GET202/TCH202/EGR2206

GET202: Engineering Materials ( 3 credits)

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, the students should be able to:

1. demonstrate the role of atoms and molecules (aggregates of atoms) in the building of
solid/condensed matter known as engineering materials, the electrons quantum
numbers and how the electrons are arranged in different atomic elements, and
explain the role of electronic configuration and valence electrons in bonding;

2. define metals, alloys and metalloids, demonstrate mental picture of the solid mineral
resources development as a relay race among four ‘athletes’: geologist, mining
engineer, mineral processing technologist, process metallurgical engineer, and
classify metallurgical engineering into 3Ps: process, physical and production;

3. explain the relationship between structure and properties of materials,

characteristics, components and compositions of phase diagrams and phase
transformations of solid solutions;

4. define ceramics, glass and constituents of glasses and understand application of

ceramics in mining, building, art and craft industries;

5. define and classify polymers as a class of engineering materials and polymeric

materials, demonstrate polymerisation reactions, their types and mechanism, and
applications of polymers;

6. define properties, types and application of composite materials and fibres (synthetic
and natural);

7. define and classify nanomaterials, demonstrate applications of nanomaterials,

concept, design and classification of fracture mechanics, corrosion classification,
including the five principal ways of controlling corrosion and metal finishing
processes such as sherardising, galvanising and anodising; and

8. identify factors affecting the performance and service life of engineering

materials/metals and metallography of metals/materials (materials anatomy), which
enables metallurgical and materials engineers to prescribe appropriate solutions to
test metals/materials fitness in service through structure-property-application
relationships.

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Course Contents
 Basic material science; atomic structure, atomic bonding and crystal structures.
 Engineering materials situating metals and alloys; metals and alloys, classifications of
metals,
 Metal extraction processes using iron and steel (ferrous) and aluminium
(nonferrous) as examples, phase diagrams/iron carbon diagrams, and mechanical
workings of metals.
 Selection and applications of metals and alloys for specific applications in oil,
aerospace, construction, manufacturing and transportation industries, among others.
 Ceramics (including glass); definition, properties, structure and classifications of
ceramics. Bioactive and glass – ceramics. Toughing mechanism for ceramics.
 Polymers; definition of polymers as engineering materials, chemistry of polymeric
materials, polymer crystallisation, polymer degradation and aging.
 Thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers and concepts of copolymers and
homopolymers.
 Composites; definition, classification, characterisation, properties and composite.
Applications of composites.
 Nanomaterials; definition, classification and applications of nanomaterials as
emerging technology.
 Processing of nanomaterials including mechanical grinding, wet chemical synthesis,
gas phase synthesis, sputtered plasma processing, microwave plasma processing and
laser ablation.
 Integrity assessment of engineering materials; effect of engineering design,
engineering materials processing, selection, manufacturing and assembling on the
performance and service life of engineering materials.
 Metallography and fractography of materials. Mechanical testing (destructive testing)
of materials such as compressive test, tensile test, hardness test, impact test,
endurance limit and fatigue test.
 Non-destructive test (NDT) such as dye penetrant, x-ray and eddy current.

TCH 202: Material Science (3 credits)

Learning outcome

On completion students should be able to:

1. explain the basic concepts and mechanism of atomic structure, configuration, interatomic
bonding, crystals and microstructure;
2. explain/discuss the relationship between structure and properties of materials;
3. explain the characteristics of phase diagrams and phase transformations of solid
solutions (alloys);
4. determine the components and compositions of phase diagrams and phase
transformations of solid solutions (alloys);

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5. discuss the different types, causes and effects of corrosion and methods of its
prevention and mitigation; and
6. discuss the basic principles of nanotechnology, nanomaterials and engineering
applications.

Course Contents

 Introduction to electronic configuration, atomic structures, inter-atomic bonding

mechanisms, crystal and microstructure.
 Relationships between structure and properties of metals, alloys, ceramics and
polymers.
 Principles of the behaviour of materials in common environments. Phase diagrams
and phase transformations of metal solutions.
 Effect of engineering design, engineering materials processing, selection,
manufacturing and assembling on the performance and service life of engineering
materials.
 Corrosion: types, causes and effects of corrosion, corrosion prevention and
mitigation.
 Fabrication processes and applications. Basic nanotechnology, nanomaterials and
engineering applications.

EGR 2206: Material Science I (2 credits)

 Fundamentals: Review of the theory and structure of atom; primary and secondary
bonds in solids.

 Crystalline solids: Common crystal structures in elements; Miller notation for

crystallographic planes and directions.

 Crystal defects: Point defects (vacancy, substitutional and interstitial impurities); line
defects (dislocations); plane defects (grain boundaries).

 Single phase and multi-phase materials; solid solutions and intermediate phases;
equilibrium diagrams; some important commercial alloy systems.

 Deformation in solids: Elastic deformation, plastic deformation and motion of

dislocations.

 Properties of materials: Mechanical properties; thermal properties; electrical

properties; magnetic properties; optical properties.
Textbooks

1) Callister Jr, W. D., & Rethwisch, D. G. (2020). Materials science and engineering: an
introduction. 10th edition. John wiley & sons.

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2) Schaffer, J.P., Saxena, A., Antolovich, S.D., Sanders, T., Warner, S.B., 1995. The science
and design of engineering materials. Irwin Chicago.

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INTRODUCTION

Materials form the bedrock of all technological progress. A society’s ability to innovate and
utilize materials effectively reflects its level of technical sophistication and its capacity for
future development. From electronics and healthcare to transportation and construction,
virtually every aspect of modern life is deeply influenced by the discovery, development, and
application of materials. As the world advances toward a more sustainable and
technologically complex future, materials science plays an increasingly vital role in
addressing global challenges and enhancing quality of life.

Throughout history, the trajectory of human civilization has been closely tied to the
materials it mastered. The archaeological three age system, which classifies human progress
into the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age, illustrates how breakthroughs in material
development have marked major milestones in societal evolution. These periods, beginning
around 2.5 million BC, 3500 BC, and 1000 BC respectively, represent transformative eras,
each propelled by the discovery and application of new materials with superior properties.
Early humans depended on naturally available materials like stone, wood, clay, and animal
hides. Gradually, they learned to manipulate and improve these substances, laying the
foundation for early material science. In the modern era, scientific and technological
advancements have enabled a deep understanding of the relationship between the structure
and properties of materials. This knowledge has empowered researchers to design and
engineer tens of thousands of materials with tailored properties to meet the growing
demands of society.

Today, materials development is advancing at an unprecedented pace and is recognized as a

key enabler of innovation across all engineering disciplines. As a result, engineers must
possess a deeper awareness of material behavior and potential than ever before. A solid
grasp of material structures, properties, and the effects of various processing techniques is
essential. This expertise is critical to harnessing advanced materials for solving complex
engineering problems and driving the next wave of technological breakthroughs.

 Material science is the investigation of the relationship among processing,

structure, properties, and performance of materials.

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https://msestudent.com/what-is-materials-science-tetrahedron-paradigm/

 Processing affects the structure of a material; the structure affects the properties, and
the properties affect the performance.
 To produce a material with a certain performance, there is a need to obtain a set of
properties by tailoring the structure through processing.

Structure
The structure of a material typically refers to the arrangement of its internal components.
This structure can be studied at various levels:

 Subatomic structure

Subatomic structure refers to the

arrangement of protons, neutrons,
and electrons within an atom.
It involves the interactions of
electrons with their nuclei.

 Atomic structure
This involves the organization of
atoms or molecules relative to one
another

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  Microscopic structure
This involves arrangement and
organization of groups of atoms and
molecules or grains within a material,
observable only through microscopes.

 Macroscopic structure

Refers to the large-scale

arrangement of components in a
material, visible to the naked eye. It
includes features such as shape, size,
and overall form.

Properties

During service, all materials are exposed to various external stimuli, such as mechanical
forces, temperature changes, electrical fields, and chemical environments. The properties of
a material describe its response to these external stimuli.

The following are the key classifications of the properties of materials:

1) Mechanical properties:
 These properties describe a material's response to applied forces.
 Examples include strength, hardness, ductility, toughness, and elasticity.

2) Electrical properties:
 These properties describe the response to an electric field.
 Examples include electrical conductivity, resistivity, dielectric strength, and
permittivity.

3) Thermal properties:
 These properties describe how a material responds to changes in temperature.

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  Examples include thermal conductivity, specific heat, thermal expansion, and
melting point.
4) Magnetic properties:
 These properties describe a material's response to the application of a
magnetic field.
 Examples include magnetic permeability, magnetic hysteresis, magnetization
etc.
5) Optical properties:
 They describe the response of a material to an electromagnetic or light
radiation.
 Examples include refractive index, absorption, reflection, and transmission.
6) Chemical properties:
 These properties describe a material's reactivity and stability in different
chemical environments.
 Examples include corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, and chemical
stability.

Classification of Engineering Materials

Engineering materials are generally classified into four types: metals, ceramics, polymers,
and composites.

1. Metals

 Materials in this group include pure metals (such as Fe, Al, Mg, Zn, Cu) and their alloys
(such as steel, brass, bronze, Al alloys) which are atomic-scale mixtures of different
elements.
 Metals are crystalline, where atoms are arranged in a regular, repeating pattern
throughout the material. This arrangement contributes to their excellent electrical
and thermal conductivity. They are known for their strength, toughness, and ability
to be deformed into complex shapes without breaking.
 These used extensively in various applications, such as automobiles, airplanes,
buildings, bridges, machine tools, ships, and many other structures and devices.

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2. Ceramics
 Ceramics are composed of metallic and nonmetallic elements, often forming
compounds such as oxides, carbides, and nitrides. Examples include aluminum oxide
(Al₂O₃), magnesium oxide (MgO), calcium oxide (CaO), silicon dioxide (SiO₂), silicon
carbide (SiC), and silicon nitride (Si₃N₄).
 Many ceramics are crystalline.
 The bonding in ceramics is primarily ionic and/or covalent, with no free electrons like
those found in metals. As a result, ceramics are generally poor conductors of
electricity. They are known for their exceptional strength, brittleness, resistance to
chemical attack, and high temperature stability.
 These properties make ceramics ideal for use as electrical insulators, containers for
reactive chemicals, and components in high-temperature environments.

3. Polymers
 In Greek ‘poly’ means many and ‘mer’ means unit. Polymers are composed of long-
chain molecules with repeating units. Common elements within the chain backbone
include C, O, N, Si. Example of polyethylene (PE):

Ethylene
monomer
Polyethylene

Polymerization

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  Other examples of polymers are polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate (PC),
polystyrene (PS), and silicone rubber etc.

 Polymers have low strength, low density, and are easily formed into complex shapes.
They tend to soften at moderate temperatures and are chemically inert. They are used
as beverage containers and as piping in plumbing applications.

4. Composites
 A composite is a material produced by combining two or more different materials.
The resulting composite material often exhibits superior properties compared to its
individual components, such as increased strength-to-weight ratio, improved
durability, and resistance to various environmental factors.
 Typically, a composite consists of a matrix (the primary phase) and reinforcement
(the secondary phase). The matrix can be polymer-based, metal-based, or ceramic-
based, while common reinforcements include fibers like glass, carbon, or aramid.
 Based on the matrix type, composites are classified into: polymer matrix composites
(PMC), metal matrix composites (MMC), and ceramic matrix composites (CMC).
 One of the most common examples is fiberglass, or glass fiber reinforced polymer
(GFRP), is a common composite made by embedding glass fibers in a polymer matrix.
The glass fibers provide strength and stiffness, while the polymer adds flexibility and
ductility, resulting in a material that is strong, stiff, yet flexible.

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 Another example is carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite where carbon
fibers are embedded in a polymer. CFRP is generally stiffer and stronger than
fiberglass.

 Other examples of composites include concrete and steel-belted tires etc.

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