MS1017: Introduction to Materials Science

Course Instructor

Prof Ali Miserez

Course AIMS

Introduction to Materials Science’ initiates students to the fascinating world of Materials across different length scales from atoms to devices and applications, starting from a historical perspective of materials developments at the beginning of civilizations to today’s advanced materials powering growth of societies in this modern world. You will gain knowledge in the fundamental aspects of bonding, crystallography, microstructures and phases for the three key classes  of materials systems, that is, metals, polymers and ceramics. Understand these facets will allow you to design and control the associated materials properties.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you (as a student) would be able to:

1.  Determine the types of atomic and molecular bonds of materials based on the knowledge of the electronic configurations of the elements and the Periodic Table .
2. Construct basic crystallographic crystal structures (e.g., cubic), crystal directions and planes based on the Miller indices.
3. Analyse the equilibrium phase diagram and perform calculations to derive compositional and structural information.
4. Determine mechanical properties materials from stress-strain curves.
5. Explain the basics of optical and electron microscopy.
6. Evaluate the importance of Materials Science in engineering technologies from a broader context.
   

Course Content

1.  General introduction of Materials Science:
    - A historical perspective through Ages of Civilisation (e.g., Stone, Bronze, Iron ages) 
   - Highlights of materials’ structure-process-property relationships using contemporary applications and technological advancements
   
   
2.  Atomic Bonding and Crystal Structures:
   - Primary and secondary bonds, bond energy and force curves, molecular orbital theory,
   - Crystal structures and Bravais lattices, Crystallographic directions and Miller indices, Reciprocal space
   - Crystal and molecular structures of ceramics and polymers
   
   
3.  Phase diagrams
   - Concepts of the phase diagrams and Gibbs phase rule,
   - Single and binary phase diagrams, solid solubility, intermediate phases, eutectic and eutectoid systems of solids, miscibility gaps.
   - Applying inverse lever rule calculations in phase diagrams
   
   
4.  Mechanical properties of materials
   - Stress and strain of materials
   - Mechanical properties such as elastic modulus, yield strength, tensile strength, plastic deformation, fracture, creep, fatigue, viscosity, and how these properties relate to practical applications
   - Deformation and fracture mechanisms of materials
   - Recrystallization
   
   
5.  Introduction to Materials Characterization – Microscopy
   - Principles of optical and electron microscopy
   - Microstructures - Grain structures, grain boundaries, Defects, Eutectic microstructures, dendrites
   - Metals and Ceramics – Ductile and brittle microstructures
   - Polymers – Spherulite, Crazing
   
   
6. Engineering Materials in Modern Applications and Technologies
   - Metals: Ferrous and non-ferrous, crystal structure and bonds, processing technologies and phase development
   - Ceramics: Structures, properties, processing and applications
   - Polymers: Introduction and classification of polymers, molecular weights and distributions, temperature behaviours such as Tg, Tm, Introducing viscosity and associated properties of polymers
   
   
7. Laboratory Sessions:
   - Tensile stress-strain measurements of metals and polymers
   - Sample preparation (etching, polishing) and using optical microscope to study metals/polymers/ceramics samples.

Reading and References