"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 study of the properties and behavior of materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites.
Atomic Structure: The structure of atoms and subatomic particles, including electrons, protons, and neutrons, and their behavior.
Chemical Bonding: The different types of chemical bonds that hold atoms together in molecules and solids.
Crystallography: The study of crystals and their structures, including their symmetry, geometry, and physical properties.
Thermodynamics: The study of energy and its conversion from one form to another, including heat, work, and temperature.
Kinetics: The study of the rates of chemical reactions and the factors that affect them.
Solid-State Chemistry: The study of the physical and chemical properties of solids, including their structures, bonding, and electronic properties.
Phase Transitions: The study of the transformation of materials from one phase to another, such as melting, solidification, and phase separation.
Materials Characterization: Techniques used to measure and analyze the properties of materials, including X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and spectroscopy.
Electronic Structure: The behavior of electrons in atoms, molecules, and solids, including the effect of external fields and the formation of energy bands.
Nanotechnology: The manipulation and engineering of materials at the nanoscale, including the synthesis of nanoparticles and their applications.
Polymers: The study of the properties and synthesis of polymers, including their structure, behavior, and applications.
Computational Materials Science: The use of computer simulation and modeling to predict the behavior and properties of materials.
Materials Design: The process of designing materials with desired properties, including the use of computational modeling and synthesis techniques.
Biomaterials: The study of materials that interact with biological systems, including the properties and applications of materials used in medical devices and implants.
Materials Recycling and Sustainability: The analysis of materials life cycles and the development of sustainable materials and methods of recycling them.
Polymer Science: Study of the production, properties, and uses of polymers, which are large molecules made up of repeating subunits.
Nanomaterials: Study of materials with dimensions on the nanometer scale, which exhibit unique properties due to their small size and high surface area.
Ceramics: Study of inorganic, non-metallic materials, often used for their heat resistance, electrical insulation, and hardness.
Materials Engineering: Study of materials selection for various applications, taking into account mechanical, physical, and chemical properties.
Metals: Study of metallic materials, including their properties, processing, and behavior under various conditions.
Surface Science: Study of the chemical and physical properties of surfaces and interfaces between materials.
Biomaterials: Study of materials used in medical devices and implants, including their biocompatibility and interactions with biological systems.
Electronic Materials: Study of materials used in electronic devices, such as semiconductors and conductors.
Materials Chemistry: Study of the chemical synthesis and properties of materials.
Composites: Study of the combination of two or more materials with different properties to create a material with enhanced properties, such as increased strength or stiffness.
"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."