INTRODUCTION TO MATERIAL SCIENCE: TEC 111 2021/2022
ACADEMIC
YEAR
Lecture three
Ceramics
▪ Ceramics are compounds between metallic and nonmetallic elements
▪ They are mainly nitrides, oxides and carbides
▪ Aluminum oxide or alumina (Al2O3), silicon dioxide or silica (SiO2), silicon carbide
(SiC) and silicon nitride (Si3N4) are examples of ceramics
▪ Other examples of ceramics are the so-called traditional ceramics composed of clay
minerals (porcelain), cement and glass
▪ Some properties of ceramics include:
a. They are stiff and strong
b. Very hard
c. Brittle
d. Fracture easily
e. Insulators of heat and electricity
f. Resist high temperatures and harsh chemical environments
Composites
▪ A composite is composed of two (or more) individual materials such as metals,
ceramics and polymers
▪ Composites are made of different materials in intimate contact
▪ Examples include fiberglass, concrete and wood
▪ The combination of different materials into composites is aimed at achieving specific
properties
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INTRODUCTION TO MATERIAL SCIENCE: TEC 111 2021/2022
ACADEMIC
YEAR
▪ Design aim of a composite is to achieve a combination of properties that are not
displayed by any single material
▪ Composites are designed to incorporate the best characteristics of each of the individual
component materials
▪ Majority of composites are man-made (synthetic)
Advanced Materials
▪ These are materials that are utilized in high technology applications
▪ They are materials whose properties have been enhanced for applications in specialized
fields
▪ They include semiconductors, biomaterials, nanoengineered and smart materials
They are mainly used in:
a. Lasers
b. CD/DVD players
c. Integrated circuits
d. Fiber optics
e. Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs)
f. Human body parts replacements
Semiconductors
▪ Semiconductors have electrical properties that are intermediate between that of
electrical conductors and insulators
▪ The bonding in semiconductors is covalent
▪ The electrical characteristics of semiconductors are sensitive to the presence of minute
concentrations of impurity atoms
▪ They are opaque to visible light but transparent to the infrared
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INTRODUCTION TO MATERIAL SCIENCE: TEC 111 2021/2022
ACADEMIC
YEAR
▪ Examples of semiconductors include silicon and germanium.
Biomaterials
▪ Biomaterials are materials that are biocompatible with human body
▪ Biomaterials are used in components implanted into the human body for replacement of
diseased or damaged body parts
▪ Example of application of biomaterials is in artificial hip replacement
▪ One of the most important requirements of these materials is that they should not
produce toxic substances
▪ In addition, they must be compatible with body tissues
Task
1. Read and make brief notes about
a. Smart materials
b. Nanoengineered materials
2. List ten uses/applications of metals, polymers, ceramics and composites
Material Science: Basic concepts
▪ The combination of physics and chemistry focus on the relationship between the
properties of a material and its micro- structure which is the domain of material science
▪ Chemistry is the study of matter; while physics is the study of matter and its motion
through space and time
▪ Physics deals with matter, energy and fundamental forces that govern the interactions
between particles
▪ Matter is any object that occupies space; the quantity being measured by its mass
▪ Characteristics used to identify matter and distinguish between one another are called
properties
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INTRODUCTION TO MATERIAL SCIENCE: TEC 111 2021/2022
ACADEMIC
YEAR
▪ Matter is built up of inconceivabley tiny units called atoms
▪ An element is a substance made up of a single type of atom
▪ There are “109” naturally occurring elements
▪ Elements may be solids, liquids or gases at room temperature
▪ Each atom consists of the nucleus which is composed of protons and neutrons and
encircled by electrons
▪ Electrons have negative charge while protons have positive charge. Neutrons are
electrically neutral
▪ The number of protons in the nucleus is called atomic number (Z)
▪ The sum of protons and neutrons within the nucleus is called atomic mass number
and is denoted by (M)
▪ Isotopes are atoms of the same element which possess different atomic mass
numbers (there is a variation in the number of neutrons in the nuclei)
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INTRODUCTION TO MATERIAL SCIENCE: TEC 111 2021/2022
ACADEMIC
YEAR
▪ Examples of isotopes include those of hydrogen (normal hydrogen, Z = 1, M = I)
and deuterium, Z = 1, M = 2), oxygen having three isotopes with mass numbers of
16, 17 and 18 and carbon having three isotopes with mass numbers of 12, 13 and 14
▪ Isotones, or isobares, are nuclei of different elements which possess the same atomic
mass number. Examples of isotones include argon-40 (with a nucleus containing 18
protons and 22 neutrons) and calcium-40 (with a nucleus containing 20 protons and
20 neutrons)
▪ Some substances are termed atomic while others are termed molecular
▪ A molecule is a number of atoms in combination. Examples of molecules include
oxygen, O2 (two atoms per molecule), carbon dioxide, CO2 (one carbon atom and
two oxygen atoms per molecule), or calcium chloride, CaCl2 (one calcium and two
chlorine atoms per molecule)
▪ For a molecular substance the molecular weight, or molecular mass number, is the
sum of the atomic mass numbers of the atoms in the molecule
▪ The number of molecules in a mole is given by the universal constant, Avogadro's
number
▪ The numerical value of Avogadro's number is 6.023 x 1023/mol
References:
[1] John Vernon, J. (1992). Introduction to engineering materials. (3rd edn.). London:
Macmillan Press Ltd.
[2] Callister, W. D. & Rethwisch, D.G. (2007). Materials Science and Engineering – An
Introduction. (7th edn.). New York: John Wiley and Sons.
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