"Materials science is an interdisciplinary field of researching and discovering materials. Materials engineering is an engineering field of finding uses for materials in other fields and industries."
The tools and techniques used to analyze the structure and properties of materials, such as X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy.
Crystallography: The study of the structure of crystals, including their symmetry, packing, and crystal plane orientation.
X-ray diffraction: The measurement of the angles and intensities of diffracted X-rays in order to determine the crystal structure.
Electron diffraction: The measurement of the scattering of electrons from a sample to determine the crystal structure.
Neutron diffraction: A technique for determining the positions of atoms in a crystal by measuring the scattering of neutrons.
Scattering techniques: The measurement of the scattering of a beam of particles, such as photons or electrons, as it interacts with a sample to determine the sample's properties.
Spectroscopy: The study of the interaction of electromagnetic radiation with matter, including absorption, emission, and scattering of light.
Vibrational spectroscopy: The study of the vibrations of atoms and molecules in a material, including infrared and Raman spectroscopy.
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR): The study of the structure and properties of molecules by measuring the magnetic properties.
Photoelectron spectroscopy: The measurement of the energy and intensity of electrons emitted from a sample when it is exposed to light of a specific energy.
Electron microscopy: The use of electrons to produce high-resolution images of materials and their properties.
Thermal analysis: The measurement of heat flow and temperature changes in a material as a function of time and temperature.
Surface analysis: The study of the properties of a material at its surface, including techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy.
Biophysical methods: Methods used to study the physical and chemical properties of biological materials, including nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.
Computational methods: The use of computer simulations and modeling to study the properties of materials, including molecular dynamics and density functional theory.
Microscopy techniques: The use of microscopes to study the structure and properties of materials at the micro- and nanoscale, including techniques such as scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.
X-ray diffraction (XRD): A technique that measures the diffraction pattern of X-rays from crystals to determine the identity and structure of a material.
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM): A technique that uses an electron beam to scan the surface of a material to produce images of the surface morphology.
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM): A technique that uses an electron beam transmitted through a thin sample to produce images of the internal atomic and molecular structure.
Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS): A technique that measures the elemental composition of a sample by detecting X-rays emitted when the sample is bombarded with electrons.
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR): A technique that measures the vibrational frequencies of chemical bonds in a sample to identify functional groups and chemical composition.
Raman spectroscopy: A technique that measures the scattering of laser light by a material to determine its composition and structure.
Thermal analysis: A technique that measures the thermal behavior of a material to determine its composition and properties, including heat capacity, thermal conductivity, and thermal stability.
Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR): A technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to measure the properties of atomic nuclei in a sample, providing information about its chemical and physical properties.
Atomic force microscopy (AFM): A technique that uses a tiny probe to scan the surface of a material, measuring its topography and physical properties at the nanoscale.
Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC): A technique that measures the heat flow associated with chemical and physical changes in a material as it is heated or cooled, providing information about its thermal properties.
Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis): A technique that measures the interaction of light with a material to determine its optical properties, including absorption and transmission.
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS): A technique that measures the energy and composition of electrons emitted from a material when irradiated with X-rays, providing information about its surface chemistry and composition.
"The intellectual origins of materials science stem from the Age of Enlightenment, when researchers began to use analytical thinking from chemistry, physics, and engineering to understand ancient, phenomenological observations in metallurgy and mineralogy."
"As such, the field was long considered by academic institutions as a sub-field of these related fields."
"Beginning in the 1940s, materials science began to be more widely recognized as a specific and distinct field of science and engineering."
"The understanding of processing-structure-properties relationships is called the materials paradigm."
"This paradigm is used to advance understanding in a variety of research areas, including nanotechnology, biomaterials, and metallurgy."
"Materials science is also an important part of forensic engineering and failure analysis – investigating materials, products, structures, or components, which fail or do not function as intended, causing personal injury or damage to property."
"Such investigations are key to understanding, for example, the causes of various aviation accidents and incidents."
"Materials scientists emphasize understanding how the history of a material (processing) influences its structure, and thus the material's properties and performance."
"Materials science still incorporates elements of physics, chemistry, and engineering."
"Materials engineering is an engineering field of finding uses for materials in other fields and industries."
"Major technical universities around the world created dedicated schools for its study."
"The understanding of processing-structure-properties relationships is called the materials paradigm."
"...research areas, including nanotechnology, biomaterials, and metallurgy."
"...understand ancient, phenomenological observations in metallurgy and mineralogy."
"...investigating materials, products, structures, or components, which fail or do not function as intended, causing personal injury or damage to property."
"...investigating materials, products, structures, or components, which fail or do not function as intended..."
"Beginning in the 1940s, materials science began to be more widely recognized as a specific and distinct field of science and engineering."
"When researchers began to use analytical thinking from chemistry, physics, and engineering to understand ancient, phenomenological observations in metallurgy and mineralogy."
"...incorporates elements of physics, chemistry, and engineering."