INTRODUCTION TO

MATERIAL SCIENCE
Book: Material science & engineering: an introduction by William D. Callister (7th /8th Ed)

Nabeela Noor
Lecturer Physics
GFC(W), Peshawar.
INTRODUCTION to materials
Aluminum Can
(Metal)

Glass Bottles
(Ceramic)

Plastic Bottles
(Polymer)
HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
• Eras named after materials, that are used extensively e.g, Stone age, Bronze age,
Iron age etc.
• Properties of materials can be altered by two means
1. Heat treatment
2. Adding other materials

Comfort is possible with the accessibility of different materials

e.g. automobiles would not be possible with the availability of inexpensive steel or
emerging of technology without semiconductors is not possible
MATERIAL SCIENCE & MATERIAL
ENGINEERING
Material Science is the study of properties of Material and how these
properties are related to composition and structure of materials.
Material engineering is designing or engineering the structure of a
material to produce a predetermined set of properties.

Role of a materials scientist is to Develop or Synthesize New Materials,

whereas a materials engineer Creates New Products or Systems using
existing materials, and/or to develop techniques for processing materials
COMPONENTS OF MATERIAL SCIENCE &
ENGINEERING
i. Structure
ii. Property
iii. Processing
iv. Performance
Structure of Material
Structure of material is the arrangement of internal components.
Following are the realms of structure
• Subatomic structure involves electrons within the individual atoms and
interactions with their nuclei.
• On an atomic level, structure encompasses the organization of atoms or
molecules relative to one another.
• Large groups of atoms that are normally agglomerated together, is termed
“microscopic,” meaning that which is subject to direct observation using some
type of microscope.
• Finally, structural elements that may be viewed with the naked eye are termed
“macroscopic”
PROPERTY OF A MATERIAL
When material is exposed to external stimuli, it evokes some type of response. For example, a
specimen subjected to forces will experience deformation, or a polished metal surface will reflect light.
A property is a material trait in terms of the kind and magnitude of response to a specific
imposed stimulus. Properties are independent of material shape and size.
All important properties of solid materials may be grouped into six different categories:
i. Mechanical properties relate deformation to an applied force; examples include elastic modulus
and strength.
ii. For electrical properties, such as electrical conductivity and dielectric constant, the stimulus is an
electric field.
iii. The thermal behavior of solids can be represented in terms of heat capacity and thermal
conductivity.
iv. Magnetic properties demonstrate the response of a material to the application of a magnetic field.
v. For optical properties, the stimulus is electromagnetic or light radiation; index of refraction and
reflectivity are optical properties.
vi. Finally, deteriorative characteristics relate to the chemical reactivity of materials
PROCESSING & PERFORMANCE
With regard to the relationships of these four components, the structure
of a material will depend on how it is processed. Furthermore, a
material’s performance will be a function of its properties. This relation is
depicted as
Processing Structure Properties Performance

-Aluminum Oxide being transparent, translucent & Opaque depending

on its processing type
? Why do we study material science & engineering
CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS
1. Metals
2. Ceramics
3. Polymers
4. Composites

** this scheme is based on chemical composition & atomic structure of

materials
METALS
• Composition: One or more Metal ( Fe, Al, Cu, Ti, Au, Ni) & small amount
of Non metal (C, N, O)
• Orderly Atoms Arrangement
• High Density
• Mechanical Properties: Stiff & Strong but ductile, resistant to fracture
• Electrical Properties: Non localized electrons thus good conductors of
electricity
• Thermal Properties: Conductors of heat
• Optical Properties: Not transparent to light and have lustrous appearance
• Magnetic Properties: Fe, Co, Ni
Examples
CERAMICS
• Compounds between Metals & Non metals
• Compounds of Oxides, Nitrides and Carbides
• Examples: Al2O3, SiO2, SiC, Si3N4, traditional ceramics like clay (porcelain),
cement, glass etc.
• Mechanical Properties: Stiff & Strong, hard, Brittle, susceptible to fracture
• Electrical properties: Insulators to electricity
• Thermal Properties: Insulators to heat, resistant to high temperature & harsh
environment
• Optical Properties: Transparent, translucent, & Opaque
• Magnetic Properties: Some Oxides (Fe2O3) shows magnetic nature
Examples
POLYMERS
• Include Plastic & Rubber Materials
• Organic Compounds based on Carbon, Hydrogen and other non-metals (O, N, Si)
• Large molecular structure and chain-like in nature with C-atom as backbone
• Examples: Polyethylene (PE), Nylon, Poly(vinyl Chloride) (PVC), PolyCarbonate(PC),
PolyStyrene (PS), and Silicone rubber
• Low Density
• Mechanical Properties: Soft, ductile, & pliable (plastic)
• Chemical Properties: Inert
• Thermal Properties: Soften at high temperatures (a major drawback)
• Electrical Properties: Low conductivity
• Non Magnetic in nature
Examples
COMPOSITES
• Composed of two or more individual materials from categories discussed earlier
• Purpose: to incorporate the best characteristics of each of single component
materials
• Some are naturally occurring (e.g. wood and bone) other are synthetic
• Fibreglass: glass fibers embedded in polymeric material (e.g. epoxy or polyester).
It is strong, stiff (also brittle) & ductile, flexible. Also has low density
• Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP): Carbon fibers embedded in polymer.
It is more stiffer and stronger than Fibre glass but are expensive. It is used in
aircrafts and aerospace applications and high speeds games.
Bar-chart of room temperature Density
Bar-chart of room temperature Stiffness
Bar-chart of room temperature Strength
Bar-chart of room temperature fracture toughness
Bar-chart of room temperature electrical conductivity
Material of Importance
• Read Carbonated Beverage Containers
Advanced materials
• Materials used in high technology
• Traditional materials whose properties are advanced or new materials
• Materials of Future (Smart materials)
• High performance
• Expensive
• Semiconductors & Biomaterials
Semiconductors
• Conductivity lies between conductors(metals) and insulators (ceramics
& polymers)
• Conductivity changes with doping
• Caused revolution with help of ICs
Biomaterials
• Employed in components that are implanted in human body for
replacement of damaged or diseased body part
• Non-toxic and compatible with human body tissues
• Examples: metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, semiconductors all
are used as biomaterials
Materials of future (smart materials)
• These materials are able to sense changes in their environment and then respond to these changes in
predetermined manners—a trait of living organism
• Components of a smart material:
1. Sensor 2. Actuator
• Devices employed as sensors include optical fibers, piezoelectric materials (including some polymers), and
microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)
• Actuators change shape, position, natural frequency, or mechanical characteristics in response to changes
in temperature, electric fields, or magnetic fields.
• Four types of materials are commonly used for actuators: shape-memory alloys, piezoelectric ceramics,
magnetostrictive materials, and electrorheological/magnetorheological fluids.
• Shape-memory alloys metals revert back to their original shape when temperature is changed. Piezoelectric
ceramics generate an electric field when their dimensions are altered. The behavior of magnetostrictive
materials is analogous to that of the piezoelectrics, except that they are responsive to magnetic fields. Also,
electrorheological and magnetorheological fluids are liquids experience dramatic changes in viscosity upon
the application of electric and magnetic fields, respectively.
• One type of smart system is used in helicopters to reduce aerodynamic cockpit noise that is created by the
rotating rotor blades. Piezoelectric sensors inserted into the blades monitor blade stresses and
deformations; feedback signals from these sensors are fed into a computer-controlled adaptive device,
which generates noise-canceling antinoise.
Materials of future
(Nanoengineered materials)
• Nanomaterials may be any one of the four basic types—metals, ceramics, polymers, and
composites
• Not distinguished on the basis of their chemistry, but rather, size; the nano-prefix denotes that
the dimensions of these structures to 10–9 m (Range: less than 100 nm)
• “Top-down” Approach
• Scanning Probe Microscopes & “Bottom-up” Approach
• The study of the properties of these materials is termed Nanotechnology
• Some of the physical and chemical characteristics exhibited by matter may experience dramatic
changes as particle size approaches atomic dimensions. For example, materials that are opaque
in the macroscopic domain may become transparent on the nanoscale; some solids become
liquids, chemically stable materials become combustible, and electrical insulators become
conductors.
• Because of these unique and unusual properties, nanomaterials are finding niches in electronic,
biomedical, sporting, energy production, and other industrial applications
• Unexplored Safety of nanomaterials with human body
Modern Materials’ need
• Read