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Material Science

Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates elements of applied physics and chemistry. With significant media attention focused on nanoscience and nanotechnology in recent years, materials science has been propelled to the forefront at many universities. It is also an important part of forensic engineering and failure analysis. Materials science also deals with fundamental properties and characteristics of materials.

Classes of materials

Materials science encompasses various classes of materials, each of which may constitute a separate field. There are several ways to classify materials. For instance, the type of bonding between the atoms. The traditional groups are ceramics, metals and polymers based on atomic structure and chemical composition. New materials have resulted in more classes.

One way of classifying materials is:

i. Biomaterials, ii. Carbon, iii. Ceramics, iv. Composite materials, v. Glass, vi. Metals, vii. Nanomaterials, viii. Polymers, ix. Refractory, x. Semiconductors, xi. Thin Films, xii. Functionally Graded Materials

Materials in industry

Radical materials advances can drive the creation of new products or even new industries, but stable industries also employ materials scientists to make incremental improvements and troubleshoot issues with currently used materials. Industrial applications of materials science include materials design, cost-benefit tradeoffs in industrial production of materials, processing techniques (casting, rolling, welding, ion implantation, crystal growth, thin-film deposition, sintering, glassblowing, etc.), and analytical techniques (characterization techniques such as electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, calorimetry, nuclear microscopy (HEFIB), Rutherford backscattering, neutron diffraction, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), etc.).

Besides material characterization, the material scientist/engineer also deals with the extraction of materials and their conversion into useful forms. Thus ingot casting, foundry techniques, blast furnace extraction, and electrolytic extraction are all part of the required knowledge of a metallurgist/engineer. Often the presence, absence or variation of minute quantities of secondary elements and compounds in a bulk material will have a great impact on the final properties of the materials produced, for instance, steels are classified based on 1/10 and 1/100 weight percentages of the carbon and other alloying elements they contain. Thus, the extraction and purification techniques employed in the extraction of iron in the blast furnace will have an impact of the quality of steel that may be produced.

Advanced Materials

These are materials used in High-Tech devices those operate based on relatively intricate and sophisticated principles (e.g. computers, air/space-crafts, electronic gadgets, etc.). These materials are either traditional materials with enhanced properties or newly developed materials with high-performance capabilities. Hence these are relatively expensive. Typical applications: integrated circuits, lasers, LCDs, fibre optics, thermal protection for space shuttle, etc. Examples: Metallic foams, inter-metallic compounds, multi-component alloys, magnetic alloys, special ceramics and high temperature materials, etc.

Future Materials

Group of new and state-of-the-art materials now being developed, and expected to have significant influence on present-day technologies, especially in the fields of medicine, manufacturing and defence. Smart/Intelligent material system consists some type of sensor (detects an input) and an actuator (performs responsive and adaptive function). Actuators may be called upon to change shape, position, natural frequency, mechanical characteristics in response to changes in temperature, electric/magnetic fields, moisture, pH, etc.

Four types of materials used as actuators: Shape memory alloys, Piezo-electric ceramics, Magnetostrictive materials, Electro-/Magneto-rheological fluids. Materials / Devices used as sensors: Optical fibres, Piezo-electric materials, Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), etc.

Typical applications: By incorporating sensors, actuators and chip processors into system, researchers are able to stimulate biological human-like behaviour; Fibres for bridges, buildings, and wood utility poles; They also help in fast moving and accurate robot parts, high speed helicopter rotor blades; Actuators that control chatter in precision machine tools; Small microelectronic circuits in machines ranging from computers to photolithography prints; Health monitoring detecting the success or failure of a product.

Modern Materials needs

Though there has been tremendous progress over the decades in the field of materials science and engineering, innovation of new technologies, and need for better performances of existing technologies demands much more from the materials field. More over it is evident that new materials/technologies are needed to be environmental friendly. Some typical needs, thus, of modern materials needs are listed in the following:

i. Engine efficiency increases at high temperatures: requires high temperature structural materials

ii. Use of nuclear energy requires solving problem with residues, or advances in nuclear waste processing.

iii. Hypersonic flight requires materials that are light, strong and resist high temperatures.

iv. Optical communications require optical fibres that absorb light negligibly.

v. Civil construction – materials for unbreakable windows.

vi. Structures: materials that are strong like metals and resist corrosion like plastics.