Materials engineering studies the relationship between a material internal structure, from its atomic bonding and crystal structure up to its microstructure, and its resulting properties, then applies that understanding to select, process and design materials, metals, ceramics, polymers and composites, for specific engineering purposes. It draws on chemistry, physics and mechanical engineering, and underlies advances from stronger steels and aerospace alloys to semiconductors, ceramics and modern composite materials such as carbon fiber and Kevlar.
Facts
Core ConcernThe relationship between a material structure, processing and properties, and the engineering selection and design of metals, ceramics, polymers and composites. 1 Core PrincipleMaterials engineering is organized around a single chain of causation: how a material is processed determines its internal structure, that structure determines its properties, and those properties in turn control how the material performs in service. 2 Disputed
Origin YearNorthwestern University created one of the first departments explicitly named materials science and engineering in the late 1950s, as metallurgy departments broadened their scope during a period of expanded research funding. FAQs
Is materials engineering the same as metallurgical engineering?
Metallurgical engineering is a specialization within materials engineering focused specifically on metals, extracting them from ore and controlling their structure through smelting, alloying, casting, forging and heat treatment. Materials engineering is the broader field, covering metals as well as ceramics, polymers, composites and semiconductors, studying how any material's processing and internal structure determine its properties and guiding engineers on which material fits a given design.
Connections
Associated With
Developed the lithium cobalt oxide cathode chemistry that made the modern lithium-ion battery practical.
Developed movable type using fired clay characters, an early ceramic materials innovation.
Carbon Fiber, Materials Prized for its high strength-to-weight ratio in aerospace and structural applications.
Duralumin, Materials An early aluminum alloy developed for strength-critical aircraft structures.
Invar, Materials A low-expansion alloy engineered for dimensional stability in precision instruments.
Identified the cathode materials that made rechargeable lithium-ion batteries practical.
The cathode material that made rechargeable lithium-ion batteries practical.
Invented the first working lithium battery, foundational to modern battery materials science.
Reactor design depends on radiation-resistant structural and shielding materials, a materials engineering concern.
Source American Nuclear Society, About (ans.org)American Nuclear Society
Includes
Source Heat treating, Wikipedia
Source Hugh Bradner (Wikipedia)
Source Induction Furnace (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Injection molding machine (Wikipedia)
Source Invar (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Lithium Cobalt Oxide (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Lustreware (Wikipedia)
Source Majolica (Wikipedia)
Source US Patent 3142599, Method for making laminated cushioning material (Marc A. Chavannes)
Source Maurice Ward (Wikipedia article)
Source Nickel (Royal Society of Chemistry Periodic Table)
Source Open-Hearth Furnace (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Paul Heroult (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Pencil (Wikipedia)
Source Peter C. Schultz (National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee page)
Source Physical vapor deposition, Wikipedia
Source Porcelain, Wikipedia
Source Post-it Note (Wikipedia)
Source Powder metallurgy (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Puddling (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Out of autoclave composite manufacturing (Wikipedia)
Source Robert D. Maurer (National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee page)
Source Wikipedia: Robert Durrer
Source Shape-memory alloy (Wikipedia)
Source Sherard Osborn Cowper-Coles (Wikipedia)
Source Spray forming, Wikipedia
Source Starlite (Wikipedia)
Source Stephanie Kwolek (Britannica)
Source Steven Van Slyke (Wikipedia)
Source Lithium-ion Battery (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Unbreakable glass (Wikipedia)
Source Wetsuit (Wikipedia)
Source William G. Pfann (Wikipedia article)
Showing 51 to 100 of 103 in Includes, page 2 of 3.
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Sources
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica editors, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.View the Source 2. Materials Science (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIntroduction section
Processing determines structure, structure determines properties, and properties ultimately control the performance of a material in service.
Lead section, opening definition of materials engineering
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field concerned with understanding the relationships between the structure of materials and their properties and using this knowledge to design materials for specific applications.
- In Group: Materials and Metallurgical Engineering
View the Source Stephanie Kwolek (Britannica)
Includes: Stephanie Kwolek
American Nuclear Society, About (ans.org)
American Nuclear Society, American Nuclear SocietyAssociated With: Nuclear EngineeringView the Source Lithium Cobalt Oxide (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Lithium Cobalt OxideView the Source Invar (Wikipedia)
Nickel (Royal Society of Chemistry Periodic Table)
Robert D. Maurer (National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee page)
Includes: Robert D. Maurer, Inductee pageQuote, Includes: Robert D. Maurer, Inductee page
Corning Glass researchers Robert D. Maurer, Donald Keck, and Peter Schultz developed fiber-optic wire
View the Source Donald B. Keck (National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee page)
Includes: Donald B. Keck, Inductee pageQuote, Includes: Donald B. Keck, Inductee page
Keck, Maurer, and Schultz discovered that they could transmit sound in the form of light along a fiber of silica glass
View the Source Peter C. Schultz (National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee page)
Includes: Peter C. Schultz, Inductee pageQuote, Includes: Peter C. Schultz, Inductee page
The optical fiber produced by this team was based on pure silica glass and a unique method of vaporization.
View the Source William G. Pfann (Wikipedia article)
Includes: William G. Pfann, LeadQuote, Includes: William G. Pfann, Lead
an inventor and materials scientist with Bell Labs
View the Source Maurice Ward (Wikipedia article)
Includes: Maurice Ward, LeadQuote, Includes: Maurice Ward, Lead
best known for his invention of Starlite, a thermal shielding material
View the Source Hugh Bradner (Wikipedia)
Includes: Hugh Bradner, LeadQuote, Includes: Hugh Bradner, Lead
credited with inventing the neoprene wetsuit
View the Source Pencil (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Pencil, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Pencil, Categories
Visual arts materials
View the Source Chemical vapor deposition (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Chemical Vapor Deposition, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Chemical Vapor Deposition, Categories
Coatings
View the Source Physical vapor deposition, Wikipedia
Includes: Physical Vapor Deposition, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Physical Vapor Deposition, Categories
Coatings
View the Source Powder metallurgy (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Powder Metallurgy, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Powder Metallurgy, Categories
Ceramic engineering
View the Source Porcelain, Wikipedia
Includes: Porcelain, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Porcelain, Categories
Ceramic materials
View the Source Glassblowing (Wikipedia)
Includes: Glassblowing, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Glassblowing, Categories
Glass fabrication techniques
View the Source Starlite (Wikipedia)
Includes: Starlite, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Starlite, Categories
Biomaterials
View the Source Lustreware (Wikipedia)
Includes: Lustreware, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Lustreware, Categories
Ceramic glazes
View the Source Celadon (Wikipedia)
Includes: Celadon, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Celadon, Categories
Ceramic glazes
View the Source Majolica (Wikipedia)
Includes: Majolica, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Majolica, Categories
Ceramic glazes
View the Source 3D Printing (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Additive Manufacturing, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Additive Manufacturing, Lead section
It can be done in a variety of processes in which material is deposited, joined or solidified under computer control, with the material being added together (e.g. plastics, liquids, or powder grains being fused), typically layer by layer.
View the Source Heat treating, Wikipedia
Includes: Heat Treatment, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Heat Treatment, Lead section
Heat treating (or heat treatment) is a group of industrial, thermal and metalworking processes used to alter the physical, and sometimes chemical properties of a material.
View the Source Electric Arc Furnace (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Electric Arc Furnace, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Electric Arc Furnace, Lead section
An electric arc furnace (EAF) is a furnace that heats material by means of an electric arc.
View the Source Spray forming, Wikipedia
Includes: Spray Forming, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Spray Forming, Lead section
In spray forming, an alloy is melted, normally in an induction furnace, and the molten metal is slowly poured through a conical tundish into a small-bore ceramic nozzle.
View the Source Injection molding machine (Wikipedia)
Includes: Injection Molding Machine, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Injection Molding Machine, Lead section
An injection molding machine (spelled injection moulding machine in British English), or injection press, is a machine for manufacturing plastic products by the injection molding process.
View the Source Out of autoclave composite manufacturing (Wikipedia)
Includes: Resin Transfer Molding, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Resin Transfer Molding, Lead section
Out of autoclave composite manufacturing is an alternative to the traditional high pressure autoclave (industrial) curing process commonly used by the aerospace manufacturers for manufacturing composite material.
View the Source Flexible glass (Wikipedia)
Includes: Flexible Glass, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Flexible Glass, Lead section
Flexible glass is an alleged lost invention from the time of the reign of Tiberius Caesar.
View the Source Unbreakable glass (Wikipedia)
Includes: Unbreakable glass, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Unbreakable glass, Lead section
Unbreakable glass is glass, or glass substitute, which does not display the normal fragility of glass, in general the term is not used to refer to something that is absolutely unbreakable.
View the Source LK-99 (Wikipedia)
Includes: LK-99, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: LK-99, Lead section
A team from Korea University led by Lee Sukbae (이석배) and Kim Ji-Hoon (김지훈) began studying this material as a potential superconductor in 1999, and in July 2023 published preprints claiming that it acted as a room-temperature superconductor at temperatures of up to 400 K (127 °C; 260 °F) at ambient pressure.
View the Source Lithium-ion Battery (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: The Lithium-Ion Battery, IntroductionQuote, Includes: The Lithium-Ion Battery, Introduction
There are many different varieties, which are usually categorized by the materials used in the cathode.
View the Source Dan Shechtman - Wikipedia
Includes: Dan Shechtman, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Dan Shechtman, Introduction
Dan Shechtman (Hebrew: דן שכטמן; born January 24, 1941) is an Israeli chemist, the Philip Tobias Professor of Materials Science at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, an Associate of the US Department of Energy's Ames National Laboratory, and Professor of Materials Science at Iowa State University.
View the Source Alfred Krupp - Wikipedia
Includes: Alfred Krupp, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Alfred Krupp, Introduction
Alfred Krupp (born Alfried Felix Alwyn Krupp; 26 April 1812-14 July 1887) was a German steel manufacturer and inventor, and also the largest arms supplier of his era, which earned him the nickname "The Cannon King".
View the Source Cold Working (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Cold Working, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Cold Working, Introduction
In metallurgy, cold forming or cold working is any metalworking process in which metal is shaped below its recrystallization temperature, usually at the ambient temperature at or near room temperature.
View the Source Electric Battery (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Electric Battery, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Electric Battery, Introduction
Primary (single-use or "disposable") batteries are used once and discarded, as the electrode materials are irreversibly changed during discharge; a common example is the alkaline battery used for flashlights and a multitude of portable electronic devices.
View the Source Barbed Wire (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Barbed Wire, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Barbed Wire, Introduction
Barbed wire is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands.
View the Source Adhesive tape (Wikipedia)
Includes: Adhesive Tape, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Adhesive Tape, Introduction
Adhesive tape is one of many varieties of backing materials coated with an adhesive.
View the Source Puddling (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Puddling Furnace, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Puddling Furnace, Introduction
Puddling is the process of converting pig iron to bar (wrought) iron in a coal fired reverberatory furnace.
View the Source Continuous Casting (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Continuous Casting Machine, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Continuous Casting Machine, Introduction
Continuous casting, also called strand casting, is the process whereby molten metal is solidified into a "semifinished" billet, bloom, or slab for subsequent rolling in the finishing mills.
View the Source Induction Furnace (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Induction Furnace, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Induction Furnace, Introduction
An induction furnace is an electrical furnace in which the heat is applied by induction heating of metal.
View the Source Cupola Furnace (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Cupola Furnace, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Cupola Furnace, Introduction
A cupola or cupola furnace is a melting device used in foundries that can be used to melt cast iron, Ni-resist iron and some bronzes.
View the Source Open-Hearth Furnace (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Open-Hearth Furnace, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Open-Hearth Furnace, Introduction
An open-hearth furnace is any of several kinds of industrial furnace in which excess carbon and other impurities are burnt out of pig iron to produce steel.
View the Source Shape-memory alloy (Wikipedia)
Includes: Shape Memory Alloy, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Shape Memory Alloy, Introduction
In metallurgy, a shape-memory alloy (SMA) is an alloy that can be deformed when cold but returns to its pre-deformed ("remembered") shape when heated.
View the Source Cervelliere (Wikipedia)
Includes: Cervelliere, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Cervelliere, Introduction
A cervelliere (cervelière, cervelliera; Latin: cervellerium, cerebrarium, cerebrerium, cerebotarium) is a hemispherical, close-fitting skull cap of steel or iron.
View the Source Blue and white pottery (Wikipedia)
Includes: Blue and White Pottery, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Blue and White Pottery, Introduction
This technique was transmitted to Europe during the Arab conquest of Spain and North Africa and is also believed to have influenced Chinese ceramics through the activities of Muslim traders.
View the Source Delftware (Wikipedia)
Includes: Delftware, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Delftware, Introduction
Delftware is one of the types of tin-glazed pottery in which a white glaze is applied and usually decorated with metal oxides.
View the Source Wetsuit (Wikipedia)
Includes: Wetsuit, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Wetsuit, Introduction
The insulation properties of neoprene foam depend mainly on bubbles of gas enclosed within the material, which reduce its ability to conduct heat.
View the Source Post-it Note (Wikipedia)
Includes: Post-it Note, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Post-it Note, Introduction
A low-tack pressure-sensitive adhesive allows the notes to be easily attached, removed, and even re-posted elsewhere without leaving residue.
View the Source Tire (Wikipedia)
Includes: Pneumatic Tire, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Pneumatic Tire, Introduction
The materials of modern pneumatic tires are synthetic rubber, natural rubber, fabric, and wire, along with carbon black and other chemical compounds.
View the Source Wikipedia: Robert Durrer
Includes: Robert Durrer, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Robert Durrer, Introduction
Robert Durrer (1890-1978) was a Swiss engineer who invented the basic oxygen steelmaking process (the Linz-Donawitz process, named after the towns where the technology was commercialized).
View the Source Wikipedia: Carl Josef Bayer
Includes: Carl Josef Bayer, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Carl Josef Bayer, Introduction
In the mid-19th-century, aluminium was so precious that a bar of the metal was exhibited alongside the French Crown Jewels at the Exposition Universelle in Paris 1855.
View the Source Wikipedia: Alexander Parkes
Includes: Alexander Parkes, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Alexander Parkes, Introduction
Alexander Parkes (29 December 1813-29 June 1890) was a metallurgist and inventor from Birmingham, England.
View the Source Paul Heroult (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Paul Héroult, Article bodyQuote, Includes: Paul Héroult, Article body
Héroult's second most important contribution is the first commercially successful electric arc furnace (EAF) for steel in 1900.
View the Source Sherard Osborn Cowper-Coles (Wikipedia)
Includes: Sherard Osborn Cowper-Coles, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Sherard Osborn Cowper-Coles, Introduction
Sherard Osborn Cowper-Coles (8 October 1866-9 September 1936) was a British metallurgist, and inventor of the sherardising process of galvanization.
View the Source Steven Van Slyke (Wikipedia)
Includes: Steven Van Slyke, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Steven Van Slyke, Introduction
Prior to joining Kateeva, he held various positions at Eastman Kodak and was involved in all aspects of OLED technology, from basic materials development to implementation of full-color OLED display manufacturing.
View the Source US Patent 3142599, Method for making laminated cushioning material (Marc A. Chavannes)
Includes: Marc A. Chavannes, SpecificationQuote, Includes: Marc A. Chavannes, Specification
This invention relates to laminated materials and their manufacture.
View the Source Wikipedia: Benjamin Chew Tilghman
Includes: Benjamin Chew Tilghman, Lead paragraphQuote, Includes: Benjamin Chew Tilghman, Lead paragraph
He is best known as the inventor of the process of sandblasting.
View the Source Ching W. Tang (Wikipedia)
Includes: Ching W. Tang, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Ching W. Tang, Lead section
He was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2018 for inventing OLED (together with Steven Van Slyke), and was awarded the 2011 Wolf Prize in Chemistry.
View the Source Fredrik Adolf Kjellin, Obituary (Graces Guide)
Graces Guide contributors, Graces GuideIncludes: Fredrik Adolf Kjellin, Page textQuote, Includes: Fredrik Adolf Kjellin, Page text
Benedicks, he investigated electric steel-smelting, and in 1899 he constructed the first induction furnace, which at once made his name known everywhere.
View the Source Bessemer Process (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Bessemer Converter, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Bessemer Converter, Lead section
The Bessemer process was the first inexpensive industrial process for the mass production of steel from molten pig iron before the development of the open hearth furnace.
View the Source Directional solidification (Wikipedia)
Includes: Directional Solidification, Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Directional Solidification, Lead section
Directional solidification (DS) and progressive solidification are types of solidification within castings.
View the Source Benjamin Huntsman (Grace's Guide)
Includes: Benjamin Huntsman, LeadQuote, Includes: Benjamin Huntsman, Lead
Benjamin Huntsman (1704-1776) was an English inventor and manufacturer of crucible steel.
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