"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."
Study of the properties, behavior, and use of materials in engineering applications.
Atomic structure: The foundation of materials science, this topic involves understanding the arrangement of atoms and how it affects the physical and chemical properties of materials.
Crystal structures: This topic involves the arrangement of atoms in a crystal lattice and its impact on mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties of materials.
Bonding: This topic covers the various types of chemical bonding between atoms, including covalent, ionic, metallic and Van der Waals bonds.
Microstructure: The study of the arrangement of materials at the microscopic level and how it influences macroscopic properties and behavior.
Mechanical properties: This topic includes the study of mechanical behavior of materials under different loading conditions.
Thermal properties: The study of how materials react to temperatures in general and how they perform under different thermal conditions.
Electrical properties: The study of the electrical properties of materials, including electrical conductivity, insulators, and semiconductors.
Magnetic properties: The study of the magnetic behavior of materials, including ferromagnetic, diamagnetic, and paramagnetic materials.
Corrosion: Understanding the process of degradation that occurs in metals due to chemical reactions with the environment.
Fatigue and fracture: Failure mechanisms in materials under repeated stress and understanding of the likely ways they will fail under different conditions.
Composites: The study of composite materials which are made of two or more constituent materials that exhibit different properties.
Polymers: The study of polymeric materials, including thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics, and elastomers.
Nanomaterials: The study of materials that exhibit unique properties due to their nanoscale dimensions.
Biomaterials: The study of biological materials, used in medical applications including implants, prosthetics, and drug delivery.
Concrete and cement materials: The understanding of the properties of concrete, including its composition, strength, and durability.
Steel and metals: The understanding of alloys, their properties, their processing, and their impact on the environment.
Timber: The study of wood as a construction material, including its mechanical properties and its uses in different applications.
Glass and ceramics: The study of materials used for structural or aesthetic purposes, including the different types of glasses, ceramics, and their properties.
Concrete Materials Science: Concrete is a composite material made up of a mixture of cement, sand, and aggregate. Concrete materials science deals with the design, durability, and strength of concrete.
Steel Materials Science: Used primarily for the strength and durability of buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure, steel materials science deals with the properties, behavior under load and fatigue, and failure mechanisms of steel.
Timber Materials Science: Timber materials science deals with the processing, strength, fire resistance, durability, and load-bearing properties of wood, which is primarily used in building construction.
Ceramic Materials Science: Ceramic materials are mostly used to make pavement tiles and masonry blocks, and their properties are studied in terms of their hardiness, strength, and chemical resistance.
Polymer Materials Science: Polymer materials science deals with the properties, behavior, and durability of plastic materials used in construction, from insulation materials to water-resistant coatings.
Glass Materials Science: Glass materials science studies the behavior of glasses used in architectural designs, structural glazing, and more. Properties studied include strength, fracture, durability, and optical qualities.
Composite Materials Science: Composite materials science studies the behavior and properties of materials designed by combining two or more different materials with different physical, mechanical, and chemical properties, like fiber-reinforced polymer, carbon fiber composites, or cement composites.
"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."