing, with similar

results to non biodegradable metals (stainless steel)

• Polymers present lower load bearing. Appropriate

preprocessing may improve their mechanical characteristics
 Polymers VS Metals
Vascular applications (stents…)

• Magnesium alloys degrade too fast in biological

environment and they dissolve in the body, not
permitting the correct vascular remodeling. Mg is an
element that exists naturally into the body, then it is
good tolerated

• Polymers degrade slower than magnesium alloys.

Fundamental to care about degradation product
concentration, which may be toxic
 Material Properties
• OBJECTIVES
• To introduce the fundamental mechanical and
surface chemistry properties of biomaterials

• OUTLINE
– Mechanical Properties
• elasticity, viscoelasticity, brittle fracture, fatigue

– Surface chemistry
 Mechanical Properties
• Many applications require the biomaterial to
assume some of the applied load on the body
part. tension
shear
 Viscoelasticity
• The response of materials to an imposed
stress may under certain conditions
resemble the behavior of a solid or a liquid.
Stress Relaxation (application of a sudden strain to the sample and following
the stress as a function of time as the strain is held constant).

Creep (a constant stress is instantaneously applied to the material and the

resulting strain is followed as a function of time)
 Surface Energy
• Interface
– boundary between 2 layers

• significance
– protein adsorption to materials
– blood coagulation/thrombosis due to material contact
– cellular response to materials
 Surface Chemistry
• At the surface (interface) there are
intermolecular forces and intramolecular
forces of attraction and repulsion.

B. Amsden CHEE 340

 Surface Electrical Properties
• surface may become charged by
– adsorption of ionic species present in sol’n or
-
preferential adsorption of OH
– ionization of -COOH or -NH2 group
+ -
+ -
+ -
+ -
+ -
+ - hydroxyl ion
solid

B. Amsden CHEE 340

Electric Double Layer
tightly diffuse
bound

+ - + -
+ - + - +
+ - - + - electroneutral
+ - + + + +
- + - bulk
+ - - -
+ - + +

gegenion

zeta potential

Nernst potential
 Electric Double Layer
• it is a structure that appears on the surface of an object when it is
placed into a liquid.
• The DL refers to two parallel layers of charge surrounding the
object.
• The first layer, the surface charge comprises ions adsorbed
directly onto the object due to chemical interactions.
• The second layer is composed of ions attracted to the surface
charge via the coulomb force, electrically screening the first layer.
• This second layer is loosely associated with the object, because it
is made of free ions which move in the fluid under the influence
of electric attraction and thermal motion .
 Surface Energy and the Contact Angle
gLV

gSV gSL
We denote the solid–vapor energy as , the
solid–liquid interfacial energy as and the
liquid–vapor energy (i.e. the surface tension) as
simply , we can write an equation that must
be satisfied in equilibrium (known as the
Young Equation):

                                                                    
 The contact angle can also be used to determine an interfacial energy (if other
interfacial energies are known). This equation can be rewritten as the Young-Dupre
equation:
                             

where W is the adhesion energy per unit area of the solid

 Critical Surface Tension, gc
The critical surface tension is the surface tension of a liquid that would
completely wet the solid of interest.

Material gc (dyne/cm)
Co-Cr-Mo 22.3

Pyrex glass 170

Gold 57.4

poly(ethylene) 31-33

poly(methylmeth 39
acrylate)
Teflon 18