CHAPTER 1

NMK 12003
ENGINEERING MATERIALS

INTRODUCTION TO MATERIALS
PROPERTIES
Fakulti Kejuruteraan & Teknologi Elektronik (FKTEN),
Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP)
 MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Describe the subject of materials science and engineering

as a scientific discipline and establish the importance in the
selection of materials for various applications.
2. Cite the primary classification of materials and give
distinctive features and characteristics of each group of
materials.
3. Name various material from each group with some
applications of different types of materials.
 MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

Materials : Substances of which something is composed /made

of. The term engineering materials is sometimes used to refer
specifically to materials used to produce technical products.

Materials science : Primarily concerned with the search for

basic knowledge about the internal structure, properties &
processing of materials.

Materials engineering : Mainly concerned with the use of

fundamental & applied knowledge of materials so that the
materials can be converted into products needed or desired by
society.
 MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

Materials knowledge spectrum

- Use the combined knowledge of materials from
materials science & materials engineering.
- Enables engineers to convert materials into the
products needed by society.
MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING

This diagram illustrates how

materials science &
engineering
forms a bridge of knowledge
from the
basic sciences to the
engineering disciplines.
(Source: National Academy of
Sciences.)
 MATERIALS

Types of Materials Properties of

Materials
• Metal
• Polymer • Mechanical
• Ceramic • Electrical
• Physical
• Composite
• Electronic/Semiconductors
 METAL

Metals : Inorganic substances that are composed of

one or more metallic elements (e.g., iron, copper,
aluminum, nickel & titanium) - May also contain some
nonmetallic elements (carbon, nitrogen & oxygen).

Metal Alloys – Combination of two or more metals or a

metal(metals) & a nonmetal (nonmetals)

Metals & alloys are commonly divided into two stages:

• Ferrous metals & alloys
• Non-ferrous metals & alloys
 METAL

Properties of metal

❑ Have a crystalline structure – atoms are arranged in orderly

manner.
❑ Extremely good conductors of electricity & heat.
❑ No transparency of visible light.
❑ Quite strong yet deformable( High strength, high stiffness,
good ductility).
❑ High fracture toughness - Withstand impact.
❑ Extensive use in structural applications
❑ Some metals such as iron, cobalt & nickel are magnetic.
❑ Some metals & intermetallic compounds become
superconductors at low temperatures.
 METAL
Metals in their alloyed & pure forms are used in many industries
:
• Aerospace
• Biomedical
• Semiconductor
• Electronic
• Energy
• Civil structural
• Transport
The aircraft turbine engine
- Made principally of metal alloys - Use latest high temperature, heat-
resistant, high-strength nickel base alloys.
- Has many advanced, service-proven technologies to enhance operational
performance & durability –(e.g., Second-generation single-crystal turbine
blade materials, powder metal disks, & an improved full authority digital
electronic control)
 POLYMER
Most polymeric materials consist of long molecular chains or networks that are
usually based on organics (carbon-containing precursors)
e.g., plastic & rubber materials (Poly vinyl Chloride (PVC), Polyester).

Contain organic compound : Chemically based on carbon, hydrogen & other nonmetallic
elements.

The strength & ductility of polymeric materials vary greatly from low strength, high
deformability (rubber band) to high strength, low deformability, & high durability
(vulcanized rubber used in tires).

Properties of polymer
• Low densities & lightweight
• Tendency to soften &/or decomposed at modest temperature
• Ductile & pliable (flexible)
• Low strength & high toughness
• Mostly are poor conductors of electricity & heat which makes them good insulators
(used for electrical insulative applications)
• Non-crystalline but some consists of mixture of crystalline and non-crystalline region.
 POLYMER

Polymers are used in many applications-in daily lives :

• DVDs
• Automobile tires
• Shoe soles

• Automobile
• Packaging
• Construction

• Automotive bumpers
• Power tool housings
• Sporting goods
• Synthetic components
- Blends/alloys –polymer-polymer mixtures
- Combination of elastomers and other plastics
 CERAMIC
Ceramic materials are inorganic materials that consist of metallic & nonmetallic
elements chemically bonded together.

Traditional ceramics
• Glass
• Clay products
• Refractories

Advanced engineering ceramics

• Silicon Carbide
• Alumina

Properties of ceramics
• High hardness & high temperature strength but tend to be brittle (Little/no deformation
prior to fracture)
• Light weight
• High strength
• Wear resistance
• Reduced friction
• Insulative properties
 CERAMIC

Ceramics are used in many applications:

• Automobile engines
• Jet engine
• High performance bearings
 PROPERTIES COMPARISON

Properties / Material Metals Ceramics Polymers

Tensile strength High Low High

Compression strength Low High Medium
Ductility High Low High
Electric & thermal High Low Low
conductivity
Hardness High High Medium
Density High Medium Low
Elasticity Medium Low High
Toughness Medium Low High
 COMPOSITES
Composite is a material comprised of two or more physically
distinct materials with at least one material providing reinforcing
properties on strength & modulus.

Natural Composites:
• Bone
• Wood
• Bamboo: Nature fiber glass due to pronounced fibrillar structure
which is very apparent when fractured.
• Muscle & other tissue
Engineering Composites:
• Reinforced concrete beams
• Thermoset composites: Thermoset resins (polyurethanes,
polesters, epoxies)
• Glass fibers, Carbon fibers, Synthetic fibers, metalfibers,
ceramic fibers
• Thermoplastic composites (polypropylene,
nylon, polyester, TPU, polyimide)
 COMPOSITES

❑ Many different combinations of reinforcements & matrix

materials are used to produce composite materials.
❑ Depending on the type of matrix used, the composite may be
classified as a metal matrix composite (MMC), a ceramic
matrix composite (CMC), or a polymer matrix composite
(PMC).
❑ The fiber/particulate materials may also be selected from any
of the three main classes of materials with examples such as
carbon, glass, aramid, silicon carbide, & others.
❑ The combinations of materials used in the design of
composites depend mainly on the type of application & the
environment in which the material will be used.
 COMPOSITES
Properties of Composites:
• Strong & stiff (High strength and stiffness to weight ratio)
• High strength & stiffness-to-weight ratio - Composite materials
have replaced many metallic components.
• Some advanced composites have stiffness & strength like some
structural metal alloys but with significantly lower density, (lower
overall component weight).
• Main disadvantages : Brittle & low toughness.

Used in many applications:

• Aerospace
• Automobile
• Civil Structural
• Sport equipment
 ELECTRONIC
Electronic material is pure silicon that is modified in various
ways to change its electrical characteristics.

Electronic materials are extremely important type of material

for advanced engineering technology. The applications of
electronic materials in the:

❑ Semiconductor industry – For cell phones, electronic chips,

integrated circuits, flat panel displays & photolithographic
printing.
❑ The use of silicon & other semiconductor materials in solid-state
& microelectronics has shown a tremendous growth in the past
decades, & this growth pattern is expected to continue.
 SEMICONDUCTOR
Semiconductors are neither good electrical conductors nor good
electrical insulators - Have a electrical conductivity that falls between
conductors (generally metals) & nonconductors or insulators (such as
most ceramics).

The bonding is covalent (electrons are shared between atoms). The

electrical properties depend strongly on minute proportions of
contaminants.
• Silicon, Si
• Germanium, Ge
• Gallium Arsenide, GaAs

Silicon : Important electronic material that has triggered computer

development revolution. Over the years, integrated circuits have been
made with a greater density of transistors located on a single silicon chip
to decrease transistor width. These chips play a vital role in
computerized manufacturing.
 SEMICONDUCTOR
Semiconductor material types

• Intrinsic Semiconductor - Pure semiconductor materials with no

impurity atoms & no lattice defect - Composed of only one kind of
material. (e.g., silicone & germanium)
• Extrinsic Semiconductor - Defined as a semiconductor in which
controlled amounts of specific dopant or impurity atoms have been
added so that the thermal equilibrium electron & hole concentration
are different from the intrinsic carrier concentration.
 SEMICONDUCTOR
Difference between intrinsic and extrinsic semiconductor
1. Impurity present in the materials
• Intrinsic Semiconductor - Pure forms of semiconductor – Do
not have significant amount of impurity.
• Extrinsic Semiconductor - Made of adding some impurity to
the pure form of semiconductors.
2. Electrical Conductivity :
• Intrinsic Semiconductor - Poor
• Extrinsic Semiconductor - Significantly higher
3. Density of charge carriers & Dependency of electrical
conductivity
• Intrinsic Semiconductor - Small band gap between the
conduction band and valence band - Number of free
electrons in the conduction band is equal the number of holes
in the valence band – Depends on temperature
• Extrinsic Semiconductor - Depends on temperature as well
as amount of doped impurity. Number of electrons and holes
are not equal and depends on types of semiconductors.
 ADVANCED MATERIAL
Smart materials
• Devices at micrometer-size scale- Consists of sensors & actuators.
• Change their properties by sensing external stimulus (temperature,
stress, light, humidity electric & magnetic fields) & respond to them by
changing their properties (mechanical, electrical, or appearance,
structure, or function).

1. Shape memory alloys: Strained material reverts back to its original

shape above a critical temperature. (Used in heart valves - Use as
stent for supporting weakened artery walls or for expanding
narrowed arteries).
 ADVANCED MATERIAL

2. Piezoelectric materials: Produce electric field when exposed

to mechanical force & vice versa. (Used in actuators &
vibration reducers – Sense & reduce undesirable vibrations of
a component through their actuator response. Once a vibration
is detected, a current is applied to produce a mechanical
response that counters the effect of the vibration.

3. MEMs (Microelectromechanical systems) : Device that

integrated technology, electronic materials & smart materials
on a semiconductor chip to produce what were commonly
known as micromachines – to sense, communicate & actuate
(used in automobile air bag to sense both the deceleration &
size of the person sitting in the car & to deploy the air bag at a
proper speed. )
 ADVANCED MATERIAL

Nanomaterials
• Have characteristic length scale smaller than 100 nm ( 1 nm =
10-9 m)
• Nanomaterials can be metallic, polymeric, ceramic, electronic
or composite.
• Nanomaterials are harder & stronger than bulk materials.
• E.g. Orthopedic & dental implants with better biocompatibility
characteristics, strength, wear characteristics than metals such
as nanocrystalline zirconia (zirconium oxide), a hard and wear-
resistant ceramic that is chemically stable and biocompatible -
Used as implant material, it allows for bone to grow into its
pores, resulting in a more stable fixation.
• Transistors & diodes are developed on a nanowire.
 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHILE SELECTING MATERIALS

Thermal cycling
• Thermal cycling can induce thermal stresses & due to the
difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between fibers &
matrix for composites & between base metal & coating micro-cracks
can form which could affect long-term properties.

Chemical (corrosion)
• The chemical environment to which a material is subjected in its
life span may cause changes in the material properties. - Reaction
of the engineering material with its environment with a consequent
deterioration in properties of the material.
• Include the reaction of metals, glasses, ionic solids, polymeric
solids & composites with environments that embrace liquid metal,
gases, non-aqueous electrolytes & other non-aqueous solutions,
coating systems & adhesion systems.
 THINGS TO CONSIDER WHILE SELECTING MATERIALS

Atomic oxygen
• Spacecraft in low earth orbit (LEO) at altitudes of between 200 km &
700 km are exposed to a flux of atomic oxygen. The flux level varies
with altitude, velocity vector & solar activity. The fluence levels vary
with the duration of exposure.

Moisture absorption/desorption
• The properties of composite materials are susceptible to changes
induced by the take-up of moisture. Moisture absorption occurs
during production of components & launch of the spacecraft,
desorption occurs in the space vacuum.

Fluid compatibility
• In some occasions materials are in contact with liquid oxygen,
gaseous oxygen or other reactive fluids or could come into
contact with such a fluid during an emergency situation.
THANK YOU