MATS1500 Materials Science and Engineering Course description

In this course, students will gain theoretical and application-oriented knowledge of industrial materials. The course begins with an introduction to the structure of the atoms, including electron configuration, the period table and various bonds found in different material groups. In the physical metallurgy of the subject, the use of phase diagrams is central. In total, the chemistry amounts to 1.5 credits.

The main focus is on construction materials. Metallic materials where steel and aluminum are given a prominent place, but plastics, ceramics and composites are also treated. The course also deals with joining methods such as welding, soldering and bonding. In addition, the course provides a good basis for choosing materials for various products and for assessing environmental consequences. The course ends with an introduction to injury analysis.

Basic skills in the 3D modeling program INVENTOR

No requirements over and above the admission requirements.

After completing the course, the student is expected to have achieved the following learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student is capable of:

• documenting a broad overview of materials, where they are used, their properties and how they can be processed
• explaining how the periodic table is organised, the electron configuration of different elements and defining four commonly used types of binding in materials
• visualising how the atoms are arranged in different metal structures and calculating different lattice parameters
• describing point defects in crystalline materials, explaining the concept of dislocation, identifying slip systems and explaining grain boundary strengthening and work hardening in polycrystalline materials
• explaining driving forces for diffusion in materials, calculating the number of vacancies and the diffusion coefficient, and explaining how sintering and grain growth depend on diffusion
• identifying stress, strain, elastic modulus, yield point and expressions of ductility and brittleness based on non-linear test curves, and defining hardness and explaining how it is measured
• explaining why cracks in materials can lead to fractures, how fatigue may occur and explaining the concept of creep
• quantifying work hardening of metals and explaining how annealing eliminates the effect of cold working
• explaining how liquid materials solidify via heterogeneous nucleation and describing different casting processes
• explaining what phases are and calculating the amount of different phases in materials based on phase diagrams
• explaining dispersion hardening and explaining eutectic phase diagrams
• describing precipitation hardening of aluminium and which aluminium alloys can be precipitation hardened, and describing the code system for hardening aluminium
• predicting the mechanical properties of hypoeutectoid, eutectoid and hypereutectoid steel and explaining how martensite is formed
• describing the different heat treatment methods used for steel and explaining the difference between different forms of cast iron
• recognising and explaining different non-ferrous metals and giving an account of their areas of application
• defining ceramics, explaining what gives ceramics their strength and where different ceramics are used
• describing the structures, properties and processing of thermoplastic, thermoset plastic and elastomers
• explaining what composite materials are and calculating the weight, strength and elastic modulus of composites and how they achieve better fatigue properties and a better strength/weight ratio

Skills The student is capable of:

• performing tensile testing of metallic materials and reporting correctly from the tests in accordance with the applicable tensile testing standard
• performing microexaminations to determine the microstructure of different steels
• making justified choices of materials with the help of the materials database ECO Materials Adviser, which is linked to the computer-based design program INVENTOR

General competence

• the student has insight into the environmental, health-related, social and financial consequences of choices of materials and can apply ethical and lifecycle perspectives

Lectures, exercises and laboratory work in accordance with the progress schedule.

The following coursework is compulsory and must be approved before the student can sit the exam:

• 2 approved written lab reports. Time per lab is approx. 6 hours including preparation and report writing. The reports are delivered in Canvas.

Exam autumn 2020 due to Covid-19:

Individual digital 3 hours and 45 min home exam. (included 45 min to upload and scan)

The exam result can be appealed.

[Exam earlier:]

A supervised three-hour individual written exam.

The exam result can be appealed.

Aids autumn 2020:

All aids allowed except from communication with others.

[Aids earlier:]

A handheld calculator that cannot be used for wireless communication. If the calculator’s internal memory can store data, the memory must be deleted before the exam. Random checks may be carried out.

Pass/Failed

One internal examiner. External examiners are used regularly.