Four components involved in the design, production, and utilization of materials
Processing
Structure
Properties
Performance
Three primary classifications of solid materials
Distinctive chemical feature of each
Four types of advanced materials
Distinctive feature(s) of each
Smart material/system
Brief definition
Nanotechnology as it applies to materials
Brief explanation of the concept
Without materials our existence would be much like that of our Stone Age ancestors
Early civilizations have been designated by the level of their materials development (Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age)
The earliest humans had access to only a very limited number of naturally occurring materials
With time, techniques were discovered for producing materials with properties superior to natural ones, including pottery and various metals
It was discovered that the properties of a material could be altered by heat treatments and by the addition of other substances
Materials utilization was initially a selection process from a limited set of materials
Scientists have come to understand the relationships between the structural elements of materials and their properties over the past 100 years
This knowledge has empowered scientists to fashion the characteristics of materials, leading to the development of tens of thousands of different materials
The development of many technologies has been intimately associated with the accessibility of suitable materials
Advancements in the understanding of a material type is often the forerunner to the stepwise progression of a technology
Automobiles would not have been possible without the availability of inexpensive steel or some other comparable substitute
Sophisticated electronic devices rely on components made from semiconducting materials
Materials science
Investigating the relationships between the structures and properties of materials
Materials engineering
Designing or engineering the structure of a material to produce a predetermined set of properties
Most graduates in materials programs are trained to be both materials scientists and materials engineers
Structural elements classified by size
Subatomic structure
Atomic structure
Nanostructure
Microstructure
Macrostructure
Six different categories of virtually all important properties of solid materials
Mechanical
Electrical
Thermal
Magnetic
Optical
Deteriorative
Mechanical properties
Relate deformation to an applied load or force
Electrical properties
Responses to an applied electric field
Thermal properties
Related to changes in temperature or temperature gradients
Magnetic properties
Responses to the application of a magnetic field
Optical properties
Responses to electromagnetic or light radiation
Deteriorative characteristics
Relate to the chemical reactivity of materials
Structure depends on how a material is processed, and a material's performance is a function of its properties
The interrelationship among processing, structure, properties, and performance of materials is the central paradigm of materials science and engineering
The materials paradigm describes the protocol for selecting and designing materials for specific applications
Prior to the materials paradigm, the materials science/engineering approach was to design components and systems using the existing palette of materials
The properties and phenomena associated with a material are intimately related to its composition and structure at all levels
An engineer must characterize the in-service conditions to determine the required material properties
An engineer must consider potential deterioration of material properties during service operation
The overriding consideration in material selection is economics - the cost of the finished product
Familiarity with materials characteristics, structure-property relationships, and processing techniques helps engineers make judicious materials choices
Processing
The way a material is made
Structure
The arrangement of atoms and molecules in a material