Materials Engineering
Materials engineering is an
important discipline of engineering that has assisted other technologies to
improve the variety of products being produced globally. This science has
improved the characteristics of existing materials and has also contributed to
produce materials with improved properties.
History of Materials Engineering
The science of materials
engineering has been used since the ancient times that are referred as the
Stone Age, Bronze Age and the Steel Age. All types of materials are included in
the materials engineering, including ceramics, magnetic materials, and biological
materials. The science of modern materials engineering has been developed from
metallurgy that was evolved from mining. The basic knowledge of the materials
engineering was emerged in the 19th century when it was established that the
thermodynamic characteristics related to the atomic structure are affected by
the physical properties of a material. Modern materials science has specially
been developed due to the exploration of space, in which various materials were
used for the construction of space vehicles, including metallic alloys, silica
and carbon materials. Materials engineering has a significant effect on the
progress of several technologies including plastics, biomaterials and
semiconductors.
Fundamentals of Materials Engineering
The purpose of materials
engineering is to obtain knowledge about the materials so that alternate
materials with the desired characteristics may be produced. The basics of
materials engineering relate the requisite properties of the materials with the
structure of atoms in that material. The structure of a material and its
properties depend upon the chemical elements of the material. The science of
materials engineering examines the connection between the structures of
materials at molecular scales and their macroscopic characteristics. The
materials engineering is a broad based science that includes essentials of
chemistry, physics, mechanical, and civil engineering. Due to the advancement
of the nanotechnology, the science of materials engineering has obtained
significant importance in recent years.
Use of Materials In Industry
The discipline of materials
engineering is used in the industry not only to create perfection in the
presently used materials, but also assist in the creation of modern products
and new technologies. The industrial application of the materials engineering
include the design of materials, improvements in processing and the analytical
techniques. There is a large variety of the processing techniques used in the
industry, such as casting, welding, rolling, sintering, deposition of film etc.
Similarly, the analytical techniques include electron microscopy, calorimetry,
and neutron diffraction. The materials engineering plays a significant role in
the industry by the extraction techniques used for the extraction of materials and
their transformation into a useful structure. The absence, existence, or
deviation of even small quantities of insignificant elements in a material may
produce a noteworthy impact on the ultimate properties of the materials
produced. For example, even a small change in the weight of carbon in steel,
will radically alter the characteristics of the steel produced, thus affecting
its utilization in the steel industry.
Impact of Materials Engineering On Future Developments
Science and technology is
developing in all fields at a fast rate, and the advancement of the materials
engineering has a significant role in this development. The evolving of
materials is faster today than ever before in the history, thus enabling
improvement in the functioning of existing products, and the development of new
technologies that have improved all aspects of our lives. Therefore, materials
engineering has become an important discipline of engineering that has a
considerable impact on the global economy