Chapter 1
Introduction
The University of Jordan
Chemical Engineering Department
First Semester 2022
Prof. Yousef Mubarak
Outlines
What is materials science?
Structure, Processing, & Properties
Types of Materials
The Materials Selection Process
Materials Properties
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Materials Science
What is materials science?
Materials science or materials engineering is an interdisciplinary
field involving the properties of matter and its applications to
various areas of science and engineering.
This science investigates the relationship between the structure of
materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic
properties.
Materials drive our society
Stone Age - Bronze Age - Iron Age
Now? Silicon Age? Polymer Age?
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Metal Reactivity
The reactivity is a measure of
the ease of compound formation
and stability (i.e., the more
reactive the metal, the more
readily the metal forms a stable
compound as an example with
oxygen or sulfur, and therefore,
the greater the compound
stability, the more difficult it is
to reduce the compound to the
metal).
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The least reactive metals such as gold, silver and copper have been
used for the past 10000 years because the pure metal was found
naturally.
Moderately reactive metals like copper, iron, lead, tin have been
extracted using carbon-based smelting for the past 2000–3000 years.
It is only in the last 200 years that very reactive metals like sodium
or aluminum have been extracted by electrolysis.
Our exploitation of metal mineral resources as developed and
expanded as the technology of metal extraction has also developed
and improved.
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Example – Hip Implant
With age or certain illnesses joints deteriorate.
Particularly those with large loads (such as hip).
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Requirements
Mechanical strength (many
cycles)
Good lubricity
Biocompatibility
Light weight
Machinability
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Key problems to overcome
Fixation agent to hold
acetabular cup.
Cup lubrication material.
Femoral stem – fixing agent
(“glue”).
Must avoid any debris in cup.
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Structure, Processing,& Properties
Properties depend on structure:
ex: hardness vs structure of steel
Processing can change structure:
ex: structure vs cooling rate of steel
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Types of Materials
1. Metals
Strong, ductile
High thermal & electrical conductivity
Opaque, reflective.
2. Polymers/plastics
Covalent bonding
Soft, ductile, low strength, low density
Thermal & electrical insulators
Optically translucent or transparent.
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3. Ceramics
Ionic bonding (refractory)
Compounds of metallic & non-metallic elements (oxides,
carbides, nitrides, sulfides)
Brittle, glassy
Elastic non-conducting (insulators)
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The Materials Selection Process
1. Pick application
Determine required Properties.
Properties: mechanical, electrical, thermal, magnetic, optical, and
deteriorative.
2. Properties
Identify candidate materials
Material: structure, composition
3. Material
Identify required Processing
Processing: changes structure and overall shape
Ex: casting, sintering, vapor deposition, doping, forming, joining, and annealing.
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ELECTRICAL
Electrical Resistivity of
Copper:
Adding “impurity” atoms
to Cu increases
resistivity.
Deforming Cu increases
resistivity.
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THERMAL
Shuttle Tiles:
Silica fiber insulation
offers low heat
conduction.
Thermal Conductivity of Copper:
It decreases when you add
zinc.
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MAGNETIC
Magnetic Storage:
Recording medium is
magnetized by recording
head.
Magnetic Permeability
Adding 3 % Si makes
Fe a better recording
medium
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OPTICAL
Transmittance:
Aluminum oxide may
be transparent,
translucent, or opaque
depending on the
material structure.
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DETERIORATIVE
Stress & Saltwater: Heat treatment:
causes cracks slows crack speed in salt
water.
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