What is Material science: Definition and 118 Discussions

The interdisciplinary field of materials science, also commonly termed materials science and engineering, covers the design and discovery of new materials, particularly solids. The intellectual origins of materials science stem from the Enlightenment, when researchers began to use analytical thinking from chemistry, physics, and engineering to understand ancient, phenomenological observations in metallurgy and mineralogy. Materials science still incorporates elements of physics, chemistry, and engineering. 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, and major technical universities around the world created dedicated schools for its study.
Materials scientists emphasize understanding, how the history of a material (processing) influences its structure, and thus the material's properties and performance. 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.

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  1. V

    Engineering Materials Science Introduction Book?

    Specifically, for a high schooler with only basic physics and chemistry knowledge who is interested in the field
  2. M

    Programs Electronics engineering or material science engineering?

    Hello everyone, I'm a sophomore student and I'm a bit confused about deciding my diploma programme. I'm really interested in physics and I don't want to work on a study field which is just full of mechanical things. EE sounds cool because of it's being hard and there are only a few people who...
  3. Dragul

    Will we live in and wear graphene in the near future?

    From what I'm hearing, graphene will change the way we live, work and play. Everything from cars and clothing to workplaces and weaponry will incorporate the stuff. Is this true, the hype of stock promoters or something in between? Which aspects of life will be the most affected by the use of...
  4. JasonSpata

    Solution Potential Witout Electrodes (Pourbaix diagram help)

    http://C:\Users\jason\Desktop\Research Summer 2016\cucl pb.PNG I am currently attempting to use SEA to plate CuCl2- on to the surface of a magneli phase Titanium oxide membrane. I can roughly rationalize the y-axis and how it functions when there is an electrochemical cell (follow OCP), and how...
  5. Quentin_alex

    Chemistry Chemistry, material science, and med school

    Hello, I am currently a materials science major going into my junior year. I recently gained interest in medical school (specifically anesthesiology and radiology) However, I do not know if this is going to be the plan yet for me. I am thinking about changing my major to chemistry, so that I...
  6. G

    Job Skills Becoming a physics consultant?

    Hello, I have a PhD in computational material science and experience using such computational techniques as Density Functional Theory and classical Molecular Dynamics. I would like to pursue a career in the private sector rather than in academia, however I found out the hard way that the...
  7. Ravi Singh choudhary

    Reliability of Upper/lower yield point in tensile test.

    Some metal give two yield point in stress strain diagram. One is called Upper yield point and Lower yield point. Why lower yield point is considered as more reliable. I can think of Upper yield point is much more dependent upon experimental apparatus settings. So why lower yield point is much...
  8. Eddie714

    I in designing a single speed reduction gearbox

    Hello, i am a junior mechanical engineering student and i was given the task of designing (on paper) a gearbox. I chose to design a worm gear single speed reduction gearbox. I know the basics of what composes it which are the worm, worm gear, input and output shaft bearings and the housing the...
  9. J

    Phonons driven at high frequency

    Homework Statement For one-dimensional monatomic crystals, the dispersion plot for phonons has a maximum frequency ωmax. If a driving force oscillates the crystal beyond this frequency, the phonon will no longer propagate and will instead decay as it gets further from the external source of...
  10. D

    Considering MSc in Materials Science or BEng in ChemEng

    Hey everyone, I'm Decky. I have a Degree in Chemistry. Currently working as a Process Technician in the are of API production. I work away from home, only getting back home at the weekends to see my family. I'm considering doing either a Masters in Materials Science or a BEng in Chemical...
  11. Heather

    Material Science Question about Conductivity.

    ZrO2 is an ionic conductor used in automobile engine control systems. At 800oC the mobility of Zr4+ is 0.01m2/V.sec, and of O2- it is 0.04 m2/V.sec., there are 4.5 x 1017 mobile Zr4+ ions/m3, and 2.0 x 1018 mobile O2- ions/m3. What is the conductivity of ZrO2 at this temperature, in S.m-1...
  12. T

    Microchannel Array etching in Stainless Steel Metal Search

    Hi All! Haven't been here for some time, the changes are looking good! Anyway, formalities aside, I am having serious problems sourcing and implementing a suitable stainless steel (Grade: 304; thickness: 0.3mm) substrate for my etching process. I'm currently working on developing a...
  13. S

    What is the job/work related to material science

    Well what I want to ask is that If someone does graduation in material science. SO WHAT kind of job he/she gets.? Infact what is material science what is being studied in this subject.?
  14. P

    [Material Science] Metal foam sandwich to prevent buckling?

    Let's assume for a minute that money was of no concern. If one has a 10 MPa external environment and needs to have vacuumed-out spheres (or 1 atmosphere, close enough to call vacuum) inside of that environment. In particular, I was thinking of a sandwiched lattice of maraging steel, with it's...
  15. A

    Is My Calculation of Bone Composition Accurate?

    Hi everyone, I know this is a standard textbook question but I am really wondering whether I am wrong or not. My solution is shown as below but can anybody please give me some opinion? Cause I think it is too simple for this question...Thank you so much. Water corresponds to approximately 20...
  16. Y

    Need to purchase Single and Bi-crystals of Al-Cu alloy

    Hi All, I'm interested in purchasing Single and Bi-crystals of an Al-Cu alloy but most manufacturers that I've contacted deny saying that they only specialize in making them out of pure metals. Any direction/ advice on how I should proceed. Thanks.
  17. B

    Physical cause of a negative real part of the permittivity

    I originally posted the following question on physics.stackexchange, but no one was able to answer it. I did find this answer on PhysicsForums, but I was already aware of the oscillation of electrons in response to an external electric field. What is the physical cause behind a material having...
  18. T

    Flexible material that quickly dissolves in rubbing alcohol

    Hello! I'm looking for a substance that can: (1) be turned into a flexible material (e.g., a flexible plastic), (2) is dissolveable in rubbing alcohol but not water (or blood), and (3) safe for a medical procedure ... And, if possible, preferably biodegradable... I know that's kind of a...
  19. S

    Switchable Porosity: Can Microporous Materials Be Controlled?

    Is it possible to switch the porosity of any microporous material by external stimuli (eg. optical, pressure or electrical ). I'm trying to imagine something akin to an "Artificial Stomata" where the pore opening & closing Can be externally controlled. I'd be very thankful if someone could...
  20. M

    Concrete and pressure no air nothing more than gravity

    So I'm looking for how tall I could make a tower of concrete, using any reinforcments, in an environment of only gravity starting at sea level. Could it get so tall it'll own gravity would effect it, the moons, or the sun's gravity, or would the bottom give out will before that?
  21. A

    Admissions Material Science vs Condensed Matter PhD & Admission Req

    Hi all again, I started a post earlier and it was buried somewhere by now. I really need more input and information and hope you all can help. How are admission process different, CM vs MS&E? CM belongs to Physics department while MS&E is usually on the engineering side. I got my Physics...
  22. A

    Steps to take after PhD rejections?

    Hi all, thank you for your attention I graduated with a B.S. in Physics just 2 months ago. I went to an American public school with good reputation in Physics. I sent in my applications for the Fall, 2015 Ph.D application cycle last fall. However, I failed to get into any PhD programs, mainly...
  23. ltkach2015

    Resolved Shear Stress VS General Shear Stress -Contradiction?

    TERMS: Slip Plane: is the plane that has the densest atomic packing—that is, has the greatest planar density. Slip Direction: corresponds to the direction in this plane that is most closely packed with atoms—that is, has the highest linear density. NOMENCLATURE: θ = angle of the slip plane as...
  24. ltkach2015

    Resolved Shear Stress Compared w/ Shear Stress-Contradictioni

    TERMS: Slip Plane: is the plane that has the densest atomic packing—that is, has the greatest planar density. Slip Direction: corresponds to the direction in this plane that is most closely packed with atoms—that is, has the highest linear density. TEXTBOOK: Materials Science and Engineering...
  25. Raazi

    Modeling Hydrophobic Interactions

    Hi, I am trying to design or find a simulator for hydrophobic/hydrophilic interactions which can be used in tandem with a multi-objective optimization framework such as Jmetal or etc... I am having trouble determining a generalized approach for modeling the contact angle from younge's equation...
  26. E

    How can I prevent deformation of an ultrathin-walled tube during insertion?

    Designing mechanical system where two concentric tubes will pass through high density membrane. Outer tube will have tapered end .Outer tube will have ultra thin walls (about 0.3-0.5 mm) .Inner tube is more rigid and will fill all space inside outer tube,decreasing chance for deformation of...
  27. L

    What is the biggest challenge to improve white LEDs?

    Here are some of my thoughts: - thermal management of individual LEDs in a RBG system - photon absorption in phosphor coating - exponential decay in intensity - CCT/ CRT?
  28. L

    Which plane of GaN gives an image of dots placed hexagonally

    An electron microscope image of GaN seen in projection shows white dots which correspond to columns of gallium atoms observed in projection. The dots show a hexagonal pattern but there is not a dot in the centre of each hexagonal. No nitrogen atoms are seen in the image. Which plane of this...
  29. S

    Polymerization of acrylamide with K Persulfate without Bis

    Hi! I recently did a lab where my group was to create a polymer via free-radical polymerization. We used acrylamide and potassium persulfate. We DID NOT use bis acrylamide crosslinker ( wasnt in our lab manual for some reason.) I cannot find any web resources that show how acrylamide...
  30. S

    Solid State Chemistry Question Regarding Fermi Energy

    Hi there, I am new to electron theory, and have a question regarding fermi energy. The book I am reading plots the Fermi energy distribuiton function vs Energy for T=0 ( upper right graph in pcture) and for T not equal to zero. The book says that, when T does not equal zero, the decrease in the...
  31. D

    Physics Undergrad to Material Science & Engin. Grad

    I'm an upcoming senior at a small, private college that has a good reputation for science. My major is in physics with a minor in mathematics, but I originally was in biochemistry. My freshman year didn't go so well (2.6 GPA), and I ended up switching to physics my sophomore year. I have a low...
  32. T

    Would like to discuss and idea with a material science engineer

    Hi there! Im new to this forum so pardon me if this is the wrong place to post my question. Basically, I have an idea with regards to doing some modification to phone screens. However, there is no such technology (yet) for this and I have zero knowledge and background pertaining to...
  33. T

    Is material Science & Engineering more science than engineering?

    I'm double majoring in Chemistry / Materials Science & Engineering undergrad and I'm wandering yes it has engineering in the title but it also has Science as well. Is this engineering say more theory based than others? I read descriptions saying it designs metal alloys and everything like...
  34. M

    Entering material science from an engineering background

    Hi! I know that material science lies at the interface of physics and chemistry and that any material scientist must have knowledge of chemistry, quantim mechanics, solid state physics,... The problem I face is that I am quite keen on entering material science with a mechanical engineering...
  35. T

    Material Science Engineering.What is it? Give me a good description.

    So at the college I'm in I'm a freshman Chemistry + (any) Engineering major (don't have to decide on what kind yet). I was set on going Chemistry + Biochemical engineering but when I went to my adviser he told me maybe think of becoming a Material Science Engineer. He said something along the...
  36. F

    Material Science: Monovacancy Concentration

    Homework Statement The Monovacancy formation energy of a metal is 80 kJ/mol. Hence the monovacancy concentration (CV) at 25 degrees celsius is about: A)1.3x10^-13 B)9.5x10^-15 C).9 D)5x10^15 The Attempt at a Solution I know the answer is B but I don't know how to get to that. I...
  37. M

    Is there such a thing as computational Material Science?

    I was wondering because I'm interested in getting a Materials science graduate degree, but was wondering if my options would be limited to experimental work. What sort of work would comp. materials science involve? My rough guess would be creating models/simulations of materials as opposed to...
  38. X

    Engineering Nuclear Engineering/ Material Science and Engineering

    Hi everyone, I plan to major in nuclear engineering and material science and engineering. What field of study can I integrate both disciplines? Which field in nuclear engineering is currently most active? Thank you,
  39. V

    Popular science books in Material Science

    Hello, I am looking to read up on some popular science kind of books on Materials Science and Engineering. Something on the lines of "future of materials" or "materials of the future". Does anyone have any recommendations? Thanks
  40. S

    PhD in physics: computational material science

    Source: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden, Germany The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Physics of Solids in Dresden, Germany, offers excellent research possibilities for students to obtain a PhD degree in a three-year graduate program in collaboration with the...
  41. G

    Where can i know what conference related to material science can be found?

    where can i know what conference related to material science can be found? as topic
  42. V

    Material Science career prospects?

    Hi. I'm about to pick my undergraduate degree and I can't decide on the engineering course I want. I was thinking of applying for a BEng in Material Science or Material Engineering but I'm not too sure about the job prospects for a degree in these subjects. Can anyone here tell me if picking...
  43. 1

    Material science: Imperfections in solids

    Determine the number of vacancies per cm^3 needed for a BCC iron crystal to have a density of 7.87 g/cm^3. The lattice parameter of the iron is 2.866x10^-8 cm and the atomic weight of the iron is 55.847 g/mol. Given: Avogradro's number, N=6.022x10^23 atoms/mol Help please? i have no idea how...
  44. F

    What are the unit vectors of slip for FCC and BCC materials?

    Hey guys I have a few questions to ask: 1.) Why are materials whose yield stresses are highly strain-rate dependent more susceptible to brittle fractures than those materials whose yield stresses do not exhibit marked strain-rate dependence? 2.) How would you define 'toughness' in the case...
  45. M

    [Material Science] Thin Walled Cylinders & Yield Criterion

    Homework Statement A long cylindrical boiler shell is 1.75 m in diameter and has a wall thickness of 12 mm. Treating the boiler as a thing shell, predict what internal pressures will produce yield in the shell according to the: (a) Rankine, (b) Max. Principal Strain, (c) Tresca and (d) Von...
  46. M

    Material Science- x-ray diffraction and metal densities

    Homework Statement Consider a metal with an BCC crystal structure and atomic weight 92.91. When monochromatic x-radiation having a wavelength of 0.14 nm is used, the angle of diffraction (2*theta) for the (211) set of planes in this metal occurs at 41.148 ° (first-order reflection)...
  47. T

    Podcast about Material Science that maybe of interest.

    Thought this podcast may be of interest to you guys. It's from Boise State's (where I went to school and work with now) Beyond the Blue program, which is a podcast series that spotlights various academics from the university. This one is from Amy Moll, who is a professor of material science...
  48. C

    Material science: Different properties of allotropic phosphorus

    I´m doing a little research on allotropic materials and decided to go with phosphorus... I chose white beta phosphorus, black phosphorus and red phosphorus. first question: since red phosphorus is not a crystalline solid but an amorphous solid, would you include it as an allotrope...
  49. Femme_physics

    What is the Relationship Between Nucleus Size and Material Strength?

    Material Science Questions... I finally got to exercise a bit of material science. I'd like to know whether what I'm saying correct or no. I also ran into two issues with Brinell's hardness calculations and SEA chart. I'd appreciate feedback! :) 1) Decreasing the size of the nucleus causes...
  50. B

    Is Glass Viscosity Dependent on Temperature?

    Is it true that the viscosity of a glass is a function of its temperature. Yes or No? Thanks
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