Chapter 1: Intro to Materials Science & Engineering

What is materials science and engineering?

Field that studies and manipulates the composition and structure of materials across length scales to control materials properties through synthesis and processing

What does the MSE Tetrahedron emphasize?

The composition, microstructure, synthesis & processing, and properties (performance/cost) are interdependent.

Define composition

chemical make-up of a material

Define structure

description of the arrangement of atoms, as seen at different levels of deatil

Define synthesis

how materials are made from naturally occurring or man-made chemicals

Define processing

how materials are shaped into useful components to cause changes in the properties of different materials

What material type is Copper? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• Metal

• Electrical conductor wire

• High electrical conductivity, good formability

What material type is Gray cast iron? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• metal

• Automobile engine blocks

• Castable, machinable, vibration-damping

What material type is Alloy steels? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• Alloy

• Wrenches, automobile chassis

• Significantly strengthened by heat treatment

What material type is SiO₂-Na₂O-CaO? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• Glass

• Window glass

• Optically transparent, thermally insulating

What material type is Al₂O₃, MgO, SiO₂? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• Ceramics/Glasses

• Refractories (heat resistant lining of furnaces) for containing molten metal

• Thermally insulating, withstand high temperature, relatively inert to molten metal

What material type is Barium titanate? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• Ceramics/Glasses

• Capacitors for microelectronics

• High ability to store charge

What material type is Silica? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• Ceramic

• Optical fibers for information technology

• Refractive index, low optical losses

What material type is polyethylene? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• Polymer

• food packing

• Easily formed into then, flexible, airtight film

What material type is epoxy? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• polymer

• encapsulation of integrated circuits

• Electrically insulating and moisture-resistant

What material type is phenolics? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• polymer

• adhesives for joining piles in plywood

• strong, moisture-resistant

What material type is silicon? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• semiconductor

• transistors and integrated circuits

• unique electrical behaviour

What material type is GaAs? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• semiconductor

• optoelectronic systems

• converts electrical signals to light, lasers, laser diodes, etc.

What material type is graphite epoxy? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• composite

• aircraft components

• high strength-to-weight ratio

What material type is Tungsten carbide-cobalt? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• composite

• carbide cutting tools for machining

• high hardness yet good shock resistance

What material type is titanium-clad steel? Provide an example of its applications and its properties.

• composite

• reactor vessels

• low cost and high strength of steel with the corrosion resistance of titanium

Rank the strengths of the categories of materials from greatest to least

1. Metals & Alloys

2. Composites

3. Ceramics

4. Polymers (plastics) ** some polymers can be stronger than metals