1. Design for Engineering Unit 8 Material Science and Engineering
Annette Beattie August 15, 2006 Materials Science
ETP 2006 – Annette Beattie
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No 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).

2. What are Materials? That’s easy! Look around.
Our clothes are made of materials, our homes are made of materials - mostly manufactured. Glass windows, vinyl siding, metal silverware, ceramic dishes…
Most things are made from many different kinds of materials.

3. Kinds of Materials
Metals: are materials that are normally combinations of "metallic elements". Metals usually are good conductors of heat and electricity. Also, they are quite strong but malleable and tend to have a lustrous look when polished.
Ceramics: are generally compounds between metallic and nonmetallic elements. Typically they are insulating and resistant to high temperatures and harsh environments. (MSECRC, 2006)

4. Kinds of Materials
Plastics: (or polymers) are generally organic compounds based upon carbon and hydrogen. They are very large molecular structures. Usually they are low density and are not stable at high temperatures.
Semiconductors: have electrical properties intermediate between metallic conductors and ceramic insulators. Also, the electrical properties are strongly dependent upon small amounts of impurities. (MSECRC, 2006)

5. Kinds of Materials
Composites: consist of more than one material type. Fiberglass, a combination of glass and a polymer, is an example. Concrete and plywood are other familiar composites. Many new combinations include ceramic fibers in metal or polymer matrix. (MSECRC, 2006)

6. Newer Branches of Materials Science
Nanotechnology: a relatively new area grown out of techniques used to manufacture semiconductor circuits. Machines can be produced on a microscopic level. Example - miniature robots to do surgery inside the body or miniature chemical laboratories and instruments that will continuously analyze blood and dispense medications inside the body. (VCSU, 2006)

7. Materials Science
Defined as the study of the properties of solid materials and how those properties are determined by a material’s composition and structure. (VCSU, 2006)

8. Materials Science
Example - the dramatic role of iron throughout the ages is not really the result of it being "strong". In reality, iron has been important because we can change its properties by heating and cooling it.
The ability to change the properties and/or behavior of a material is what makes most materials useful and this is at the heart of materials science! (MSECRC, 2006)

9. Materials Science and Engineering
An interdisciplinary study that combines metallurgy, physics, chemistry, and engineering to solve real-world problems with real-world materials in an acceptable societal and economical manner. (VCSU, 2006)

10. Materials Science and Engineering
The following elements and their interaction define Materials Science and Engineering:
Performance
Properties
Structure and composition
Synthesis and processing (VCSU, 2006)

11. Materials Science and Engineering
The engineering of fantastic new materials is not a given, but a natural outgrowth. It is here that science and engineering almost touch. (VCSU, 2006)

12. Materials Testing
Materials testing is a much narrower field than materials science or engineering.
It is determining the strength of certain materials.
It is mostly used to determine safety. Ex. concrete samples are tested.
It is not used to design new materials to be used in new applications. (VCSU, 2006)

13. History of Materials
Even our history has been defined by the materials we use…
The stone age
The copper age
The bronze age
The iron age
What would be a good material name for today?
(MSECRC, 2006)

14. History of Materials
Man has been studying materials since before leaving the cave.
Due to lack of communication, early man spent hundreds of millennia experimenting with stone tools.
The first metal tools appeared perhaps only six thousand years ago.

15. History of Materials
The discovery of “Iceman” in the Alps in 1991 gave significant information on early Copper age. He was carrying a copper axe.
It is dated at about 5300 years, when the first pyramids were built.

16. History of Materials
As our knowledge of materials grows, so does the sophistication of our tools.
The more sophisticated our tools, the more sophisticated our accomplishments.

17. Sources
The Materials Science & Engineering Career Resource Center. Retrieved from the following web site on October 29, 2006:
Valley City State University. (2006). Technology education 660 design for engineering unit 8 reading assignment. Retrieved August 15, 2006 from the website:

18. Standards
Standard #2: Students will develop an understanding of the core concepts of technology.
2.CC New technologies create new processes.
Standard #3: Students will develop an understanding of the relationships among technologies and the connections between technology and other fields of study.
3.H Technological innovation often results when ideas, knowledge, or skills are shared within a technology, among technologies, or across other fields.
3.J Technological progress promotes the advancement of science and mathematics.
Standard #7: Students will develop an understanding of the influence of technology on history.
7.H The evolution of civilization has been directly affected by, and has in turn affected, the development and use of tools and materials.
7.K The Iron Age was defined by the use of iron and steel as the primary materials for tools.