A relatively unpopular engineering major
Most people do not even know what
Materials Science is.
Materials Engineers Can
- try to discover new materials
- select the right material for any given job
- test materials to determine their properties
- do failure analysis in order to determine why something broke, burnt out, or otherwise stopped working
- develop manufacturing processes for stubborn materials
- develop processing methods to improve the properties of
known materials
Most materials science and engineering majors get a lot of
physical chemistry rammed down their throats.
The most overtaught topics are usually
phase diagrams,
crystallography, and
diffusion.
Most materials science programs offer courses in
Metallurgy,
solid state physics,
chemical engineering,
physical chemistry, and
ceramic engineering are the parent fields of materials science and engineering.
Materials science and engineering majors are generally instructed in the use of
ASTM standards for materials testing are often taught to Materials Science and Engineering students.
Materials are generally divided into several categories.
Metals
Ceramics
Electronic Materials
Biomaterials
Composites
and
Polymers
Fun to read books about materials science include
- The Substance of Civilization, by Stephen L. Sass
- Made to Measure, by Philip Ball
- The New Science of Strong Materials or Why You don't Fall Through the Floor, by James Gordon
- Molecules at an Exhibition, by John Emsley
Some Key Materials Science Concepts
Some Materials Worth Knowing About