Adama Science and Technology University

Introduction to Engineering Materials

(MScE2101)
Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Target Group: Second year

Academic year: 2023/2024

Instructor: Gebisa Bekele(PhD)

Contents

1. Introduction to Engineering Materials

2. Atomic Structure and Interatomic Bonding

3. Crystal Structures and Imperfections in Solids

4. Diffusion

5. Mechanical Properties and failure of materials

6. Dislocations and Strengthening Mechanisms

7. Metals and Alloys

8. Ceramic Materials

9. Polymer Materials

10. Composite and Advanced Materials

11. Materials Selection

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

 Historic perspective

 Materials Science and Engineering

 Why Study Materials Science and Engineering?

 Classification of Solid materials

 Advanced Materials
 Learning Objectives
 After studying this chapter, you should be able to do the following:
1. List six different property classifications of materials that determine
their applicability.

2. Cite the four components that are involved in the design,

production, and utilization of materials, and briefly describe the
interrelationships between these components.

3. Cite three criteria that are important in the materials selection

process.

4. List the three primary classifications of solid materials, and then

cite the distinctive chemical feature of each, and note the four types
of advanced materials and, for each, its distinctive feature(s).

5. Briefly define smart material/system, and briefly explain the

concept of nanotechnology as it applies to materials.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Why Materials Engineering?
 We use materials in our every day life activities

Housing
Transportation

Communication

Clothing
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Historical Perspective
Stone → Bronze → Iron → Advanced materials

Beginning of the Material Science - People began to make tools from

stone – Start of the Stone Age about two million years ago.

Natural materials: stone, wood, clay, skins, etc. The Stone Age ended
about 5000 years ago with introduction of Bronze in the Far East

Bronze is an alloy (a metal made up of more than one element), copper

+ < 25% of tin + other elements.
Bronze: can be hammered or cast into a variety of shapes, can be made
harder by alloying, corrode only slowly after a surface oxide film forms.

The Iron Age began about 3000 years ago and continues today. Use of
iron and steel, a stronger and cheaper material changed drastically daily
life of a common person.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Historical Perspective
Age of Advanced materials: throughout the Iron Age many new types of
materials have been introduced (ceramic, semiconductors, polymers,
composites…). Understanding of the relationship among structure,
properties, processing, and performance of materials. Intelligent
design of new materials.

The development and advancement of societies have been intimately tied

to the members’ ability to produce and manipulate materials to fill their
needs
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Historical Perspective
understanding the structure-composition-properties lead to a remarkable
progress in properties of materials. e.g. the strength : density ratio of
materials, resulted in a variety of new products, from dental materials to
tennis racquets.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 What is Materials Science and Engineering?
Materials science and engineering = materials science + materials
engineering

Materials science involves investigating the relationships that exist

between the structures and properties of materials

Materials engineering involves, on the basis of these structure–property

correlations, designing or engineering the structure of a material to
produce a predetermined set of properties.

Materials science and engineering: An interdisciplinary field that

addresses the fundamental relationships between the Processing,
Structure and Properties of materials and develops them for the desired
technological application(Performance).
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 What is Materials Science and Engineering?

The role of a materials scientist is to develop or synthesize new

materials, and materials engineer is called upon to create new products

or systems using existing materials and/or to develop techniques for

processing materials.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Structure
 structure of a material usually relates to the arrangement of its internal
components.

Subatomic Level (Chapter 2)

 Electronic structure of individual atoms that defines interaction among
atoms(interatomic bonding)

Atomic Level (chapter 2 and 3)

 Arrangement of atoms in materials (for the same atoms can have different
property example: graphite and Diamond)

Microstructure (chapter 4)
 Arrangement of small grains of the materials that can be identified by
microscope

Macrostructure (chapter 4)
 Structural elements that can be viewed by naked eye
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Properties
 Properties are the way the materials responds to the environment and
external forces

Mechanical properties

Electrical and Magnetic properties

Thermal properties

Optical properties

Chemical Stabilities
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Properties
Mechanical properties

1. Elasticity: The property of a substance by which it regains its

original shape and size when the deforming force is removed.

2. Stress: When we apply an external deforming force on an object, the

particles of the object, in turn, apply a restoring force in the
opposite direction to the deforming force. This restoring force per
unit area is termed as stress.

The magnitude of the stress = F/A

 Introduction to Engineering Materials
Mechanical properties

3. Strain: When stress is applied, a certain deformation is created. i.e,

the particles are displaced from their original position. This
displacement of particles on the application of stress is known as
strain. It is expressed as the ratio of change in dimension to the original
dimension.

 Hooke’s Law: It is the relationship between stress and strain.

According to Hooke’s law, stress is directly proportional to strain.

Stress = k × strain
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
Mechanical properties

3. Strain:

 Stress-Strain Curve: It is a graph showing the relationship between

stress and strain of a given material under a given deforming force.
The graph shows different behavior for different materials.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
Mechanical properties
4. Plasticity: It is a mechanical property of a material and is defined as the
quality of material when it undergoes non-reversible deformation under the
effect of an external force. The materials exhibiting this property are known as
plastic materials. When stress is applied to a plastic material, the plastic strain
which is developed is nonrecoverable and permanent.

5. Toughness: It is also a mechanical property and is defined as the ability of a

material to absorb energy and undergo plastic deformation without undergoing
fracturing. Mathematically speaking, the toughness of a material is the energy
absorbed per unit volume by the material before rupturing. The material should
be both strong and ductile in order to be tough.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
Mechanical properties
6. Ductility: It is the ability of a material to undergo plastic deformation
before rupturing. The materials which show this property are known as
ductile materials. A good ductile material is capable of being drawn into
wires.
7. Hardness: It is the capacity of a substance to withstand long-term shape
change brought on by external stress. Scratch Hardness, Indentation
Hardness, and Rebound Hardness are three different measures of
hardness.
 Scratch Resistance: The ability of a material to resist scratches to the outer
surface layer caused by external force is known as scratch hardness.
 Indentation Resistance: It is the capacity of a material to resist a punch from
an outside item that is both hard and sharp.
 Rebound Resistance: Dynamic hardness is another name for rebound
hardness. It is determined by the height at which a hammer with a diamond
tip is dropped upon the material from a fixed height.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
Mechanical properties

8. Strength: A material’s ability to resist deformation or disintegration in the

face of loads or external forces is known as this attribute. Materials that we
choose for our engineering goods need to be sufficiently strong mechanically
to function under a variety of mechanical forces or loads.

9. Brittleness: A material’s brittleness refers to how easily it fractures under

the influence of a force or load. When brittle material is stressed, it
experiences very little energy and cracks without experiencing a lot of strain.
The opposite of a material’s ductility is brittleness. Material brittleness is
temperature-dependent. At low temperatures, some metals that are ductile at
room temperature become brittle.

10. Malleability: The ability of a material to be rolled or hammered into a thin

sheet is a common way to classify malleability. This mechanical quality is a
component of the material’s plasticity. Temperature affects a material’s
malleability. The malleability of material rises with temperature rising.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
Mechanical properties

11. Wear Resistance: Wear Resistance is a proportion of a material’s

capacity to endure the impact of two materials scouring against one another.
This can take many structures including grip, scraped spot, scratching,
gouging, rankling, and others. At the point when the materials are of various
hardness, the milder metal can start to show the impacts first, and the board
of that might be essential for the plan. In any event, rolling can cause
scraped area in view of the presence of unfamiliar materials. Wear opposition
might be estimated as how much mass lost for a given number of scraped
spot cycles at a given burden.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Properties
Electrical and Magnetic properties

1. Electrical properties: Solids’ electrical properties are measured in terms

of conductivity. The ease with which an electric current can pass through
a given substance is defined as conductivity. Not all solids conduct
electricity in the same way. Some have high conductivity, while others do
not conduct electricity at all. Solids are classified into three types based
on their ability to conduct electricity:

 Conductors are solids that allow an electric current to flow easily through
them. Metals are generally good electrical conductors. The presence of
mobile electrons in metals causes electrical conductivity. Metals have
conductivities of the order of 107(m)-1. There is no space between the
conduction and valence bands. As a result, electrons can easily flow from
the valence band to the conduction band under the influence of an electric
field, making them good electrical conductors.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Properties
Electrical and Magnetic properties

1. Electrical properties

 Semiconductors: Because the gap between the conduction band and the
valence band is so small, electrons in a semiconductor jump from the valence
band to the conduction band whenever enough energy is supplied. The
conductivity of semiconductors increases with temperature; for
semiconductors, it ranges from 10-6 to 10-4 (m)-1. Semiconductors are
classified into two types.

 Intrinsic semiconductor: When semiconductors are heated, electrons

are ejected from their positions, leaving a positive hole behind them.
Because an electric field causes electrons to move in one direction and
holes to move in the opposite direction, semiconductors can now conduct
electricity. These materials are referred to as undoped or intrinsic
semiconductors. For instance, silicon and germanium.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Properties
Electrical and Magnetic properties

1. Electrical properties

 Extrinsic semiconductor: At room temperature, silicon and germanium

have low conductivity in their pure states. A small amount of impurity is
added to the semiconductor to increase its conductivity (group 13 and
group 15 elements). Doping is the process of adding impurities to improve
the conductivity of semiconductors, and the semiconductors are known as
extrinsic semiconductors or doped semiconductors.

 Insulators are materials that don’t conduct electricity. The bandgap

between the valence and conduction bands is enormous. Even when
given a large amount of energy, these solids do not conduct electricity.
Wood, plastics, and other materials are examples.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Properties
Electrical and Magnetic properties

1. Magnetic properties: Every substance in our environment contains

magnetic properties. In the presence of a magnetic field, different
materials exhibit different properties. The magnetic properties of a
substance are caused by electrons in the atoms or molecules. Every
electron in an atom acts like a miniature magnet. Electrons are also
known as small current loops that retain their magnetic moment. These
magnetic moments result from two types of electron motion:

 Substances with Diamagnetic Properties: Solids that are weakly

repelled by magnets fall into this category. All of the electrons in
diamagnetic materials are paired. As a result, the magnetic dipole moment
cancels out. H2O, TiO2, NaCl, and V2O5 are all diamagnetic substances.
These substances have a small magnetic dipole moment that is polarised
in the opposite direction of the magnetic field.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Properties
Electrical and Magnetic properties
1. Magnetic properties:
 Substances with Ferromagnetic Properties: The magnetic field strongly
attracts these substances. They can also be magnetised indefinitely. Ions of
ferromagnetic substances congregate in small regions to form a tiny magnet.
This small magnetic region is referred to as a domain. When a magnetic field
is applied, these domains are oriented in the same directions. Even after the
magnetic field is removed, the domains remain oriented to form permanent
magnets. Fe, Co, Ni, and other metals are examples.
 Substances with Paramagnetic Properties: Paramagnetic substances
are solids that are weakly attracted by a magnetic field. They are
magnetically oriented in the same direction as the magnetic field. These
aren’t strong magnets. When a magnetic field attracts one or more
unpaired electrons, paramagnetism occurs. As a result, they are only
temporary magnets. Paramagnetic substances include O2, Cu2, VO, VO2,
CuO, and TiO, among others.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Properties
Thermal properties: Thermal properties are those properties of a
material which is related to its conductivity of heat. In other words, these
are the properties that are exhibited by a material when the heat is passed
through it. Thermal properties come under the broader topic of the
physical properties of materials.

 Thermal properties of material decide how it reacts when it is subjected to

heat fluctuation (excessive heat or very low heat, for example). The major
components of thermal properties are:

 Heat capacity

 Thermal Expansion

 Thermal conductivity

 Thermal stress
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Properties
Thermal properties: :

 Heat capacity: The heat capacity of a material can be defined as the

amount of heat required to change the temperature of the material by one
degree. The amount of heat is generally expressed in joules or calories
and the temperature in Celsius or Kelvin.

 In order to calculate the heat capacity of materials with a given dimension,

Molar heat capacity or Specific heat capacity is used.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Properties
Thermal properties: :

 Thermal Expansion: When heat is passed through a material, its shape

changes. Generally, a material expands when heated. This property of a
material is called thermal expansion. There can be a change in the area,
volume, and shape of the material. For example, railway tracks often expand
and as a result, get misshapen due to extreme heat.

 Thermal conductivity: It is the property of a material to conduct heat through

itself. Materials with high thermal conductivity will conduct more heat than the
ones with low conductivity. For example, an iron rod will conduct more heat
than normal window glass.

 Thermal stress:The stress experienced by a body due to either thermal expansion

or contraction is called thermal stress. It can be potentially destructive in nature as it
can make the material explode. For example, cracks can be seen on roads where the
heat is extreme. The crack is a result of thermal stress.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Properties
Optical properties: The term optical property describes a material's
behavior when electromagnetic radiation (light) is incident on the
material's surface or, in other words, how a material interacts under an
incident electromagnetic radiation. Different types of material show
different optical properties due to differences in physical, chemical, and
mechanical characteristics.

 Reflectivity

 Absorptivity

 Refractivity

 Transparency

 Photo conductivity
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Metals

Semiconductors

Ceramics:

Polymers:

Composites

Biomaterials

Smart Materials

Nanomaterials
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Metals: Metals are substances that form naturally below the surface of the
Earth. Most metals are lustrous or shiny. Metals are inorganic, which
means they are made of substances that were never alive.
Examples:

 Metal is very strong and durable and therefore is used to make many
things. These are used for making automobiles, satellites, cooking
utensils, etc.

 Most metals are hard but some are not. Sodium and potassium are such
metals that can be cut by knife whereas mercury is a liquid metal at room
temperature. Iron is solid in nature.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Metals:
 Physical Properties of Metals

 All the metals are good conductors of heat and electricity. Cooking utensils and
irons are made up of metals as they are good conductors of heat.

 Ductility is the ability of the material to be stretched into a wire. This ability allows
metals to be drawn into wires and coupled with their durability, find applications as
cable wires and for soldering purposes. Because Metal can be drawn into wires we
can say that metals are ductile.

 Malleability is the property of substances which allows them to be beaten into flat
sheets. Aluminium sheets are used in the manufacturing of Aircrafts because of
their lightweight and strength. Other metal sheets are used in automobile industries,
for making utensils, etc. Therefore, metals are malleable.

 Metals are sonorous because they produces a deep or ringing sound when struck
with another hard object.

 Usually, all the metals have a shiny appearance but these metals can also be
polished to have a shiny appearance.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Metals:
 Chemical properties of Metals

 Reaction with water: Only highly reactive metals react with water and not all the
metals. For example, Sodium reacts vigorously with water and oxygen and gives a
large amount of heat in the process. This is why sodium is stored in kerosene so
that it does not come in contact with moisture or oxygen.

 Reaction with acids: Hydrogen gas is produced when metals react with acids. For
example, when zinc reacts with hydrochloric acid it produces zinc chloride and
hydrogen gas.

 Reaction with bases: Not all the metals react with bases and when they do react,
they produce metal salts and hydrogen gas. When zinc reacts with strong sodium
hydroxide it gives sodium zincate and hydrogen gas.

 Reaction with oxygen: Metal oxides are produced when metals burn in the
presence of oxygen. These metal oxides are basic in nature. For example: When a
magnesium strip is burned in the presence of oxygen it forms magnesium oxide
and when magnesium oxide dissolves in water it forms magnesium hydroxide.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Semiconductors: Semiconductors are materials which have a conductivity
between conductors (generally metals) and non-conductors or insulators (such as
ceramics). Semiconductors can be compounds, such as gallium arsenide, or pure
elements, such as germanium or silicon. Physics explains the theories, properties and
mathematical approach related to semiconductors.
 Gallium arsenide, germanium and silicon are some of the most commonly used
semiconductors. Silicon is used in electronic circuit fabrication, and gallium arsenide is
used in solar cells, laser diodes, etc

 Holes and Electrons in Semiconductors: Holes and electrons are the types of
charge carriers accountable for the flow of current in semiconductors. Holes (valence
electrons) are the positively charged electric charge carrier, whereas electrons are the
negatively charged particles. Both electrons and holes are equal in magnitude but
opposite in polarity.

 Mobility of Electrons and Holes:In a semiconductor, the mobility of

electrons is higher than that of the holes. It is mainly because of their
different band structures and scattering mechanisms.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Semiconductors:
 Mobility of Electrons and Holes:
 Electrons travel in the conduction band, whereas holes travel in the
valence band. When an electric field is applied, holes cannot move as
freely as electrons due to their restricted movement. The elevation of
electrons from their inner shells to higher shells results in the creation of
holes in semiconductors. Since the holes experience stronger atomic
force by the nucleus than electrons, holes have lower mobility.
 The mobility of a particle in a semiconductor is more, if
 The effective mass of particles is lesser
 The time between scattering events is more
Example
 For intrinsic silicon at 300 K, the mobility of electrons is 1500 cm2 (V∙s)-1,
and the mobility of holes is 475 cm2 (V∙s)-1.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Semiconductors:
 Mobility of Electrons and Holes:
 The bond model of electrons in silicon of valency 4 is shown below. Here,
when one of the free electrons (blue dots) leaves the lattice position, it
creates a hole (grey dots). This hole thus created takes the opposite
charge of the electron and can be imagined as positive charge carriers
moving in the lattice.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Semiconductors:
 Band Theory of Semiconductors:We know that the electrons in an atom
are present at different energy levels. When we try to assemble a lattice of
a solid with N atoms, each level of an atom must split into N levels in the
solid. This splitting of sharp and tightly packed energy levels forms
Energy Bands. The gap between adjacent bands representing a range of
energies that possess no electron is called a Band Gap.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Semiconductors:
 Conduction Band and Valence Band in Semiconductors
 Valence Band:The energy band involving the energy levels of valence
electrons is known as the valence band. It is the highest occupied energy
band. When compared with insulators, the band gap in semiconductors is
smaller. It allows the electrons in the valence band to jump into the
conduction band on receiving any external energy.

 Conduction Band:It is the lowest, unoccupied band that includes the

energy levels of positive (holes) or negative (free electrons) charge
carriers. It has conducting electrons resulting in the flow of current. The
conduction band possess a high energy level and is generally empty. The
conduction band in semiconductors accepts the electrons from the
valence band.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Semiconductors:
 What Is the Fermi Level in Semiconductors?
 The Fermi level (denoted by EF) is present between the valence and
conduction bands. It is the highest occupied molecular orbital at absolute
zero. The charge carriers in this state have their own quantum states and
generally do not interact with each other. When the temperature rises
above absolute zero, these charge carriers will begin to occupy states
above the Fermi level.

 In a p-type semiconductor, there is an increase in the density of unfilled

states. Thus, accommodating more electrons at the lower energy levels.

 n-type semiconductor, the density of states increases, therefore,

accommodating more electrons at higher energy levels
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Semiconductors:
 Properties of Semiconductors
 Semiconductors can conduct electricity under preferable conditions or
circumstances. This unique property makes it an excellent material to
conduct electricity in a controlled manner as required.
 Unlike conductors, the charge carriers in semiconductors arise only
because of external energy (thermal agitation). It causes a certain number
of valence electrons to cross the energy gap and jump into the conduction
band, leaving an equal amount of unoccupied energy states, i.e., holes.
The conduction due to electrons and holes is equally important.

• Resistivity: 10-5 to 106 Ωm

• Conductivity: 105 to 10-6 mho/m

• Temperature coefficient of resistance: Negative

• Current flow: Due to electrons and holes

 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Semiconductors:
 Types of Semiconductors
 Semiconductors can be classified as follows:
 Intrinsic Semiconductor
 Extrinsic Semiconductor
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Ceramics: Traditional ceramics include materials like glass, refractories,
abrasives, and enamels. Some of them are metal oxides, carbides,
borides, nitrides, and silicates. Tungsten carbide, Silicon carbide, Beryllia,
Zirconia, Alumina, and magnesium are a few of their examples. Ionic
atomic bonding typically exists between them.

 Different types of ceramics have very different properties, such as

corrosion-resistant, hard, and brittle. The majority of ceramics are also
excellent insulators and can withstand high temperatures. Because of
these properties, they are used in almost every aspect of modern life.
Ceramic materials can be found as single crystals or as polycrystalline
materials (polycrystals). These polycrystals are oriented more or less
randomly with respect to one another. They are also known as grains.
When the composition of the grains varies, the ceramic material is
multiphase. The grains in monolithic material are all of the same phases.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Ceramics:
 Types of Ceramics: Traditional and Advanced
 Advanced Ceramics: Carbides, such as silicon carbide, SiC; oxides,
such as aluminium oxide, Al2O3; nitrides, such as silicon nitride, Si3N4;
and many other materials, including mixed oxide ceramics that can act as
superconductors, are examples of advanced ceramics. Modern
processing techniques are required for advanced ceramics, and
developing these techniques has led to advances in medicine and
engineering. There are two types of advanced ceramics:
 Non-silicate oxide ceramics
 Non-oxide ceramics
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Ceramics:
 Types of Ceramics: Traditional and Advanced
 Traditional Ceramics: Objects made of clay and cement hardened by
high-temperature heating are examples of traditional ceramics. Dishes,
crockery, flowerpots, and roof and wall tiles are all made from traditional
ceramics. Earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain pottery are the types of
pottery displayed here.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Ceramics:
 Advantages of Ceramics: There are numerous materials available to
create a wide range of items. Every substance, from glass to metal, has
advantages. Here, we’ll list a few significant benefits of working with
ceramic materials and using final ceramic products:
 Because they have high hardness, they are commonly used as abrasive
powder and cutting tools.
 Because of their high melting point, they are excellent refractory materials.
 They are also good thermal insulators, which is why they are used as a
refractory material.
 They have high electric resistivity, making them suitable for use as an
insulator.
 Due to their low mass density, they produce lightweight components.
 They are generally chemically inert, making them long-lasting.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Ceramics:
 Disadvantages of Ceramics: Ceramic materials have a lot of high
installation and transportation requirements, and their main drawback is
fragility. It is easy for them to break when hard objects strike ceramic art.
The following drawbacks are listed below:
 They have a brittle nature.
 They have a low degree of ductility.
 Their tensile strength is low.
 Even for identical specimens, there is a wide range of variation in
strength.
 They are challenging to shape and machine.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Polymers: a large molecule or a macromolecule, which essentially is a
combination of many subunits. The term polymer in Greek means ‘many
parts’. Polymers can be found all around us, from the strand of our DNA,
which is a naturally occurring biopolymer, to polypropylene which is used
throughout the world as plastic.

 Polymers can be naturally found in plants and animals (natural

polymers) or can be human-made (synthetic polymers). Different
polymers have a number of unique physical and chemical properties, due
to which they find usage in everyday life.

 Polymers are created by the process of polymerization, wherein their

constituent elements, called monomers, are reacted together to form
polymer chains, i.e., 3-dimensional networks forming the polymer bonds.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
 Classification of Polymers
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
 Properties of Polymers

 Physical Properties

 As chain length and cross-linking increase, the tensile strength of the

polymer increases.

 Polymers do not melt, and they change state from crystalline to semi-
crystalline.

 Chemical Properties

 Compared to conventional molecules with different side molecules, the

polymer is enabled by hydrogen bonding and ionic bonding resulting in
better cross-linking strength.

 Dipole-dipole bonding side chains enable the polymer for high flexibility.

 Polymers with Van der Waals forces linking chains are known to be weak
but give the polymer a low melting point.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
 Properties of Polymers

 Optical Properties

 Due to their ability to change their refractive index with temperature, as in

the case of PMMA and HEMA: MMA, they are used in lasers for
applications in spectroscopy and analytical applications.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
 Composites: A composite material is a combination of two materials with
different physical and chemical properties. When they are combined they
create a material which is specialised to do a certain job, for instance to
become stronger, lighter or resistant to electricity. They can also improve
strength and stiffness. The reason for their use over traditional materials is
because they improve the properties of their base materials and are
applicable in many situations.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
 Composites: Some common composite materials include:
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials

 Composites: Properties of Composite

 Properties of composites are as diverse as the range of materials that fall

within this broad classification. Under ideal conditions, the resultant

properties of the composite are

 High strength/weight ratio.

 Impact resistant.

 Chemical/environmental stability.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials

 Composites: Chemical Properties of Composite Materials

 Composites are often made with a rigid matrix of epoxy resin or a less

rigid but still stiff matrix of a thermoplastic polymer. This component

generally lends the below primary chemical properties to the resulting

material:
 An be designed for very high chemical stability. The selection of the matrix
material and selecting non-absorbent and non-hygroscopic reinforcement
fibers guarantee environmental resilience.
 Generally highly corrosion/environment resistant.
 Electrical and thermal conductivity can be engineered to any level from
high breakdown voltage insulator up to moderate conductivity, by using
appropriate additives and reinforcer materials.
 Achieving flame resistance or retardancy in composites is also a design
property that can be highly controlled.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials

 Composites: Physical Properties of Composite Materials

 Some common themes in the physical properties of composites can be generalized,

including:
 The tensile strength of most composites approaches or exceeds that of the
reinforcing material.
 The compressive strength is similar to or exceeds the compressive strength of the
matrix material. This is despite the fact that the overwhelming bulk of most
composites is a reinforcer and not a matrix.
 The bending strength generally greatly exceeds the tensile capacity of the matrix
material, as the tensile loads of bending forces are transferred to the reinforcer
component and dissipated without fracture.
 Electrical or thermal conductivity.
 Abrasion resistance.
 Reduced weight/density.
 Magnetic properties.
 Optical properties.
 Shock resilience.
 Fatigue and creep resistance.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Biomaterials:a substance that has been engineered to interact
with biological systems for a medical purpose, either a
therapeutic (treat, augment, repair, or replace a tissue
function of the body) or a diagnostic one.
 Introduction to Engineering Materials
 Types of Materials
Smart Materials: A new class of nanomaterials, so-called smart materials,
has recently emerged. These materials have the capability to self-respond to
external stimuli with a reliable readout signal by altering one or more of their
properties. External stimuli could be stress, temperature, light, electrical or
magnetic fields, mechanical deformation, electrochemical actions or pH
value.