Material Sciences
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Definition:
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica
The study of the properties of solid materials and
how those properties are determined by a
material’s composition and structure. It grew out
of an amalgam of solid-state physics, metallurgy,
and chemistry, since the rich variety of materials
properties cannot be understood within the
context of any single discipline.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation
under Grant No. 0402616. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily reflect the view of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Material Sciences
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Engineers must have knowledge of
the materials with which they work
or they cannot design effective
solutions to problems
Material Sciences
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Materials science branches that we will discuss:
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Ceramics
Metals and alloys
Composites
Polymers
Crystals and semiconductors
Superconductors
Biosensors
Nanotechnology
Ceramics
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An artifact made of hard brittle
material produced from
nonmetallic minerals by firing at
high temperatures.
http://www.wordwebonline.com/en/CERAMICS
Ceramics
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Long before humans had any
knowledge of metals, there was a
great interest in what we currently
call ceramics in the form of pottery
and brick building materials
VCSU reading material
Ceramics
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Ceramics are generally made by
taking mixtures of clay, earthen
elements, powders, and water and
shaping them into desired forms.
Once the ceramic has been shaped,
it is fired in a high temperature oven
known as a kiln. Often, ceramics are
covered in decorative, waterproof,
paint-like substances known as
glazes.
http://depts.washington.edu/matseed/mse_resources/Webpage/Ceramics/ceramics.htm
Ceramics
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Ceramics are all around us. This category of
materials includes things like tile, bricks, plates,
glass, and toilets.
Ceramics can be found in products like snow
skies, automobiles (sparkplugs and ceramic
engine parts found in racecars), and phone lines.
They can also be found on space shuttles,
appliances (enamel coatings), and airplanes
(nose cones).
http://depts.washington.edu/matseed/mse_resources/Webpage/Ceramics/ceramics.htm
Ceramics
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Engineering Fields that may use
ceramics are:
• Aerospace
• Mechanical
• Chemical
Ceramics
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Ceramic engineers and material
scientists are currently working on
ceramic ionic conductors that will be
parts of high temperature batteries
for automobiles.
http://people.alfred.edu/~misture/nsf_k12/batteries.html
Metals and Alloys
A branch of study that comes to
mind as the one with the longest
history
 We often describe the history of
mankind in terms of metals and
alloys such as copper, bronze and
iron.
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Metals and Alloys
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An alloy is a mixture of different
metals that often have
characteristics superior to any of the
apparent materials
Types of Alloys
Steel
 Aluminum
 Magnesium
 Titanium
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Uses of alloys
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Aluminum alloys are used in aircraft
construction because of its high
strength/weight ratio, its corrosionresisting qualities, and its
comparative ease of fabrication.
http://www.tpub.com/air/1-24.htm
Uses of alloys
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Titanium and its alloys have proven
to be technically superior and costeffective in a wide variety of
aerospace, industrial, marine and
commercial applications.
Examples of some uses:
Aero-engines, dental, military
hardware, and sporting equipment
http://www.titaniuminfogroup.co.uk/titanium.htm
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Just about every field of engineering
is going to use metals and alloys
Here are just a few:
• Aero space
• Mechanical
• Civil
• Electrical
Hot new items

Titanium golf clubs and balls
Composites
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Consist of two or more materials
combined in such a way that the
individual materials are easily
distinguishable.
http://composite.about.com/od/aboutcompositesplastics/l/aa060297.htm
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A common example of a composite is
concrete. It consists of a binder
(cement) and a reinforcement
(gravel). Adding another
reinforcement (rebar) transforms
concrete into a three-phase
composite.
http://composite.about.com/od/aboutcompositesplastics/l/aa060297.htm
Composites
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Concrete is used in the building of
roads, and buildings mostly
Many types of engineers use
composites: Civil, Architectural
Hot new product
1.Low Maintenance
2. Resists Heating & Fading
3.Safety
4.Durability
5.Increases The Value of
Your Home
Polymers
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a chemical compound or mixture of
compounds formed by polymerization and
consisting essentially of repeating
structural units
Polymerization a chemical reaction in
which two or more molecules combine to
form larger molecules that contain
repeating structural units
Polymers
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Polyvinylchloride (PVC); 1938. Thermoplastic polymer.-Used in pipes and
fittings, wire and cable insulation,
extruded film and sheet, and medical
applications.-Its flexible grades are easy
to process. Its rigid grades have a high
dielectric strength, outdoor stability,
chemical resistance, good moisture
stability, and low cost. Both have low heat
resistance.-Trade Name: Geon, Viclon.
http://www.efunda.com/materials/polymers/history/history.cfm?list_order=time
Polymers
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Polyethylene (PE); 1939. Thermoplastic polymer.-The largest
volume commodity plastic, PE is
used in blow-molded beverage
bottles, auto gas tanks, and
extruded pipe.-It has good toughness
at low temperatures and is
inexpensive.-Trade Name: Marlex,
Alathon, Hostalen.
http://www.efunda.com/materials/polymers/history/history.cfm?list_order=time
Polymers
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Polystyrene (PS); 1930. Thermoplastic polymer.-Used for
inexpensive packaging materials, pens,
safety razors, flatware, and CD jewel
boxes. In Styrofoam format, PS is used to
make high-throughput, thin-walled, easyto-mold parts where structure is not
paramount.-A material not structurally
strong but easy to mold, it is inexpensive,
machines well, and possesses excellent
transparency.-Trade Name: Novacor 555.
http://www.efunda.com/materials/polymers/history/history.cfm?list_order=time
Polymers
Many engineering fields use polymers
a couple are:
Industrial
Mechanical
Areospace
Polymers
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Hot new products
• Vinyl siding
• Acrylic paints
• Can be recycled from plastic bottles into
building materials
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/plastics/
Semiconductors
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A material is a semiconductor if it is
possible to reversibly vary the material's
conductivity at a given temperature over
several orders of magnitude using
chemical or electrical means.
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N-type semiconductors have higher
concentrations of conduction electrons.
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P-type semiconductors have lower
concentrations of conduction electrons
http://www.ee.calpoly.edu/~dbraun/courses/ee208/Define_semiconductor.html
Semiconductors
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Semiconductors have had a
monumental impact on our society.
You find semiconductors at the heart
of microprocessor chips as well as
transistors . Anything that’s
computerized or uses radio waves
depends on semiconductors.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/diode.htm
Semiconductors
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Today, most semiconductor chips and
transistors are created with silicon.
You may have heard expressions like
"Silicon Valley" and the "silicon
economy," and that's why -- silicon is
the heart of any electronic device.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/diode.htm
Semiconductors
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There are many fields of engineering
that use semiconductors, anything
computerized:
Electrical
 Mechanical
 Aerospace
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Superconductors
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An element, inter-metallic alloy, or
compound that will conduct
electricity without resistance below a
certain temperature
Resistance is undesirable because it
produces losses in the energy flowing
through the material
http://superconductors.org/INdex.htm
Superconductors
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MRI magnetic resonance Imaging
• Examine soft tissue such as cartilage,
membranes, and brain tissue
http://www.mse.cornell.edu/courses/engri111//mri.htm
Superconductors
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Engineers that use superconductors
• Mechanical
• Electrical
• Industrial
• Chemical
Superconductors
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Magnetic-levitation is an
application where
superconductors perform
extremely well. Transport
vehicles such as trains can be
made to "float" on strong
superconducting magnets,
virtually eliminating friction
between the train and its tracks.
http://superconductors.org/Uses.htm
New Product
In December 2003, the MLX01 test vehicle (shown above)
attained an incredible speed of 361 mph (581 kph).
http://superconductors.org/Uses.htm
Biosensors
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an apparatus that uses a biological
agent such as an enzyme or
organelle to detect, measure, or
analyze chemicals. Biosensors are
increasingly used in tests to diagnose
medical conditions such as blood
pressure.
http://ca.encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861590670/biosensor.html
Biosensors
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Biosensors have been applied to
a wide variety of analytical
problems including in medicine,
the environment, food, process
industries, security and defense.
http://srv.chim.unifi.it/ana/biosen.htm
Biosensors
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Some of the fields of engineering
that may use biosensors
• Mechanical
• Industrial
• Agricultural
• Electrical
Biosensors
Some monitor glucose in diabetic
patients
 The US military created an
undergarment that can provide data
on a soldier’s injuries
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• Recognizes when and where a cut is and
if it’s a vein or artery that was cut,
depending on the oxygen levels
http://www.ee.vt.edu/~jmentz/mse4206/applications.html
Nanotechnology
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The ability to do things - measure,
see, predict and make - on the scale
of atoms and molecules
The nanotechnology realm is defined
as being between 0.1 and 100
nanometers
 A nanometer being one thousandth
of a micron
 Which is, in turn, one thousandth of
a millimeter .
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http://www.nanotechnologyinvestment.com/Companies/Nanotechnology/IndustryResearch.asp
Nanotechnology
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Envisioned are all kinds of amazing
products, including extraordinarily
tiny computers that are very
powerful, building materials that
withstand earthquakes, advanced
systems for drug delivery and
custom-tailored pharmaceuticals as
well as the elimination of invasive
surgery, because repairs can be
made from within the body.
http://www.answers.com/nanotechnology&r=67
Nanotechnology
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Engineering fields that may use this:
• Medical
• Civil
• Computer
• Electrical
• Aerospace
Are just a few!!!!
By 2020, scientists at Rutgers
University believe that nanosized robots will be injected into
the bloodstream and administer
a drug directly to an infected
cell.
http://www.answers.com/nanotechnology&r=67
Standards and Benchmarks
2 CC
19M
Q
3H
J
7H
K
10L