ENME201

Material Science

Syllabus

  1. Introduction (1 hour)
    1. Classification of materials
    2. Material selection for design
  2. Atomic Structure, Interatomic Bonding and Crystalline Structure (6 hours)
    1. Relationship among structures, processing, and properties
    2. Atomic structure and atomic bonding
    3. Crystal structures, crystalline and non-crystalline materials
    4. Miller indices and anisotropy: Miller indices, Miller-Bravis indices, anisotropy
    5. Imperfections in solids: theoretical strength, point defects, line defects or dislocations, interfacial defects, bulk or volume defects, atomic vibrations, Schmid's law
    6. Movement of atoms in materials: Fick's first law, Fick's second law
  3. Mechanical Properties and Their Tests (7 hours)
    1. Tensile test: elastic and plastic deformation, engineering tensile stress-strain curves, true stress-strain diagram, yield criteria, equivalent stress, plastic strain
    2. Hardness test: types of hardness measurements, comparison among methods and scales, nanoindentation
    3. Impact test: toughness, types of impact test (Charpy and Izod), transition-temperature curve, notch sensitivity
    4. Fatigue test: metallurgical aspects, S-N curve, endurance limit, linear elastic fracture mechanics, factors affecting fatigue life, preventions
    5. Creep test: types of creep, metallurgical aspects, creep curve, factors affecting creep life, preventions
  4. Solidification, Phase Relations and Strengthening Mechanism (6 hours)
    1. Solidification: nucleation and grain growth, dendrite formation, cooling curve, under-cooling cast structure, solidification defect, solid solutions and solid solution strengthening
    2. Phase relations and equilibrium: phase and structure constituents, cooling curves, unary and binary phase diagrams, Gibbs's phase rule and lever rule, eutectic/eutectoid/peritectic/peritectoid systems, iron-iron carbon equilibrium diagram, classification of steels and cast iron
    3. Strengthening mechanism: solid solution strengthening, grain size reduction, strain hardening, recovery, recrystallization and grain growth, precipitation hardening and dispersion strengthening, cold and hot work, residual stress
  5. Heat Treatment (3 hours)
    1. Principles and purpose of heat treatment
    2. Heat treatment process: annealing, normalizing, tempering; carburizing, nitriding, cyaniding, flame and induction hardening; stress relieving; allotropic transformation of iron and steel; quenching process and medium, hardenability, Jominy test, TTT diagram, CCT diagram
  6. Metals and Alloys (3 hours)
    1. Ferrous materials: steels (low, medium, high carbon steels, stainless steels), cast irons (gray, white, nodular/ductile, malleable)
    2. Non-ferrous materials: aluminum, copper, magnesium, titanium, nickel, cobalt alloys, refractory metals, noble metals
  7. Ceramics and Glasses (3 hours)
    1. Ceramics: classification and applications, ceramic crystal structures, ceramic phase equilibrium diagrams, fabrication and processing (pressing and blowing, tape casting, slip casting, extrusion, injection molding, compaction, CIP, HIP)
    2. Glasses: basic concepts of glass structure, types and applications, glass manufacturing process, optical properties and applications
  8. Polymers (4 hours)
    1. Structure of polymers
    2. Types of polymers: plastics (thermosets and thermoplast), elastomer
    3. Polymerization: addition, condensation, stereoregular
    4. Fabrication processes: compression molding, transfer molding, injection molding, extrusion, blow molding
    5. Crystallization, melting, and glass transition of polymers
    6. Mechanical behavior of polymers
    7. Mechanisms of deformation and strengthening of polymers
    8. Typical applications of thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers
  9. Nanomaterials (4 hours)
    1. Introduction: nanomaterials, size and shape-dependent properties, quantum confinement, zero, one and two-dimensional nanostructures
    2. Synthesis: top-down and bottom-up approaches, physical nanofabrication techniques (PVD, CVD, self-assembly, lithography), wet chemical methods
  10. Composite (5 hours)
    1. Classification of composite materials
    2. Particle-reinforced composites: dispersion-strengthened and particulate composites
    3. Fiber-reinforced composites: effect of fiber length, orientation and concentration; continuous, discontinuous aligned, and discontinuous randomly oriented fiber composites
    4. Structural composite: laminar composites and sandwich structures
    5. Rule of mixture: weight and volume fraction, longitudinal and transverse modulus
    6. Nanocomposite: properties and synthesis methods
  11. Failure, Corrosion and Degradation of Materials (3 hours)
    1. Different fracture modes: ductile and brittle fracture, ductile-to-brittle transition
    2. Fatigue, crack initiation and propagation, crack propagation rate
    3. Corrosion of metals: corrosion principles, emf and galvanic series, forms of corrosion
    4. Corrosion of ceramics
    5. Degradation of polymers

Practicals

  1. Macro examination of metals (macrography for uniformity of composition, method of manufacture, physical defects)
  2. Micro examination (metallography)
  3. Selection and preparation of the specimen
  4. Application of heat treatment (full annealing, normalizing, quenching, tempering), etching, and microscope observation of ferrous and non-ferrous alloys
  5. Examination of failure: fatigue, creep
  6. Hardness test (Brinell, Rockwell, micro-hardness)
  7. Mechanical testing (tensile, compressive, impact)
  8. Strength testing of adhesives
  9. Synthesis of nanoparticle

Evaluation

Final exam questions cover all chapters. Approximate marks distribution (total 60 marks over 45 hours):

  1. Introduction and Atomic Structure, Interatomic Bonding and Crystalline Structure: 8 marks
  2. Mechanical Properties and Their Tests: 8 marks
  3. Solidification, Phase Relations and Strengthening Mechanism: 8 marks
  4. Heat Treatment and Metals and Alloys: 8 marks
  5. Ceramics and Glasses and Polymers: 10 marks
  6. Nanomaterials: 5 marks
  7. Composite: 8 marks
  8. Failure, Corrosion and Degradation of Materials: 5 marks