Chapter 1

introduction to material science and engineering

• materials science‖ involves investigating the relationships
that exist between the structures and properties of materials.
• materials engineering; designing or engineering the
structure of a material to produce a predetermined set of
properties.
• the role of a materials scientist is to develop or synthesize
new materials, whereas
• a materials engineer is called upon to create new products
or systems using existing materials, and/or to develop
techniques for processing materials.
 Cont……
The four components of the discipline of materials science
and engineering.
• Processing
• Performance
• Structure; the structure of a material usually relates to the
arrangement of its internal components.
• A property; is a material trait in terms of the kind and
magnitude of response to a specific imposed stimulus.
• the structure of a material will depend on how it is
processed & a material’s performance will be a function
of its properties
Cont…..
WHY WE STUDY MATERIAL ENGINEERING

• To select a material for a given use based on

considerations of cost and performance.
• To understand the limits of materials and the change of
their properties with use.
• To be able to create a new material that will have some
desirable properties.
• To be able to use the material for different application.
 Properties of materials

• Density : This is the mass of the material per unit volume.

• Melting point : This is the temperature at which the material changes
from solid to liquid.
• Thermal conductivity: This is a measure of the rate at which heat will
flow through the material;
• Electrical resistivity and conductivity: The electrical resistivity is a
measure of the electrical resistance of the material, and Electrical
conductivity is a measure of electrical conductance of the material;
• Strength: This is the ability of the material to resist the application of
forces without rupture.
• Toughness (impact resistance), Plasticity, Ductility, Hardness,
Malleability ,Wear resistance, Corrosion resistance etc
 Classification of materials

Metals
• are composed of one or more metallic elements and often
also nonmetallic elements in relatively small amounts.
• Atoms in metals and their alloys are arranged in a very
orderly manner
• are relatively dense
• are relatively stiff and strong, yet are ductile
• and are resistant to fracture
• metals are extremely good conductors of electricity and
heat, and are not transparent to visible light;
• have desirable magnetic properties
 CLASSIFICATION OF METAL

Further, metals are classified as:

A) Ferrous metals and alloys such as: (irons, carbon steels, alloy
steels, stainless steels, tool and die steels)
Some application areas of ferrous metals are:
• bridge building,
• the structure of large buildings,
• railway lines,
• locomotives and rolling stock and the bodies, and
• Highly stressed engine parts of road vehicles.
B) Nonferrous metals and alloys (aluminium, copper, magnesium,
nickel, titanium, precious metals, refractory metals, super alloys)
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Non ferrous metals and alloys:
• These materials refer to the remaining metals known
to mankind.
• (aluminium, copper, magnesium, nickel, titanium,
precious metals, refractory metals, super alloys)
• They are used where their special properties are
required. Such as:
• corrosion resistance,
• electrical conductivity and
• thermal conductivity
CONT….
 Cont……
Ceramics
• are compounds between metallic and nonmetallic elements;
• they are most frequently oxides, nitrides, and carbides.
• ceramic materials are relatively stiff and strong
• are typically very hard but extremely brittle (lack ductility),
and are highly susceptible to fracture
• These materials are typically insulative to the passage of heat
and electricity
• are more resistant to high temperatures and harsh
environments than metals and polymers.
• may be transparent, translucent, or opaque and some of the
oxide ceramics (e.g., Fe3O4) exhibit magnetic behavior.
 CONT
Ceramic industrial products can be classified as:
• Structural clay products,
• Refractory,
• Glasses,
• Abrasives, etc
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Polymers
• a material that contains many chemically bonded
parts or units.
• Two industrially important polymeric materials are
plastics and elastomers.
Plastics are a large and varied group of synthetic
materials which are processed by forming or
moulding into shape.
Elastomers or rubbers can be elastically deformed by a
large amount when a force is applied to them and
can return to their original shape after removal.
 Cont……
• Depending on how they are structurally and
chemically bonded, the polymer plastics can be
divided in to two classes:
thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics..
• Thermoplastic polymers comprise the four most
important commodity materials: polyethylene,
polypropylene, polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride.
• these materials melt on heating and may be
processed by a variety of moulding and extrusion
techniques.
• Alternately, thermosetting‘polymers cannot be melted or
remelted
 Property of polymer

• Are less dense than metals or ceramics,

• Resist atmospheric and other forms of corrosion,
• Offer good compatibility with human tissue, or
• Exhibit excellent resistance to the conduction of electrical current.
objects that are made of polymeric materials are:
• plastic tableware
• (spoon, fork, and
• billiard balls,
• a bicycle helmet,
• Two dice,
• a plastic milk carton.
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Composites
• A composite is composed of two (or more) individual
materials, which come from the categories discussed
above viz., metals, ceramics, and polymers.
• The design goal of a composite is to achieve a
combination of properties that is not displayed by any
single material, and also to incorporate the best
characteristics of each of the component materials.
• most common and familiar composites is fiberglass, and
carbon fiber-reinforced polymer‖ (CFRP‖)
 Classification of composite
Some of the common classifications of composites are:
• Reinforced plastics
• Metal-matrix composites
• Ceramic-matrix composites
• Sandwich structures
• Concrete
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ADVANCED MATERIALS
• Materials that are utilized in high-technology (or high-tech)
applications.
• examples include electronic equipment (camcorders, CD/DVD
players, etc.), computers, fiber-optic systems, spacecraft,
aircraft, and military rocketry
• they may be of all material types (e.g., metals, ceramics,
polymers), and are normally expensive.
• Advanced materials include semiconductors, biomaterials, and
materials of the future‖ (that is, smart materials and Nano
engineered materials).
 Cont………
Semiconductors
• Semiconductors have electrical properties that are
intermediate between the electrical conductors (viz.
metals and metal alloys) and insulators (viz. ceramics and
polymers)
• Furthermore, the electrical characteristics of these
materials are extremely sensitive to the presence of
minute concentrations of impurity atoms,
• for which the concentrations may be controlled over very
small spatial region
 Cont……
Biomaterials
• Biomaterials are employed in components implanted into
the human body for replacement of diseased or damaged
body parts.
• These materials must not produce toxic substances and
must be compatible with body tissues.
• metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, and
semiconductorsmay be used as biomaterials.
• For example, some of the biomaterials that are utilized in
artificial hip replacements.
 Materials of the Future

Smart Materials
• these materials are able to sense changes in their environments
and then respond to these changes in predetermined manners
traits that are also found in living organisms.
• Components of a smart material (or system) include some type
of sensor (that detects an input signal), and an actuator (that
performs a responsive and adaptive function).
• Actuators may be called upon to change shape, position,
natural frequency, or mechanical characteristics in response to
changes in temperature, electric fields, and/or magnetic fields
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