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. 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 3D Printing (Wikipedia)
Source Celadon (Wikipedia)
Source Chemical vapor deposition (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Electric Arc Furnace (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Flexible glass (Wikipedia)
Source Glassblowing (Wikipedia)
Source Heat treating, Wikipedia
Source Injection molding machine (Wikipedia)
Source Invar (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Lithium Cobalt Oxide (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Lustreware (Wikipedia)
Source Majolica (Wikipedia)
Source Nickel (Royal Society of Chemistry Periodic Table)
Source Pencil (Wikipedia)
Source Physical vapor deposition, Wikipedia
Source Porcelain, Wikipedia
Source Powder metallurgy (Wikipedia)Wikipedia contributors
Source Out of autoclave composite manufacturing (Wikipedia)
Source Spray forming, Wikipedia
Source Starlite (Wikipedia)
Source Stephanie Kwolek (Britannica)
Source Unbreakable glass (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
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)
Pencil (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Pencil, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Pencil, Categories
Visual arts materials
Chemical vapor deposition (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Chemical Vapor Deposition, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Chemical Vapor Deposition, Categories
Coatings
Physical vapor deposition, Wikipedia
Includes: Physical Vapor Deposition, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Physical Vapor Deposition, Categories
Coatings
Powder metallurgy (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia FoundationIncludes: Powder Metallurgy, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Powder Metallurgy, Categories
Ceramic engineering
Porcelain, Wikipedia
Includes: Porcelain, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Porcelain, Categories
Ceramic materials
Glassblowing (Wikipedia)
Includes: Glassblowing, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Glassblowing, Categories
Glass fabrication techniques
Starlite (Wikipedia)
Includes: Starlite, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Starlite, Categories
Biomaterials
Lustreware (Wikipedia)
Includes: Lustreware, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Lustreware, Categories
Ceramic glazes
Celadon (Wikipedia)
Includes: Celadon, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Celadon, Categories
Ceramic glazes
Majolica (Wikipedia)
Includes: Majolica, CategoriesQuote, Includes: Majolica, Categories
Ceramic glazes
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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.
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