ASM Materials Education Foundation
Science and Technology
through
Materials
Science and Technology through Materials
Carnegie Mellon University
And
ASM International
Supporting the standards of the Pennsylvania Department of Education
Course creation under the guidance of:
Your Daily Life Is Filled with Stuff.
Did you ever think about where stuff
came from?
 Did you ever think about how stuff is
made?

Consider a Typical Class Room Desk
Metal & Plastic
• Chrome-plated Steel Tubes Provide the
Basic Structure
• Plastic or Composite (Plastic + Fiber Glass
or other Filler) Seat & Desktop
• Steel Fastners (Rivets, Screws, Bolts, Nuts)
• Possibly other Metals and Plastics in the
Feet, Storage Shelf, etc.
Why Was the Desk Made of
Those Particular Materials?
• Material Properties: Durability, Strength,
Weight, and Others
• Appearance
• Ease of Manufacture
• COST
What is Materials Science?
Materials Science is the science of all materials –
including ceramics, composites, electronic
materials, metals and polymers.
• Emphasis on the study of the physical and
chemical properties of matter
• Materials Science is interdisciplinary – uses
knowledge of physics, chemistry and biology
applied to materials
• The materials scientist develops new materials,
determines what materials to use, and how to
process the material into a useful component;
this is a critical part of all manufacturing
Role of Materials Science &
Engineering in Industry
Materials Selection/
Product Design – What
do you make your
product from?
–
–
–
–
Metals
Polymers
Ceramics
Composites
Who Cares?
• Industry!
– Companies rely on materials
scientists to design materials
for various applications
• Examples:
– Automobiles, Cell Phones,
Computers, Sports
equipment, aerospace
What are Materials?
“Materials are Everything!”
• Computers
• Cars
• Airplanes
• Clothes
• Buildings
• Bridges . . . .
Most engineered structures and commercial products are made
from many different kinds of materials selected to satisfy the
needs of the product.
Where Did the Manufacturer Get
the Materials?
Another Factory is not a good answer!
The Earth is the Answer.
–
–
–
–
The Metals are extracted from specific ores.
The Polymers are derived from Petroleum.
The Fiber Glass is made from specific ores.
All of the above may be recycled.
Open Pit Copper Mine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Chuquicamata-002.jpg
Materials Scientists & Engineers
Make & Improve Stuff!
Scientists and Engineers Are Always Discovering
New Concepts But How Do These Concepts
Become Reality?
•All Science & Engineering Developments Rely
on Materials
•“Scientists Discover New Worlds But Engineers
Create Them”
So Why Study Materials Anyway?
-Advancements in nearly every field of science and
manufacturing depend upon the improvement and
development of new materials
-Can you think of any examples?
-New materials are developed all the time, and
developing them can make your company, and maybe
you, some $$
What is MSE?
MSE is a field of Engineering - MSE stands for Materials Science
and Engineering.
The field encompasses the spectrum of materials:
• metals
• ceramics
• polymers (plastics)
• semiconductors
• combinations of materials called “composites”.
• biomaterials
Most engineering and manufacturing fields have a bit of MSE in
them!
Discipline of Materials Science & Engineering
Utilize Principles of Physics and Chemistry to
Understand and Advance Knowledge of Solid
Materials
Traditional Areas: Metals, Polymers, Ceramics,
Composites
Nanoparticle
Newer Areas continue to be developed!
Examples: Biomaterials, Nanomaterials
Materials Scientists & Engineers Study the
Relationship Between Structure, Properties,
and Processing of Materials
Structure
Materials
Properties
Processing
The Structure of Materials Is Examined in
Terms of Scale
There Are Three Broad Size Ranges That Can Be
Further Divided into Subsets
• Atomic Scale - How Individual Atoms Are
Assembled and Bonded Together
• Cluster Scale - Clusters of Atoms from Nanometers
to Micrometers
• Macro Scale - From Millimeters to Skyscrapers
Let’s begin our quest into this
investigation of Material Science
Please rewrite your comments in your
Journal regarding what you believe
Material Science means….
Materials presented in the Powerpoint are from:
•New Mexico Tech – Hirshfield presentation
•Kellam HS, Virginia Beach, Roger Crider
•The Ohio State University
•ASM International, Cleveland Ohio
•Carnegie Mellon University