The Science and Engineering

of Materials, 4th ed
Donald R. Askeland – Pradeep P. Phulé

Chapter 1 – Introduction to Materials

Science and Engineering
 Objectives of Chapter 1
 Introduce the field of materials science and engineering
(MSE)

 Provide introduction to the classification of materials

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 Chapter 1 Outline
 1.1 What is Materials Science and Engineering?

 1.2 Classification of Materials

 1.3 Functional Classification of Materials

 1.4 Classification of Materials Based on Structure

 1.5 Environmental and Other Effects

 1.6 Materials Design and Selection

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 Section 1.1
What is Materials Science and Engineering?
 Composition means the chemical make-up of a material.

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 Section 1.1
What is Materials Science and Engineering?
 Structure means a description of the arrangements of atoms or ions in a
material.
Solid Water (Ice) Liquid Water Gaseous Water (Steam) Diamond

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 Section 1.1
What is Materials Science and Engineering?
 Synthesis is the process by which materials are made from naturally occurring
or other chemicals.

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 Section 1.1
What is Materials Science and Engineering?
 Processing means different ways for shaping materials into useful components
or changing their properties.

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 Section 1.1
What is Materials Science and Engineering?

 Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is an interdisciplinary field of

science and engineering that studies and manipulates the composition and
structure of materials across length scales to control materials properties
through synthesis and processing.

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Application of the tetrahedron of materials science and engineering to sheet steels for automotive chassis. Note that the
composition, microstructure, and synthesis-processing are all interconnected and affect the performance-to-cost ratio.

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 © 2003 Brooks/Cole Publishing / Thomson Learning™
Application of the tetrahedron of materials science and engineering to semiconducting polymers for microelectronics.

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 Section 1.2
Classification of Materials
 Metals and Alloys In general, metals have good electrical and thermal
conductivity. Metals and alloys have relatively high strength, high stiffness, ductility
or formability, and shock resistance.

 Ceramics and Glasses In general, due to the presence of porosity (small holes),
ceramics do not conduct heat well; they must be heated to very high temperatures
before melting. Ceramics are strong and hard, but also very brittle.

Polymers (plastics), Thermoplastics and Thermosets In general, polymers

typically are good electrical and thermal insulators. Although they have lower
strength, polymers have a very good strength-to-weight ratio. They are typically not
suitable for use at high temperatures. Many polymers have very good resistance to
corrosive chemicals.

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 Section 1.2
Classification of Materials
 Semiconductors The electrical conductivity of semiconducting materials is
between that of ceramic insulators and metallic conductors. Semiconductors have
enabled the information age.

 Composite Materials The main idea in developing composites is to blend the

properties of different materials. These are formed from two or more materials,
producing properties not found in any single material. With composites, we can
produce lightweight, strong, ductile, temperature-resistant materials or we can
produce hard, yet shock-resistant, cutting tools that would otherwise shatter.

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 Representative examples, applications, and
properties for each category of materials
Example of Applications Properties
Metals and Alloys
Gray cast iron Automobile engine blocks Castable, machinable,
vibration damping
Ceramics and Glasses
SiO2-Na2O-CaO Window glass Optically transparent,
thermally insulating
Polymers
Polyethylene Food packaging Easily formed into thin,
flexible, airtight film
Semiconductors
Silicon Transistors and integrated Unique electrical
circuits circuits behavior
Composites
Tungsten carbide- Carbide cutting tools for High hardness, yet
cobalt (WC-Co) machining good shock resistance

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Representative strengths of various categories of materials

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Polymerization occurs when small molecules, represented by the circles, combine to
produce larger molecules, or polymers. The polymer molecules can have a structure that
consists of many chains that are entangled but not connected (thermoplastics) or can form
three-dimensional networks in which chains are cross-linked (thermosets).

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 Section 1.3
Functional Classification of Materials
 Aerospace

 Biomedical

 Electronic Materials

 Energy Technology and Environmental Technology

 Magnetic Materials

 Photonic or Optical Materials

 Smart Materials

 Structural Materials
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 Functional
classification of
materials. Notice that
metals, plastics, and
ceramics occur in
different categories. A
limited number of
examples in each
category is provided.

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 Section 1.4
Classification of Materials-Based on Structure
 Crystalline material is a material comprised of one or many crystals. In
each crystal, atoms or ions show a long-range periodic arrangement.

 Single crystal is a crystalline material that is made of only

one crystal (there are no grain boundaries).

 Grains are the crystals in a polycrystalline material.

 Polycrystalline material is a material comprised of many

crystals (as opposed to a single-crystal material that has only
one crystal).

 Grain boundaries are regions between grains of a polycrystalline material.

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 Section 1.5
Environmental and Other Effects
Effects of following factors must be accounted for in design to ensure that
components do not fail unexpectedly:

 Temperature
 Although the World Trade Center towers on September
11, 2001 sustained the initial impact of the collisions,
their steel structures were weakened by elevated
temperatures caused by fire, ultimately leading to the
collapse.

 High temperatures change the structure of ceramics and

cause polymers to melt or char. Very low temperatures,
at the other extreme, may cause a metal or polymer to
fail in a brittle manner, even though the applied loads
are low. This low-temperature embrittlement was a
factor that caused the Titanic to fracture and sink.
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 Section 1.5
Environmental and Other Effects
 Corrosion Most metals and polymers react with oxygen
or other gases, particularly at elevated temperatures. Metals
and ceramics may disintegrate and polymers and non-oxide
ceramics may oxidize.

 Fatigue When we load and unload the material thousands

of times, even at low loads, small cracks may begin to
develop, and materials fail as these cracks grow.

 Strain Rate Many of you are aware of the fact that a

silicone-(not silicon-) based plastic, can be stretched
significantly if we pull it slowly (small rate of strain). If you
pull it fast (higher rate of strain), it snaps.

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 Increasing temperature
normally reduces the
strength of a material.
Polymers are suitable
only at low temperatures.
Some composites, special
alloys, and ceramics,
have excellent properties
at high temperatures.

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 Section 1.6
Materials Design and Selection

 Density is mass per unit volume of a material, usually expressed in

units of g/cm3 or lb/in.3

 Strength-to-weight ratio is the strength of a material divided by its

density; materials with a high strength-to-weight ratio are strong but
lightweight.

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