"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."
This subfield studies the synthesis, properties, and applications of materials.
Atomic structure: Understanding the structure, behavior, and properties of atoms is crucial in Materials Science, as most processes and properties are determined by the behavior of atoms.
Crystalline structures: Materials can exist in different crystalline structures, affecting their properties and behavior.
Amorphous structures: Some materials do not have a crystalline structure, but rather an amorphous, or non-crystalline, structure. Understanding the behavior of these materials is important in Materials Science.
Mechanical properties: Understanding the mechanical properties, such as strength, stiffness, and ductility, of materials is essential in designing structures and predicting failures.
Thermodynamics and phase diagrams: Understanding the thermodynamics of materials is necessary when examining phase transitions and designing materials with desired properties.
Kinetics and diffusion: Diffusion is the movement of atoms or molecules from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration. Understanding this process is essential in predicting material behavior.
Electrical and magnetic properties: Materials can have different electrical and magnetic properties, such as conductivity or magnetism, depending on their properties and behavior.
Optical properties: Understanding the optical properties of materials, such as absorption and reflection, is important in designing materials for a variety of applications.
Nanomaterials and nanotechnology: Nanomaterials, which have unique properties due to their small size, are becoming increasingly important in Materials Science.
Biomaterials: Materials used in medical implants, tissue engineering, and drug delivery systems require unique properties that are essential for the success of these applications.
Composite materials: Composites are materials made up of two or more different materials, each with its own properties. Understanding the behavior of these materials is important in designing useful composites.
Polymers: Polymers are large molecules made up of repeating units. Understanding their behavior and properties is important in designing plastics, rubbers, and other materials.
Corrosion: Corrosion is the deterioration of materials due to chemical reactions with their surrounding environment. Understanding this process is essential in designing materials with increased resistance to corrosion.
Materials characterization: Understanding the properties of materials requires the ability to characterize them. This includes techniques such as microscopy, spectroscopy, and thermal analysis.
Materials processing: Processing techniques such as casting, forging, and welding are used to produce materials with desired properties. Understanding how to process materials is important in designing structures and predicting failures.
Solid-state physics: This branch of materials science deals with the study of the properties and behavior of solid materials, including metals, semiconductors, and insulators.
Materials engineering: This is the application of materials science principles to the design, development, and manufacturing of new materials.
Nanomaterials: The study and engineering of materials on a nanoscale level. This branch has many locations, including graphene, carbon nanotubes, and semiconductor nanoparticles.
Biomaterials: The development and application of materials that can be used in medical implant devices or other biological applications such as drug delivery systems or biosensors.
Polymer physics: The study of the properties and behavior of polymers, including their mechanics, phase transitions, and interactions with other materials.
Materials chemistry: This interdisciplinary field involves the solid-state chemistry of various materials, including ceramics, metals, and semiconductors.
Electronic materials: This branch of materials science deals with the development of new materials that have various electronic properties, such as conductance or resistivity.
Computational materials science: This is the application of computational methods to materials science research, including simulations, modeling, and data analytics.
Magnetic materials: This branch of materials science deals with magnetic properties, such as magnetism and magnetic susceptibility, and their relationship with various materials.
Materials modeling and simulation: This is an interdisciplinary field that involves the development of mathematical models and simulations to predict the behavior of materials under various conditions.
"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."