Materials processing

Home > Engineering and Technology > Materials Engineering > Materials processing

The various methods of manufacturing, shaping, and modifying materials to improve their properties, design, and functionality.

Materials Science: The study of the properties and structure of materials, including physical and chemical properties, microstructure, and behavior under different conditions.
Process Design and Optimization: The process of designing, analyzing, and optimizing manufacturing processes to improve the efficiency and quality of materials processing.
Solid State Physics: A branch of physics that studies the properties of solids, including crystal structure, electrical conductivity, and optical properties.
Thermodynamics: The study of the relationships between heat, energy, and temperature, including the principles of energy conversion and transfer.
Mechanical Properties: The study of materials' resistance to deformation and failure under applied loads, including strength, ductility, toughness, and fatigue.
Manufacturing Processes: The techniques and methods used to manufacture, shape, and process materials, including casting, forging, machining, and welding.
Materials Characterization: The process of determining the composition, structure, and properties of materials using techniques such as microscopy, spectroscopy, and other analytical methods.
Materials Selection: The process of choosing the right materials for a specific application based on their properties, cost, availability, and other factors.
Corrosion Science: The study of the mechanisms and prevention of corrosion in materials, including electrochemical reactions and chemical degradation.
Composite Materials: Materials made from two or more different substances, such as fibers and resins, that have combined properties and advantages.
Nanotechnology: The branch of science that studies the properties and manipulation of materials at the nanometer scale, including their use in new products and applications.
Materials Processing Technologies: The use of advanced technology systems to enhance materials processing, such as additive manufacturing, 3D printing, and other digital fabrication methods.
Materials Recycling and Sustainability: The study of ways to recycle and reuse materials, reduce waste and pollution, and promote sustainable materials processing practices.
Materials for Energy: The use of materials in energy production, including renewable energy sources such as solar cells, fuel cells, and batteries.
Materials for Medicine: The use of materials in medical devices, implants, and other applications, focusing on biocompatibility, tissue engineering, and drug delivery systems.
Casting: A manufacturing process by which a liquid material is poured into a mold and allowed to solidify to create a desired shape.
Welding: The process of joining two or more pieces of material by heating them to a melting point and allowing them to cool and solidify together.
Forging: A process of shaping a material by applying pressure through a series of hammer blows or presses.
Extrusion: A manufacturing process that involves forcing a material through a die to create a specific shape or cross-section.
Machining: A process of removing material from a workpiece using cutting tools to create a desired shape.
Turning: The process of removing material from a workpiece by rotating it against a stationary cutting tool.
Milling: A process of removing material from a workpiece using a rotating cutter.
Drilling: The process of creating a hole in a workpiece using a rotating cutting tool.
Grinding: A process of removing material from a workpiece using an abrasive wheel or belt.
Polishing: The process of smoothing a workpiece's surface to create a shiny, reflective finish.
Heat treatment: The process of heating and cooling a material to alter its properties.
Coating: The application of a thin layer of material onto a workpiece for a specific purpose, such as protection from corrosion or to improve its appearance.
Plating: A process of depositing a thin layer of metal onto a workpiece using an electrochemical reaction.
Additive Manufacturing/ 3D Printing: A process of creating a three-dimensional object by adding layer upon layer of material to build up the final product.
Powder metallurgy: A process of creating metal parts by compacting powdered metal into a desired shape and sintering it to achieve full density.
"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 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."