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Course info.

  • Prof. Lionel C. Kimerling

Departments

  • Materials Science and Engineering

As Taught In

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electronic Materials

Learning Resource Types

Principles of engineering practice, case studies.

Case Study and Project Reports will be presented by the assigned Teams. The process is as follows:

Prof. Kimerling will lead a short in-class discussion on the approach for each Case Study or Project. Q&A is encouraged to clarify specific details.

The Instructors and TAs will moderate online Discussion Forums: within this Forum students should post their team’s tentative outline, develop concepts, discuss sources and preliminary findings. Instructors and TA will provide feedback within this Discussion Forum.

An optional office meeting with Prof. Kimerling is available if desired by any Group.

On the day of presentations, each Group must present a 20 minute presentation of 5-6 slides. Each member of the Group must present one slide from this presentation. Slides must be posted to the Web site the night before.

Students are expected to bring hard copies of all presentations to class.

Corrected slides and a final 2-page report must be posted to the Web site two days after presentation.

Grade assignment for the Case Studies and Projects will account for the following:

  • presentation and writing skills
  • clarity and rationality of the design execution
  • presentation of background, issues, alternatives and conclusions

All student work is presented with permission of the authors.

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[Engineering Materials / Materials Science] Case Study: The Sinking of RMS Titanic

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Atlantic Daily Bulletin - the Journal of the British Titanic Society

Friedrich Newman

material science case study

mustafa kemal dincer

Metallurgy of the RMS Titanic

Editor IJSR

At the time of her construction, the Titanic was the largest ship ever built. She was nearly 900 feet long, stood 25 stories high, and weighed an incredible 46,000 tons [Division, 1997]. With turn-of-the-century design and technology, including sixteen major watertight compartments in her lower section that could easily be sealed off in the event of a punctured hull, the Titanic was deemed an unsinkable ship. According to her builders, even in the worst possible accident at sea, two ships colliding, the Titanic would stay afloat for two to three days, which would provide enough time for nearby ships to help. On April 14, 1912, however, the Titanic sideswiped a massive iceberg and sank in less than three hours. Damaging nearly 300 feet of the ship's hull, the collision allowed water to flood six of her sixteen major watertight compartments. She was on her maiden voyage to the United States, carrying more than 2200 passengers and crew, when she foundered. Only 705 of those aboard the Titanic ever reached their destination. After what seemed like a minor collision with an iceberg, the largest ship ever built sank in a fraction of the time estimated for her worst possible accident at sea. The purpose of this article is to explain the material failures and design flaws that contributed to the rapid sinking of the Titanic. Specifically, brittle fracture of the hull steel, failure of the rivets, and flaws in the watertight compartments will be analyzed. Human factors that contributed to the sinking will not be reviewed. In addition to the causes for the sinking, the effects of the disaster are reviewed. As a result of the Titanic disaster, changes were made in ship design, such as double hulls and taller bulkheads. Also, stricter standards for safety regulations governing ships at sea were implemented, including mandatory use of electronic communication, minimum lifeboat capacities, and the development of the ice patrol. The first section of the article is a historical overview of the Titanic disaster. This section includes statistics on the Titanic and a time line of the disaster. The next section of the article is a discussion of the material failures and design flaws that contributed to the rapid sinking of the Titanic. In the last section, the design changes made to ships and the safety regulations that have been developed as a result of the Titanic disaster are explained. The article concludes with a review of the causes and effects of the rapid sinking of the Titanic. In addition, the conclusion provides a future perspective on the limitations of the shipbuilding industry.

sergio assereto

Faishol Mochammad

Luis Felipe Verdeja González

In much of the literature published on the sinking of the famous ocean liner Titanic, on April 15, 1912 in the North Atlantic after hitting an iceberg, it has not been done a sufficiently rigorous analysis on the causes of it, in relation to the material behavior, given the vessel maneuver and the shock produced. The riveted steel plates, hull material, opened a huge crack of several tens of meters and there is no satisfactory explanation enough today. The steel was qualified poor for excess sulfur, giving excessive importance to the presence of manganese sulphide inclusions not globular shape, giving too much atention on the failure of the rivets. Actually the primordial cause was, in our opinion, the absence of grain refining alloyings and appropiate heat treatment of the plate, which produced excessive grain size. Under the conditions of navigation in waters below 0 ° C, the steel of the Titanic had amply exceeded the ductile-fragile transition temperature, turning the boat hull ...

Al-hadrayi Z I A D O O N M.R

Armineh Noravian

Dennis Doordan

Ahmet Fatih Yilmaz

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Title: hierarchical physically based machine learning in material science: the case study of spider silk.

Abstract: Multiscale phenomena exhibit complex structure-function relationships, and predicting their macroscopic behavior requires deducing differential equations at different scales. The complexity of these equations and the number of essential parameters make developing effective, predictive models challenging. To overcome this, researchers explore leveraging advanced numerical techniques from artificial intelligence and machine learning. Here, we focus on a fundamental aspect in multiscale phenomena, i.e the recognition of the hierarchical role of variables. By adopting a Pareto front interpretation, we aim to deduce simple and accurate relations for material modeling, starting from experimental multiscale analyses. From a physical point of view, the aim is to deduce information at higher scales from lower scales data, possibly respecting their hierarchical order. A crucial aspect of the proposed approach is the deduction of causality relations among the different variables to be compared with the available theoretical notions and possibly new interpretations resulting by the data modelling. This result in a stepwise approximation going from data modelling to theoretical equations and back to data modelling. To demonstrate the key advantages of our multiscale numerical approach, compared to classical, non-physically based data modelling techniques, we consider the explicit example of spider silk, known for its exceptional properties and bioinspiration potential. Indeed, it presents a complex behavior resulting from mesostructures formed by the aggregation of amino acids at the molecular scale. We argue that, due to the generality of our results, our approach may represent a proof of concept in many fields where multiscale, hierarchical differential equations regulate the observed phenomenon.

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MSE 5090: Case Studies in Material Selection

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The field of Materials Science & Engineering is evolving dramatically as we enter the 21st Century. What began as the study of metals and ceramics in the 1960s has broadened in recent years to include semiconductors and soft materials. With this evolution and broadening of the discipline, current research projects span multiple materials classes and build on expertise in many different fields. As a result, current research in Materials Science and Engineering is increasingly defined by materials systems rather than materials classes.

At Cornell, the Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MS&E) has adopted this new systems-based vision of the field by defining four strategic areas which are considered to be critical for today’s emerging research. The four strategic research areas are Energy Production and Storage, Electronics and Photonics, Bioinspired Materials and Systems, and Green Technologies.

Materials Science & Engineering is an exciting and vibrant interdisciplinary research field. Cornell MS&E draws upon its world-class faculty, innovative researchers, state-of-the-art facilities and highly collaborative research environment to respond to challenging technological and societal demands both in the present and the future.

Energy Production

Energy Production and Storage

Energy research will prove to be the most prosperous growth area for the department, the College and the University. The inevitability of an energy crisis and global climate change has intensified efforts in alternative energy research around the world. The excitement building around this sector is reminiscent of the early years of the information technology revolution. Among the many possible sources of alternative energy, the following areas are particularly aligned with the current materials research at Cornell as they play to our existing strengths:  photocatalysis, photovoltaics, thermoelectrics, phononics, batteries  and  supercapacitors .

Relevant Research Areas: 

  • Energy Systems
  • Advanced Materials Processing
  • Materials Synthesis and Processing
  • Nanotechnology
  • Nonlinear Dynamics
  • Polymers and Soft Matter
  • Semiconductor Physics and Devices

Electronics & Photonics

Electronics & Photonics

The use of semiconductor devices and circuits will continue to play a major role in modern life. Therefore electronics and photonics are considered premier growth areas. As feature sizes decrease, incremental research based on current methods and materials is unlikely to enable Moore's Law to continue. New materials and processing techniques are needed. Advances in nanoscale fabrication have led to recent advances in this field. We have targeted the following areas: oxide semiconductors, 3D integration, materials beyond silicon, high K and low K dielectrics, plasmonics, spintronics, and multiferroics.

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Bioinspired Materials and Systems

Bioinspired Materials and Systems

Scientists and engineers are increasingly turning to nature for inspiration. The solutions arrived at by natural selection are often a good starting point in the search for answers to scientific and technical problems. Designing and building bioinspired devices or systems can tell us more about the original animal or plant model. The following areas are particularly aligned with the current materials research at Cornell:  bioinspired composites, engineered protein films for adhesion, lubrication and sensing applications , molecular tools for in-vitro and in-vivo imaging (C-Dots, FRET), as well as biomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery.

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Green Technologies

The 21st century has been called the "century of the environment." Neither governments nor individual citizens can any longer assume that social challenges such as pollution, dwindling natural resources and climate change can be set aside for future generations. Strategies for clean and sustainable communities need to be established now, community by community. A dawning era of creativity and innovation in "green technology" (also known as "clean technology") is bringing the promise of a healthier planet (as well as the prospect of growing businesses) that can sustain its health.  We have targeted green composites and new systems for CO2 capture and conversion as areas of future growth .

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Department of Materials Science and Engineering

White Building (7204) Phone: 216.368.4230 Department Chair: Frank Ernst [email protected]

Materials science and engineering is a discipline that extends from understanding the microscopic structure and properties of materials to designing materials in engineering systems and evaluating their performance. Achievements in materials engineering underpin the revolutionary advances in technology that define the modern standard of living. Materials scientists and engineers understand how the properties of materials relate to their microscopic structure and composition and engineer the synthesis and microstructure of materials to advance their performance in conventional and innovative technical applications.

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering of the Case School of Engineering offers programs leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Science in Engineering, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy. The technological challenges that materials engineers face demand knowledge across a broad spectrum of materials. The Department conducts academic and research activities with metals, ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, and composites. Timely research and education respond to the demands for new materials and improved materials performance in existing applications, often transcending the traditional materials categories.

While a discipline of engineering, the field brings basic science to bear on the technological challenges related to the performance of industrial products and their manufacture. Materials science draws on chemistry in its concern for bonding, synthesis, and composition of engineering materials and their chemical interactions with the environment. Physics provides a basis for understanding the atomistic and electronic structure of materials and how they determine mechanical, thermal, optical, magnetic, and electrical properties. Mathematics, computation, and data science provide quantitative physical theories and modeling of the atomistic and electronic structure and provide advances in methods for microstructural analysis, materials design, and manufacturing processes.

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering engages faculty, students, postdoctoral researchers, engineers, and staff in developing and understanding relationships between processing, structure, properties, and the performance of materials in engineering applications.  The Department provides a research-intensive environment that encourages collaboration and underpins modern education of undergraduate and graduate students as well as professionals in the field. This environment provides a strong foundation for advancing the frontiers of materials research, developing important technical innovations, and preparing engineers and scientists for challenging leadership careers.

Research Areas

Deformation and fracture.

Stress–strain relations during elastic and anelastic deformation. Plastic deformation mechanisms controlled by dislocation activity, twinning, or transformation-induced shear mechanisms, as well as by creep and viscous flow mechanisms under uniaxial, biaxial, and triaxial stress states, in particular in plane-strain and/or plane-stress conditions. Relationships between structure (atomistic structure and microstructure) and mechanical behavior of crystalline and glassy materials, including metals, intermetallics, semiconductors, ceramics, and composites. State-of-the-art facilities are available for testing mechanical properties over a range of strain rates, test temperatures, stress states, and size scales under monotonic and cyclic loading and under stress–corrosion conditions. 

Materials Processing

Phase-transformation- and thermo-mechanical processing of alloys, including solution-, precipitation-, recovery-and-recrystallization- and stress-relief heat-treatments, also for intentional generation of residual-stresses. Deformation processing of materials. Surface engineering, crystal growth, sputter-, vapor- and laser-ablation synthesis of films. Melting and casting of metal alloys into sand/ceramic molds, injection into metallic molds, and by rapid solidification to form crystalline or (metallic-) glass ribbons. Ceramic- and metal powder synthesis. Consolidation processing by cold-pressing and sintering, electric-field-assisted compaction, or hot-pressing. Composite materials by forming of layered materials, electroplated metals, diffusion-bonding, brazing, and welding. Electrochemical- and thermo-chemical conversion processing, e.g. oxide-film growth by anodizing or thermochemical conversion. Synthesis of micro-to-nano-porous metal/oxide structures, e.g. for battery and capacitor electrodes or for catalyst support.

Environmental Effects

Durability and lifetime extension of structural, energy-conversion-, and energy-storage materials, including materials for solar energy conversion. Corrosion, oxidation, stress-corrosion, low- and high-cycle fatigue, adhesion, decohesion, friction, and wear. Surface modification and coatings, adhesion, bonding, and dis-bonding of dissimilar materials, reliability of electronics, photonics, and sensors.

Surfaces and Interfaces

Material surfaces in vacuum, ambient-, and chemical environments, grain- and phase boundaries, hetero-interfaces (interfaces between different metals, ceramics, carbon/graphite, polymers, and combinations thereof). 

Electronic, Magnetic, and Optical Materials

Materials for energy conversion technologies, such as photovoltaics, organic and inorganic light-emitting diodes and displays, fuel cells, electrolytic capacitors, solid-state Li-ion batteries, and building-envelope materials. Processing, properties, and characterization of magnetic, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric materials.

Microcharacterization of Materials

Facilities for high-resolution imaging, spatially resolved chemical analysis and spectrometry, and diffractometry. Conventional, analytical, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, focused ion beam techniques, scanning probe microscopy, light-optical microscopy, optical and electron spectroscopies, surface analysis, and X-ray diffractometry.

Materials Data Science

Rapid qualification of alloys, data science applications in polymers and coatings. Distributed computing, informatics, statistical analytics, exploratory data analysis, statistical modeling, and prediction.  Hadoop, cloud computing, and computationally intensive research are supported through the operation of a scalable high-performance computing (HPC) system.

Frank Ernst, Dr. rer. nat. habil. (University of Göttingen) Leonard Case Jr. Professor of Engineering https://goo.gl/OWsF9K Microstructure and microcharacterization, alloy surface engineering, defects in crystalline materials, interface- and stress-related phenomena.

Laura S. Bruckman, PhD (University of South Carolina) Associate Professor Materials data science, lifetime and degradation science, study protocol development, spatiotemporal data integration

Jennifer W. Carter, PhD (The Ohio State University) Associate Professor Processing–structure–property relationships of crystalline and amorphous materials. Multi-scale material characterization methods for correlating local microstructural features with mechanical and environmental responses.

Roger H. French, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Kyocera Professor Optical properties and electronic structure of polymers, ceramics, optical and biomolecular materials. These determine the vdW interactions which drive wetting of interfaces and mesoscale assembly biomolecular and inorganic systems including CNTs, proteins and DNA. Energy research focused on lifetime and degradation science. Including developing CRADLE, a Hadoop/Hbase/Spark-based distributed computing environment, for data science and analytics of complex systems such as photovoltaics and outdoor exposed materials. This allows multi-factor real-world performance to be integrated with lab-based datasets to identify mechanisms and pathways activated over lifetime using statistical and machine learning.

John J. Lewandowski, PhD (Carnegie Mellon University) Arthur P. Armington Professor of Engineering Mechanical behavior of materials. Fracture and fatigue. Micromechanisms of deformation and fracture. Composite materials. Bulk metallic glasses and composites. Refractory metals. Toughening of brittle materials. High-pressure deformation and fracture studies. Hydrostatic extrusion.

James D. McGuffin-Cawley, PhD (Case Western Reserve University) Arthur S. Holden Professor of Engineering Powder processing of ceramics. Manufacturing and materials. Additive manufacturing and rapid prototyping. Aggregation phenomena. Defects, diffusion, and solid state reactions. Materials for optical devices.

Alp Sehirlioglu, PhD (University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign) Associate Professor Energy conversion materials, including piezoelectrics and thermoelectrics. Bulk and film electro-ceramics. Epitaxial oxide films.

Gerhard E. Welsch, PhD (Case Western Reserve University) Professor High-temperature materials. Materials for capacitive energy storage. Metals, metal sponges, oxides. Mechanical and electrical properties. Synthesis.

Matthew A. Willard, PhD (Carnegie Mellon University) Associate Professor Magnetic materials: properties, microstructure evolution, phase formation, and processing conditions. Rapid solidification processing. Soft magnetic materials. Permanent magnet materials. Magnetic shape memory alloys, magnetocaloric effects, magnetic nanoparticles, and multiferroics.

Research Faculty

Janet L. Gbur, PhD (Case Western Reserve University) Research Assistant Professor Fatigue and fracture of medical materials, mechanical behavior of superelastic Nitinol; development of microscale medical devices for rehabilitation; and flexible circuit fabrication using aerosol jet printing.

Hoda Amani Hamedani, PhD (Georgia Institute of Technology) Research Assistant Professor Nanomaterials synthesis and characterization for electrochemical energy harvesting, conversion (solar cells, fuel cells). Nanostructured platforms for biomedical applications including flexible bioelectronics and implantable microdevices, localized drug delivery, neural interfacing, sensing and in vivo power generation.

Jeffrey Yarus, PhD (University of South Carolina) Research Professor Applications of data science and statistics in materials science, materials engineering, and geology.

Secondary Faculty

Clemens Burda, PhD Professor Chemistry

Sunniva Collins, PhD Associate Professor Mechanical Engineering

Liming Dai, PhD Kent Hale Smith Professor Macromolecular Science and Engineering

Walter Lambrecht, PhD Professor Physics

Clare Rimnac, PhD Professor Mechanical Engineering

Mohan Sankaran, PhD Goodrich Professor of Engineering Innovation Chemical Engineering

Russell Wang, DDS Associate Professor Dentistry

Xiong (Bill) Yu, PhD, PE Professor Civil Engineering

Adjunct Faculty

Jennifer Braid, PhD (Colorado School of Mines) Adjunct Professor Developing data science and computer vision techniques for PV module and system research

Arnon Chait, PhD (The Ohio State University) Adjunct Professor NASA Lewis Research Center

Mark DeGuire, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Adjunct Associate Professor

George Fisher, PhD Adjunct Professor Ion Vacuum Technologies Corporation

N.J. Henry Holroyd, PhD (Newcastle University) Adjunct Professor Luxfer Gas Cylinders

Jeffrey J. Hoyt, PhD (University of California, Berkeley) Adjunct Professor McMaster University

Jennie S. Hwang, PhD (Case Western Reserve University) Adjunct Professor H-Technologies Group

Peter Lagerlof, PhD (Case Western Reserve University) Adjunct Associate Professor

Ina Martin, PhD (Colorado State University) Adjunct Assistant Professor Case Western Reserve University

Farrel Martin, PhD Adjunct Professor United States Naval Research Laboratory

David Matthiesen, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Adjunct Associate Professor

Terence Mitchell, PhD (University of Cambridge) Adjunct Professor Los Alamos National Laboratory

Erik Mueller, PhD (University of Florida) Adjunct Assistant Professor

Badri Narayanan, PhD (The Ohio State University) Adjunct Assistant Professor Lincoln Electric

Joe H. Payer, PhD Adjunct Professor University of Akron

Timothy Peshek, PhD (Case Western Reserve University) Adjunct Assistant Professor NASA Glenn Research Center

Rudolph Podgornik, PhD (University of Ljubljana) Adjunct Professor University of Ljubljana

Gary Ruff, PhD (Case Western Reserve University) Adjunct Professor Ruff Associates

Ali Sayir, PhD (Case Western Reserve University) Adjunct Professor Air Force Office of Scientific Research

Mohsen Seifi, PhD (Case Western Reserve University) Adjunct Assistant Professor ASTM International

Emeritus Faculty

William A. "Bud" Baeslack III, PhD (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) Professor Welding, joining of materials, and titanium and aluminum metallurgy

Mark De Guire, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Associate Professor Synthesis and properties of ceramics in bulk and thin-film form, including fuel cell materials, gas sensors, coatings for biomedical applications, photovoltaics, and ferrites. Testing and microstructural characterization of materials for alternative energy applications. High-temperature phase equilibria. Defect chemistry.

Arthur H. Heuer Professor

Peter Lagerlof, PhD (Case Western Reserve University) Associate Professor Mechanical properties of ceramics and metals. Low-temperature deformation twinning. Light-induced plasticity of semiconductors. Methodology of transmission electron microscopy and diffractometry.

David Matthiesen, PhD (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Associate Professor Nitride-based ferromagnetic materials. Applied atomistic simulation of materials. Materials for use in wind turbines. Wind resource measurements onshore and offshore. Materials interactions with ice. Bulk crystal growth processing. Process engineering in manufacturing. Heat, mass, and momentum transport.

Pirouz Pirouz Professor

  • Applied Data Science, Graduate Certificate
  • Applied Data Science, Minor
  • Materials Science and Engineering, BSE
  • Materials Science and Engineering, Minor
  • Materials Science and Engineering, MS
  • Materials Science and Engineering, PhD

 Dual Degrees

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Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Reliability Center (AMMRC)

White Building 115, 211, 216, 222, 300, 338

Deformation Processing Laboratory: White Building 115 Nitonol Commercialization Accelerator: White Building 300, 338 Mechanical Testing Laboratories: White Building 211, 216, 222

Contact: John Lewandowski 216-368-4234 [email protected]

The AMMRC (Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Reliability Center) permits the determination of mechanical behavior of materials over loading rates ranging from static to impact, with the capability of testing under a variety of stress states under either monotonic or cyclic conditions. A variety of furnaces and environmental chambers are available to enable testing at temperatures ranging from -196 °C to 1800 °C. The facility is operated under the direction of a faculty member and under the guidance of a full-time engineer.  The facility contains one of the few laboratories in the world for high-pressure deformation and processing, enabling experimentation under a variety of stress states and temperatures. This state-of-the-art facility includes the following equipment:

  • High-Pressure Deformation Apparatus:   Th is unit enables tension or compression testing to be conducted under conditions of high hydrostatic pressure and consists of a pressure vessel and diagnostics for measurement of load and displacement on deforming specimens, as well as instantaneous pressure in the vessel. Pressures up to 1.0 GPa loads up to 10 kN, and displacements of up to 25 mm are possible. This oil-based apparatus can be operated at temperatures up to 300 °C.
  • Hydrostatic-Extrusion Apparatus:  Hydrostatic extrusion (e.g. pressure-to-air, pressure-to-pressure) can be conducted at temperatures up to 300 °C on manually operated equipment interfaced with a computer data acquisition package. Pressures up to 2.0 GPa are possible, with reduction ratios up to 6 to 1, while various diagnostics provide real time monitoring of extrusion pressure and ram displacement.
  • Advanced Forging-Simulation Rig:   A multi-actuator MTS machine based on 1.5 MN, four post frame, enables sub-scale forging simulations over industrially relevant strain rates. A 490 kN forging actuator is powered by five nitrogen accumulators enabling loading rates up to 3.0 m/s on large specimens. A 980 kN indexing actuator provides precise deformation sequences for either single, or multiple, deformation sequences. Dat a acquisition at rates sufficient for analysis is available. Testing with heated dies is possible.
  • Advanced Metal-Forming Rig: A four-post frame with separate control of punch actuator speed and blank hold down pressure enables determination of forming limit diagrams. Dynamic control of blank hold down pressure is possible, with maximum punch actuator speeds of 30.0 cm/s. A variety of die sets are available.
  • Servo-hydraulic Machines:   Four MTS Model 810 computer-controlled machines with load capacities of 13 kN, 90 kN, 220 kN, and 220 kN, permit tension, compression, and fatigue studies to be conducted under load-, strain-, or stroke control. Fatigue crack growth may be monitored via a DC potential drop technique as well as via KRAK gauges applied to the specimen surfaces. Fatigue studies may be conducted at frequencies up to 30 Hz. In addition, an Instron Model 1331 90 kN Servo-hydraulic machine is available for both quasi-state and cyclic testing.
  • Universal Testing Machines:  Three INSTRON screw-driven machines, including two INSTRON Model 1125 units permit tension, compression, and torsion testing.
  • Electromechanical Testing Machine:  A computer-controlled INSTRON Model 1361 can be operated under load-, strain-, or stroke control. Stroke rates as slow as 0.3 nm/s are possible.
  • Fatigue Testing Machines:  Three Sonntag fatigue machines and two R. R. Moore rotating-bending fatigue machines are available for producing fatigue-life (S–N) data. The Sonntag machines may be operated at frequencies up to 60 Hz.
  • Creep Testing Machines:  Three constant load frames with temperature capabilities up to 800 °C permit creep testing, while recently modified creep frames permit thermal cycling experiments as well as slow cyclic creep experiments.
  • Impact Testing Machines:  Two Charpy impact machines with capacities ranging from 20 ft-lbs to 240 ft-lbs are available. Accessories include a Dynatup instrumentation package interfaced with an IBM PC, which enables recording of load vs. time traces on bend specimens as well as on tension specimens tested under impact conditions.
  • Instrumented Microhardness Tester:   A Nikon Model QM High-Temperature Microhardness Tester permits indentation studies on specimens tested at temperatures ranging from -196 °C to 1 200 °C under vacuum and inert gas atmospheres. This unit is complemented by a Zwick Model 3212 Microhardness Tester as well as a variety of Rockwell Hardness and Brinell Hardness Testing Machines.

Swagelok Center for Surface Analysis of Materials

Glennan Building 101

Contact: Jennifer Carter, 216-368-4214, [email protected] Jeffrey Pigott, 216-368-6012, [email protected] Website: https://engineering.case.edu/centers/scsam/

SCSAM, the Swagelok Center for Surface Analysis of Materials, is a multi-user facility providing cutting-edge major instrumentation for microcharacterization of materials. SCSAM is administered by the CSE (Case School of Engineering) and is central to much of the research carried out by CSE's seven departments. The facility is also extensively used by the CAS (College of Arts and Sciences) Departments of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, as well as many departments within the School of Medicine and the School of Dental Medicine. Typically, more than 200 users, mostly academic, utilize the facility per year.

SCSAM's instruments encompass a wide and complementary range of characterization techniques, which provide a comprehensive resource for high-resolution imaging, diffractometry, and spatially-resolved compositional analysis.

Current capabilities for high-resolution imaging include: an AFM (atomic force microscope) which can optionally be operated with an imaging nanoindenter scan head or a stand-alone automated nanoindenter; a Keyence optical microscope providing the next-generation of optical microscopy with a large depth-of-field and advanced measurement capabilities for inspection and failure analysis.; two scanning electron microscopes, one equipped for FIB (focused ion beam) micromachining, and both equipped with XEDS (X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry), TSEM (transmission scanning electron microscopy), and EBSD (electron backscatter diffraction) detectors. 

For XRD (X-ray diffractometry), SCSAM provides two diffractometers with 1D and 2D detectors to allow for phase identification, phase fraction determination, crystal structure refinements, as well as stress and strain measurements of crystalline solids.

SCSAM's surface analysis suite of instruments includes an instrument for ToF-SIMS (time-of-flight secondary-ion mass spectrometry), a SAM (scanning Auger microprobe) for spatially resolved AES (Auger electron spectroscopy), and an instrument for XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, also known as ESCA, electron spectrometry for chemical analysis), that accomplishes high spatial resolution by operating with a focused X-ray beam. 

SCSAM’s instruments are housed in a centralized area allowing users convenient access to state-of-the-art tools for their research. For more information, please visit the center’s website .

Magnetometry Laboratory

Contact: Matthew Willard 216-368-5070

[email protected]

The Magnetometry Laboratory has facilities used to investigate the magnetic properties of materials.  This laboratory has the following instruments:

Lake Shore Cryotronics Model 7410 Vibrating Sample Magnetometer  This instrument serves for measurement of hysteresis loops (at constant temperature) and thermomagnetic measurements (at constant magnetic field). The maximum applied field at room temperature (without furnace in place) is 3.1 T. For high temperature measurements, the maximum applied field is 2.5 T over the temperature range from room temperature to 1000 °C.

Home-Built Magnetostriction Measurement System  This system has been designed and built to measure the shape change of magnetic materials under applied magnetic fields. Better than 1 ppm sensitivity is possible by this strain gauge technique. An applied field of ≈0.2 T is used to saturate samples.

SDLE Research Center

White Building 538

Contact: Roger French

216-368-3655

[email protected]

The SDLE Research Center was established in 2011 as a Wright Project Center with funding from Ohio Third Frontier. Initially it was dedicated to advancing the fields of lifetime and degradation science using data science. The research center activities have expanded to include research focused on the durability and degradation of environmentally exposed, long-lived materials and technologies such as photovoltaics (PV), coatings, energy efficient lighting, and building envelope applications, as well as broad-based collaborations in materials data science in reliability and degradation, carbon capture and storage, geothermal energy applications. 

Today the SDLE Research Center is advancing the development of Materials Data Science for use in Materials Reliability, Materials Science and broader application areas. 

The SDLE Research Center, also includes the SDLE Core Facility, which is a CWRU User Facility, which provides both reliability and Materials Data Science tools and capabilities available to the CWRU community, other academic researchers and industrial and national laboratory researchers.

A data science approach is needed to handle large-scale data on materials, components, systems, modules, commercial power plants, and the grid. These approaches involve data ingestion into nonrelational data warehouses and data-driven modeling with a foundation in the underlying physics and chemistry of degradation and lifetime performance. Assembling FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data and other data, developing and sharing codes and tools, and reporting research results along a materials value chain is a key component of the Center. The SDLE Research Center facilitates complex data-driven modeling, including geostatistical, geospatiotemporal modeling, graph network modeling, and degradation network models. The data analytics platform (CRADLE), an integrated distributed and high performance computing cluster, was developed in the center to facilitate large data storage and analysis with ease of access to team members enabling fleets of high performance computing jobs for improved data analytics.

The SDLE Center has developed a method to enable large-scale distributed analysis of commercial fleet scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants for both performance loss rate (PLR) determination and power forecasting. This study includes a set of timeseries datasets for 100,000 PV plant inverters and determines the data quality of these plants in relation to prediction of PLR. Additionally, a multi-year benchmarking and review of the impact of data quality and filtering, power prediction algorithms, and PLR determination methods has defined the challenges in PLR determination. The data quality, data gaps, and filtering of timeseries data of commercial fleets of PV plants restrict which algorithms analyses can use and can bias results and reduce their accuracy. Data quality and data gaps can be improved with spatio-temporal graph neural network (st-GNN) models of PV power plant data including satellite weather data and autoencoders for data imputation of missing data. FAIR data principles are used to make FAIR data and models in order to improve transferability of data and models.

The SDLE Center has a focus on materials data science in relation to long-lived materials. This work determines the degradation mechanisms in material systems, which can be mitigated to optimize lifetime performance of materials, components, and devices. Understanding these key degradation mechanisms in relation to the stress and stress level is fundamental to lifetime and degradation science (L&DS). By encompassing the knowledge from the experimental insights of the degradation of materials, the lifetime of materials can be predicted under multiple different stress conditions. Thus far traditional materials reliability has been flawed with costly failures in applications such as polyamide backsheet failure in photovoltaic (PV) modules. The Center has developed an epidemiological approach to understanding materials degradation which provides more scientific value by giving information on the standard deviation within a population. Additionally, by combining standard and modified accelerated exposures with real-world exposures, degradation can be more accurately predicted on a variety of different grades of materials or component structure. Then data-driven or network modeling provides insights into the impact of stress conditions on degradation and performance. Real-world degradation gives the information on the complex and synergistic nature of materials degradation compared to single or even combinational accelerated stressors. The unique environment that a material exists in the real world or in-use conditions is varied due to specific microstressors as well as the impact of climate change on climate zones.

Geostatistical geospatiotemporal modeling is an active area of research within SDLE which is a quantitative method for mapping phenomena that are inherently tied to geographic and/or temporal space. The method provides for estimating at unsampled locations and for simulating multiple equally probable realizations to assess the space of uncertainty in the subsurface, surface, or near surface environment. Applications include environmental, mineral resources, geothermal, hydrology, agriculture, climate, forestry, soil, air, and more.

The SDLE Research Center’s Core Facility has capabilities and equipment including:

Outdoor solar exposures: SunFarm with 14 dual-axis solar trackers with multi-sun concentrators, and power degradation monitoring

Solar simulators for 1-1000X solar exposures

Multi-factor environmental test chambers with temperature, humidity, freeze/thaw, and cycling

A full suite of optical, interfacial, thermo-mechanical, and electrical evaluation tools for materials, components, and systems

CRADLE: 800 Terabytes of  nonrelational data warehouses based on Cloudera’s distribution of Apache’s Hadoop, Hbase, and Spark

High Performance Compute Cluster for data science and analytics

The Center for Materials Data Science for Reliability and Degradation (MDS-Rely)

The  Center for Materials Data Science for Reliability and Degradation (MDS-Rely) is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Industry-University Cooperative Research Center (IUCRC) which CWRU leads in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh. Center Members from both industry and government join the Center as Members and directly fund center research. MDS-Rely seeks to apply data science-informed research to better understand the reliability and lifetime of essential materials, while creating code packages, models, and other materials-agnostic deliverables that are jointly owned by Member organizations .

Through a series of competencies, research thrusts, and materials value chains, MDS-Rely focuses on transferable research outputs while training a data-enabled workforce of students and graduates that enjoy strong, collaborative relationships with our Member organizations. Through a diverse research portfolio, MDS-Rely provides insight into the following areas:

1. Competencies: Standards & Reliability Protocols; Materials Data Science; Reliability, Performance, & Degradation Solutions 2. Research Thrusts: Weathering & Performance; Subtractive & Additive Manufacturing; Energy Technologies. 3. Materials Value Chains: Polymers, Elastomers, & Coatings; Metals & Alloys; Semiconductors & Optoelectronics; and an evolving focus on circular economy, sustainability, & climate.

MDS-Rely works in close partnership with the SDLE Research Center. Interested parties should reach out to Jonathan Steirer, Managing Director, at [email protected] or Roger French, Center Director, at [email protected]

EMSE (Materials Science and Engineering)

Dsci (applied data science).

EMSE 102. Materials for Current and Future Technologies. 1 Unit.

Open to all students discussing the importance of materials on current and future technologies. The course will be a series of seminars by the faculty at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering covering important topics such as materials processing, use of materials in a variety of technologically important areas; e.g., construction, energy related technologies, biomedical applications and space applications.

EMSE 110. Transitioning Ideas to Reality I - Materials in Service of Industry and Society. 1 Unit.

In order for ideas to impact the lives of individuals and society they must be moved from "blue sky" to that which is manufacturable. Therein lies true creativity - design under constraint. Greater Cleveland is fortunate to have a diverse set of industries that serve medical, aerospace, electric, and advanced-materials technologies. This course involves trips to an array of work sites of leading companies to witness first-hand the processes and products, and to interact directly with practitioners. Occasional in-class speakers with demonstrations will be used when it is not logistically reasonable to visit off-site.

EMSE 120. Transitioning Ideas to Reality II - Manufacturing Laboratory. 2 Units.

This course complements EMSE 110 . In that class students witness a diverse array of processing on-site in industry. In this class students work in teams and as individuals within processing laboratories working with an array of "real materials" to explore the potential of casting, machining, and deformation processes to produce real parts and/or components. An introduction to CAD as a means of communication is provided. The bulk of the term is spent in labs doing hands-on work. Planned work is carried out to demonstrate techniques and potential. Students have the opportunity to work independently or in teams to produce articles as varied as jewelry, electronics, transportation vehicles, or novel components or devices of the students' choosing.

EMSE 125. First Year Research in Materials Science and Engineering. 1 Unit.

First year students conduct independent research in the area of material science and engineering, working closely with graduate student(s) and/or postdoctoral fellow(s), and supervised by an EMSE faculty member. An average of 5-6 hr/wk in the laboratory, periodic updates, and an end of semester report is required. Prereq: Limited to first year undergraduate students..

EMSE 220. Materials Laboratory I. 2 Units.

Experiments designed to introduce processing, microstructure and property relationships of metal alloys and ceramics. Solidification of a binary alloy and metallography by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Synthesis of ceramics powders, thermal analysis using thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis, powder consolidation. Kinetics of high-temperature sintering, grain growth, and metal oxidation. Statistical analysis of experimental results. Recommended preparation or recommended co-requisite: EMSE 276 . This course satisfies the GER Disciplinary Communication requirement only in combination with EMSE 320 . Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course.

EMSE 228. Mathematical and Computational Methods for Materials Science and Engineering. 3 Units.

The course combines fundamental topics of material science and engineering with underlying mathematical methods and coding for computation. Focusing on the mathematics of vectors and using Mathematica as computational framework, the course teaches how to solve problems drawn from crystallography, diffraction, imaging of materials, and image processing. Students will develop a fundamental understanding of the basis for solving these problems including understanding the constituent equations, solution methods, and analysis and presentation of results. Prereq: ( ENGR 130 or ENGR 131 or CSDS 132 or ECSE 132 ) and ( ENGR 145 or CHEM 106 or PHYS 221 ).

EMSE 276. Materials Properties: Composition and Structure. 3 Units.

Relation of crystal structure, microstructure, and chemical composition to the selected properties of materials. The role materials processing has in controlling structure so as to obtain desired properties, using examples from metals, semiconductors, ceramics, and composites. Demonstration of properties determined by type and strength of interatomic bonding; presence of crystallographic defects; and microstructural control. Use of diagrams, frameworks, and mathematical relationships to evaluate and predict properties. A systematic review of characterization methods for assessing the state of different classes of materials will be provided throughout the course. Prereq: MATH 121 and ( CHEM 106 or PHYS 221 or ENGR 145 ). Prereq or Coreq: PHYS 122 or PHYS 124 .

EMSE 308. Welding Metallurgy. 3 Units.

Introduction to arc welding and metallurgy of welding. The course provides a broad overview of different industrial applications requiring welding, the variables controlling critical property requirements of the weld and a survey of the different types of arc welding processes. The course details the fundamental concepts that govern the different aspects of arc welding including the welding arc, weld pool solidification, precipitate formation and solid state phase transformations. Offered as EMSE 308 and EMSE 408 . Coreq: EMSE 327 .

EMSE 319. Processing and Manufacturing of Materials. 3 Units.

Introduction to processing technologies by which materials are manufactured into engineering components. Discussion of how processing methods are dependent on desired composition, structure, microstructure, and defects, and how processing affects material performance. Emphasis will be placed on processes and treatments to achieve or improve chemical, mechanical, physical performance and/or aesthetics, including: casting, welding, forging, cold-forming, powder processing of metals and ceramics, and polymer and composite processing. Coverage of statistics and computational tools relevant to materials manufacturing. Prereq: EMSE 276 .

EMSE 320. Materials Laboratory II. 1 Unit.

Introduce the design of microstructural characterization approaches to elucidate the structure and/or microstructure. It will include demonstrations of appropriate techniques for different material classes. The characterization is the enabler of the materials science and engineering triad: processing-structure-properties-performance. Students will reflect on how professional standards, statistical analysis, and instrument limitations require that engineers and scientists conduct failure analysis and interpret conclusions. Recommended preparation: EMSE 276 . Recommended corequisite: EMSE 372 . This course satisfies the GER Disciplinary Communication requirement only in combination with EMSE 220 . Counts as a Disciplinary Communication course.

EMSE 325. Undergraduate Research in Materials Science and Engineering. 1 - 3 Units.

Undergraduate laboratory research in materials science and engineering. Students will undertake an independent research project alongside graduate student(s) and/or postdoctoral fellow(s), and will be supervised by an EMSE faculty member. Written and oral reports will be given on a regular basis, and an end of semester report is required. The course can be repeated up to four (4) times for a total of six (6) credit hours. Prereq: Sophomore or Junior standing and consent of instructor.

EMSE 327. Thermodynamic Stability and Rate Processes. 3 Units.

An introduction to thermodynamics of materials as applied to metals, ceramics, polymers and optical/radiant heat transfer for photovoltaics. The laws of thermodynamics are introduced and the general approaches used in the thermodynamic method are presented. Systems studied span phase stability and oxidation in metals and oxides; nitride ceramics and semiconductors; polymerization, crystallization and block copolymer domain formation; and the thermodynamics of systems such as for solar power collection and conversion. Recommended preparation: EMSE 228 and ENGR 225 or equivalent. Prereq: EMSE 276 or EMSE 201.

EMSE 328. Mesoscale Structural Control of Functional Materials. 3 Units.

The course focuses on mesoscale structure of materials and their interrelated effects on properties, mostly in electrical in nature. The mesoscale science covers the structures varying from electronic- to micro-structure. In each scale, fundamental science will be complimented by examples of applications and how the structure is exploited both to modify and enable function. The student will develop an understanding of how the structure across multiple scales are interrelated and how to tailor them for desired outcomes. Offered as: EMSE 328 and EMSE 428 . Prereq: ( MATH 223 or MATH 227 ) and ( EMSE 276 or EMSE 201).

EMSE 330. Materials Laboratory III. 2 Units.

Experiments designed to characterize and evaluate different microstructures produced by variations in processing. Hardenability of steels, TTT and CT diagrams, precipitation hardening of alloys and fracture of brittle materials. Statistical analysis of experimental results. Recommended preparation: EMSE 276 . Recommended preparation or co-requisites: EMSE 327 .

EMSE 335. Strategic Metals and Materials for the 21st Century. 3 Units.

This course seeks to create an understanding of the role of mineral-based materials in the modern economy focusing on how such knowledge can and should be used in making strategic choices in an engineering context. The history of the role of materials in emerging technologies from a historical perspective will be briefly explored. The current literature will be used to demonstrate the connectedness of materials availability and the development and sustainability of engineering advances with examples of applications exploiting structural, electronic, optical, magnetic, and energy conversion properties. Processing will be comprehensively reviewed from source through refinement through processing including property development through application of an illustrative set of engineering materials representing commodities, less common metals, and minor metals. The concept of strategic recycling, including design for recycling and waste stream management will be considered. Offered as EMSE 335 and EMSE 435 . Prereq: Senior standing or graduate student.

EMSE 343. Processing of Electronic Materials. 3 Units.

The class will focus on the processing of materials for electronic applications. Necessary background into the fundamentals and applications will be given at the beginning to provide the basis for choices made during processing. MOSFET will be used as the target application. However, the processing steps covered are related to many other semiconductor based applications. The class will include both planar and bulk processing. Offered as: EMSE 343 and EMSE 443 . Prereq: ( PHYS 122 or PHYS 124 ) and EMSE 276 .

EMSE 345. Engineered Materials for Biomedical Applications. 3 Units.

A survey of synthetic biomedical materials from the perspective of materials science and engineering, focusing on how processing/synthesis, structure, and properties determine materials performance under the engineering demands imposed by physiological environments. Comparisons and contrasts between engineered metals, ceramics, and polymers, versus the biological materials they are called on to replace; consequences for materials and device design. Biomedical materials in applications such as orthopedic implants, dental restorations, wound healing, ophthalmic materials, and biomedical microelectromechanical systems (bioMEMS). Additive manufacturing of biomedical materials. Prereq: ENGR 200 and ENGR 145 .

EMSE 349. Role of Materials in Energy and Sustainability. 3 Units.

This course has two parts: engineered materials as consumers of resources (raw materials, energy); and as key contributors to energy efficiency and sustainable energy technologies. Topics covered include: Energy usage in the U.S. and the world. Availability of raw materials, including strategic materials; factors affecting global reserves and annual world production. Resource demand of materials production, fabrication, and recycling. Design strategies, and how the inclusion of environmental impacts in design criteria can affect design outcomes and material selection. Roles of engineered materials in energy technologies: photovoltaics, solar thermal, fuel cells, wind, batteries, capacitors. Materials in energy-efficient lighting. Energy return on energy invested. Semester projects will allow students to explore related topics (e.g. geothermal; biomass; energy-efficient manufacturing and transportation). Offered as EMSE 349 and EMSE 449 . Prereq: ( ENGR 225 or EMAE 251 or EMAC 351 ) and ENGR 145 and ( PHYS 122 or PHYS 124 ) or Requisites Not Met permission.

EMSE 368. Thesis/Article Writing for Scientists and Engineers. 3 Units.

For writing a publication, such as a thesis or a journal article, in a field of science or engineering, students need a diverse set of skills in addition to mastering the scientific content. Generally, scientific writing requires proficiency in document organization, professional presentation of numerical and graphical data, literature retrieval and management, text processing, version control, graphical illustration, the English language, elements of style, etc. For scientists and engineers, specifically, writing a publication requires additional knowledge about e.g. conventions of numerical precision, error limits, mathematical typesetting, proper use of units, proper digital processing of micrographs, etc. Having to acquire these essential skills at the beginning of writing a thesis or a journal article may compromise the outcome by distracting from the most important task of composing the best possible scientific content. This course properly prepares students for scientific writing with a comprehensive spectrum of knowledge, skills, and tools enabling them to fully focus on the scientific content of their thesis or publication when the time has come to start writing. Similar to artistic drawing, where the ability to "see" is as (or more!) important as skills of the hand, the ability of proper scientific writing is intimately linked to the ability of critically reviewing scientific texts. Therefore, students will practice both authoring and critical reviewing of scientific texts. To sharpen students' skills of reviewing, examples of good and less good scientific writing will be taken from published literature in science and engineering and analyzed in the context of knowledge acquired in the course. At the end of the course, students will have set up skills and a highly functional work environment to start writing their role thesis or article with full focus on the scientific content. Students of all disciplines of science and engineering will benefit from the course material. Offered as EMSE 368 and EMSE 468 .

EMSE 372. Structural Materials by Design. 4 Units.

Materials selection and design of mechanical and structural elements with respect to static failure, elastic stability, residual stresses, stress concentrations, impact, fatigue, creep, and environmental conditions. Mechanical behavior of engineering materials (metals, polymers, ceramics, composites). Influence of ultrastructural and microstructural aspects of materials on mechanical properties. Mechanical test methods covered. Models of deformation behavior of isotropic and anisotropic materials. Methods to analyze static and fatigue fracture properties. Rational approaches to materials selection for new and existing designs of structures. Failure analysis methods and examples, and the professional ethical responsibility of the engineer. Four mandatory laboratories, with reports. Offered as EMAE 372 and EMSE 372 . Prereq: ENGR 200 .

EMSE 379. Design for Lifetime Performance. 3 Units.

The roles of processing and properties of a material on its performance, cost, maintenance, degradation and end-of-life treatment. Corrosion and oxidation, hydrogen and transformation-induced degradation mechanisms. Defects from prior processing. New defects generated during use/operation, e.g. generated from radiation, stress, heat etc. Accumulation and growth of defects during use/operation; crack nucleation, propagation, failure. Impact, abrasion, wear, corrosion/oxidation/reduction, stress-corrosion, fatigue, fretting, creep. Evaluation of degradation: Non-destructive versus destructive methods, estimation of remaining lifetime. Mitigation of degradation mechanisms. Statistical tools for assessing a material's lifetime performance. Capstone design project. Prereq: EMSE 372 . Coreq: EMSE 319 .

EMSE 396. Special Project or Thesis. 1 - 18 Units.

Special research projects or undergraduate thesis in selected material areas.

EMSE 398. Senior Project in Materials I. 1 Unit.

Independent Research project. Projects selected from those suggested by faculty; usually entail original research. The EMSE 398 and 399 sequence form an approved SAGES capstone. Counts as a SAGES Senior Capstone course.

EMSE 399. Senior Project in Materials II. 2 Units.

Independent Research project. Projects selected from those suggested by faculty; usually entail original research. Requirements include periodic reporting of progress, plus a final oral presentation and written report. Counts as a SAGES Senior Capstone course. Prereq: EMSE 398 .

EMSE 400T. Graduate Teaching I. 0 Unit.

To provide teaching experience for all Ph.D.-bound graduate students. This will include preparing exams/quizzes, homework, leading recitation sessions, tutoring, providing laboratory assistance, and developing teaching aids that include both web-based and classroom materials. Graduate students will meet with supervising faculty member throughout the semester. Grading is pass/fail. Students must receive three passing grades and up to two assignments may be taken concurrently. Recommended preparation: Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering.

EMSE 408. Welding Metallurgy. 3 Units.

Introduction to arc welding and metallurgy of welding. The course provides a broad overview of different industrial applications requiring welding, the variables controlling critical property requirements of the weld and a survey of the different types of arc welding processes. The course details the fundamental concepts that govern the different aspects of arc welding including the welding arc, weld pool solidification, precipitate formation and solid state phase transformations. Offered as EMSE 308 and EMSE 408 .

EMSE 409. Deformation Processing. 3 Units.

Flow stress as a function of material and processing parameters; yielding criteria; stress states in elastic-plastic deformation; forming methods: forging, rolling, extrusion, drawing, stretch forming, composite forming.

EMSE 413. Fundamentals of Materials Engineering and Science. 3 Units.

Provides a background in materials for graduate students with undergraduate majors in other branches of engineering and science: reviews basic bonding relations, structure, and defects in crystals. Lattice dynamics; thermodynamic relations in multi-component systems; microstructural control in metals and ceramics; mechanical and chemical properties of materials as affected by structure; control of properties by techniques involving structure property relations; basic electrical, magnetic and optical properties.

EMSE 414. Electrical, Magnetic, Optical, and Thermal Properties of Materials. 3 Units.

Reviews quantum mechanics as applied to materials, energy bands, and density of states; Electrical properties of metals, semiconductors, insulators, and superconductors; Optical properties of materials, including: metallic luster, color, and optoelectronics; Magnetic properties of materials, including: Types of magnetic behavior, theory, and applications; Thermal properties of materials, including: heat capacity, thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity. Prereq: Graduate Standing in Materials Science and Engineering or Requisites Not Met permission.

EMSE 417. Properties of Materials in Extreme Environments. 3 Units.

Fundamentals of degradation pathways of materials under extreme conditions; thermodynamic stability of microstructures, deformation mechanisms, and failure mechanisms. Extreme conditions that will typically be addressed include: elevated temperatures, high-strain rates (ballistic), environmental effects, nuclear radiation, and small scales. Examples will be drawn from recent events as appropriate.

EMSE 421. Fracture of Materials. 3 Units.

Micromechanisms of deformation and fracture of engineering materials. Brittle fracture and ductile fracture mechanisms in relation to microstructure. Strength, toughness, and test techniques. Review of predictive models. Recommended preparation: ENGR 200 and EMSE 427 ; or consent.

EMSE 422. Failure Analysis. 3 Units.

Methods and procedures for determining the basic causes of failures in structures and components. Recognition of fractures and excessive deformations in terms of their nature and origin. Development and full characterization of fractures. Review of essential mechanical behavior concepts and fracture mechanics concepts applied to failure analyses in inorganic, organic, and composite systems. Legal, ethical, and professional aspects of failures from service. Prereq: EMSE 372 or EMAE 372 or Requisites Not Met permission.

EMSE 427. Defects in Solids. 3 Units.

Defects in solids control many properties of interest to the materials scientist or engineer. This course focuses on point, line, and interfacial defects in crystals and their interactions, including calculations of defect energies and interaction forces. Crystallographic defects presented include point defects (e.g., vacancies, interstitials, substitutional and interstitial impurities), line defects (e.g., dislocations), and planar defects (e.g., grain boundaries). The consequence of point defects on diffusion as well as on optical and electronic properties is discussed. Dislocation motion and dislocation dissociation are treated, and the influence of dislocation dynamics on yield phenomena, work hardening, and other mechanical properties are discussed. The role of grain boundaries and inter-phase boundaries in determining the physical properties of the material are presented. Experimental techniques for characterizing defects are integrated throughout the course. Recommended preparation: MATH 223 (or equivalent) and EMSE 276 (or equivalent).

EMSE 428. Mesoscale Structural Control of Functional Materials. 3 Units.

The course focuses on mesoscale structure of materials and their interrelated effects on properties, mostly in electrical in nature. The mesoscale science covers the structures varying from electronic- to micro-structure. In each scale, fundamental science will be complimented by examples of applications and how the structure is exploited both to modify and enable function. The student will develop an understanding of how the structure across multiple scales are interrelated and how to tailor them for desired outcomes. Offered as: EMSE 328 and EMSE 428 .

EMSE 435. Strategic Metals and Materials for the 21st Century. 3 Units.

EMSE 443. Processing of Electronic Materials. 3 Units.

EMSE 449. Role of Materials in Energy and Sustainability. 3 Units.

This course has two parts: engineered materials as consumers of resources (raw materials, energy); and as key contributors to energy efficiency and sustainable energy technologies. Topics covered include: Energy usage in the U.S. and the world. Availability of raw materials, including strategic materials; factors affecting global reserves and annual world production. Resource demand of materials production, fabrication, and recycling. Design strategies, and how the inclusion of environmental impacts in design criteria can affect design outcomes and material selection. Roles of engineered materials in energy technologies: photovoltaics, solar thermal, fuel cells, wind, batteries, capacitors. Materials in energy-efficient lighting. Energy return on energy invested. Semester projects will allow students to explore related topics (e.g. geothermal; biomass; energy-efficient manufacturing and transportation). Offered as EMSE 349 and EMSE 449 . Prereq: ENGR 225 and ( ENGR 145 or EMSE 146) and ( PHYS 122 or PHYS 124 ) or requisites not met permission.

EMSE 468. Thesis/Article Writing for Scientists and Engineers. 3 Units.

EMSE 499. Materials Science and Engineering Colloquium. 0 Unit.

Invited speakers deliver lectures on topics of active research in materials science. Speakers include researchers at universities, government laboratories, and industry. Course is offered only for 0 credits. Attendance is required.

EMSE 500T. Graduate Teaching II. 0 Unit.

To provide teaching experience for all Ph.D.-bound graduate students. This will include preparing exams/quizzes/homework, leading recitation sessions, tutoring, providing laboratory assistance, and developing teaching aids that include both web-based and classroom materials. Graduate students will meet with supervising faculty member throughout the semester. Grading is pass/fail. Students must receive three passing grades and up to two assignments may be taken concurrently. Recommended preparation: Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering.

EMSE 503. Structure of Materials. 3 Units.

The structure of materials and physical properties are explored in terms of atomic bonding and the resulting crystallography. The course will cover basic crystal chemistry, basic crystallography (crystal symmetries, point groups, translation symmetries, space lattices, and crystal classes), basic characterization techniques and basic physical properties related to a materials structure.

EMSE 504. Thermodynamics of Solids. 3 Units.

Review of the first, second, and third laws of thermodynamics and their consequences. Stability criteria, simultaneous chemical reactions, binary and multi-component solutions, phase diagrams, surfaces, adsorption phenomena.

EMSE 505. Phase Transformations, Kinetics, and Microstructure. 3 Units.

Phase diagrams are used in materials science and engineering to understand the interrelationships of composition, microstructure, and processing conditions. The microstructure and phases constitution of metallic and nonmetallic systems alike are determined by the thermodynamic driving forces and reaction pathways. In this course, solution thermodynamics, the energetics of surfaces and interfaces, and both diffusional and diffusionless phase transformations are reviewed. The development of the laws of diffusion and its application for both melts and solids are covered. Phase equilibria and microstructure in multicomponent systems will also be discussed.

EMSE 509. Conventional Transmission Electron Microscopy. 3 Units.

Introduction to transmission electron microscopy-theoretical background and practical work. Lectures and laboratory experiments cover the technical construction and operation of transmission electron microscopes, specimen preparation, electron diffraction by crystals, electron diffraction techniques of TEM, conventional TEM imaging, and scanning TEM. Examples from various fields of materials research illustrate the application and significance of these techniques. Recommended preparation: Consent of instructor.

EMSE 515. Analytical Methods in Materials Science. 3 Units.

Microcharacterization techniques of materials science and engineering: SPM (scanning probe microscopy), SEM (scanning electron microscopy), FIB (focused ion beam) techniques, SIMS (secondary ion mass spectrometry), EPMA (electron probe microanalysis), XPS (X-ray photoelectron spectrometry), and AES (Auger electron spectrometry), ESCA (electron spectrometry for chemical analysis). The course includes theory, application examples, and laboratory demonstrations.

EMSE 599. Critical Review of Materials Science and Engineering Colloquium. 1 - 2 Units.

Invited speakers deliver lectures on topics of active research in materials science. Speakers include researchers at universities, government laboratories, and industry. Each course offering is for 1 or 2 credits but the course can be taken multiple times totaling up to a maximum of six credits. Attendance is required. Graded coursework is in the form of a term paper per credit. The topic for the term paper(s) should be chosen from seminar topics. The term paper will be graded by the advisor of the graduate student.

EMSE 600T. Graduate Teaching III. 0 Unit.

To provide teaching experience for all Ph.D.-bound graduate students. This will include preparing exam/quizzes/homework, leading recitation sessions, tutoring, providing laboratory assistance, and developing teaching aids that include both web-based and classroom materials. Graduate students will meet with supervising faculty member throughout the semester. Grading is pass/fail. Students must receive three passing grades and up to two assignments may be taken concurrently. Recommended preparation: Ph.D. student in Materials Science and Engineering.

EMSE 601. Independent Study. 1 - 18 Units.

EMSE 634. Special Topics of Materials Science. 1 - 3 Units.

This course introduces graduate students to specific topics of material science, tailored to individual interests of the students. For example, students with interest in specific techniques for microcharacterization of materials may be educated in the physical background of these techniques by studying literature under the guidance of the instructor, presenting and discussing the learned material with the instructor and other students, and being trained in practical experimentation in laboratory sessions demonstrating these techniques on instruments of SCSAM, the Swagelok Center for Surface Analysis of Materials.

EMSE 649. Special Projects. 1 - 18 Units.

EMSE 651. Thesis M.S.. 1 - 18 Units.

Required for Master's degree. A research problem in metallurgy, ceramics, electronic materials, biomaterials or archeological and art historical materials, culminating in the writing of a thesis.

EMSE 695. Project M.S.. 1 - 9 Units.

Research course taken by Plan B M.S. students. Prereq: Enrolled in the EMSE Plan B MS Program.

EMSE 701. Dissertation Ph.D.. 1 - 9 Units.

Required for Ph.D. degree. A research problem in metallurgy, ceramics, electronic materials, biomaterials or archeological and art historical materials, culminating in the writing of a thesis. Prereq: Predoctoral research consent or advanced to Ph.D. candidacy milestone.

DSCI 330. Cognition and Computation. 3 Units.

An introduction to (1) theories of the relationship between cognition and computation; (2) computational models of human cognition (e.g. models of decision-making or concept creation); and (3) computational tools for the study of human cognition. All three dimensions involve data science: theories are tested against archives of brain imaging data; models are derived from and tested against datasets of e.g., financial decisions (markets), legal rulings and findings (juries, judges, courts), legislative actions, and healthcare decisions; computational tools aggregate data and operate upon it analytically, for search, recognition, tagging, machine learning, statistical description, and hypothesis testing. Offered as COGS 330 , COGS 430 , DSCI 330 and DSCI 430 .

DSCI 332. Spatial Statistics for Near Surface, Surface, and Subsurface Modeling. 3 Units.

This course is on spatial modeling of near surface, surface, and subsurface data, also known as geostatistical modeling. Spatial modeling has its origins in predictive modeling of minerals in subsurface formations, from which many examples are used in this class. Students will learn the basics of spatial models in order to understand how they are built from various data types and how their uncertainties are assessed and risk reduced. Students will be expected to learn the rudimentary navigation of R Studio, execute pre-written publically available R code (provided), and make simple modifications. Graduate students will be expected to learn the above and develop a 10 week modeling project focused on the use of spatial modeling methods with R using data relevant to their specific discipline or interest. These projects will include preparing datasets to be executed in R code scripts. Resulting scripts will be placed in a git repository for use by other students as open source resources along with documentation demonstrating the reproducible spatial modeling science and analyses for these problems. Geostatistical (spatial) mapping is applicable across many disciplines. Examples of graduate projects from previous classes include subsurface modeling (geology), earthquake mapping (geophysics/civil engineering), soil stability modeling (civil engineering), aquifer characterization (hydrology), and pollution/contaminant mapping (environmental studies/medicine). Offered as DSCI 332 and DSCI 432 .

DSCI 351. Exploratory Data Science. 3 Units.

In this course, we will learn data science and analysis approaches to identify statistically significance relationships and better model and predict the behavior of these systems. We will assemble and explore real-world datasets, perform clustering and pair plot analyses to investigate correlations, and logistic regression will be employed to develop associated predictive models. Results will be interpreted, visualized and discussed. We will introduce basic elements of statistical analysis using R Project open source software for exploratory data analysis and model development. R is an open-source software project with broad abilities to access machine-readable open-data resources, data cleaning and munging functions, and a rich selection of statistical packages, used for data analytics, model development and prediction. This will include an introduction to R data types, reading and writing data, looping, plotting and regular expressions, so that one can start performing variable transformations for linear fitting and developing structural equation models, while exploring for statistically significant relationships. The M section of DSCI 351 is for students focusing on Materials Data Science. Offered as DSCI 351 , DSCI 351M and DSCI 451 . Prereq: ( ENGR 130 or ENGR 131 or CSDS 132 or ECSE 132 or DSCI 134) and ( STAT 312R or STAT 201R or SYBB 310 or PQHS 431 ).

DSCI 351M. Exploratory Data Science. 3 Units.

DSCI 352. Applied Data Science Research. 3 Units.

This is a project based data science research class, in which project teams identify a research project under the guidance of a domain expert professor. The research is structured as a data analysis project including the 6 steps of developing a reproducible data science project, including 1: Define the ADS question, 2: Identify, locate, and/or generate the data 3: Exploratory data analysis 4: Statistical modeling and prediction 5: Synthesizing the results in the domain context 6: Creation of reproducible research, Including code, datasets, documentation and reports. During the course special topic lectures will include Ethics, Privacy, Openness, Security, Ethics. Value. The M section of DSCI 352 is for students focusing on Materials Data Science. Offered as DSCI 352 , DSCI 352M and DSCI 452 . Prereq: ( CSDS 133 or DSCI 134 or ENGR 130 or ENGR 131 or CSDS 132 or ECSE 132 ) and ( STAT 312R or STAT 201R or SYBB 310 or PQHS 431 or OPRE 207 ) and ( DSCI 351 or ( SYBB 311A and SYBB 311B and SYBB 311C and SYBB 311D) or SYBB 321 or MKMR 201 ).

DSCI 352M. Applied Data Science Research. 3 Units.

DSCI 353. Data Science: Statistical Learning, Modeling and Prediction. 3 Units.

In this course, we will use an open data science tool chain to develop reproducible data analyses useful for inference, modeling and prediction of the behavior of complex systems. In addition to the standard data cleaning, assembly and exploratory data analysis steps essential to all data analyses, we will identify statistically significant relationships from datasets derived from population samples, and infer the reliability of these findings. We will use regression methods to model a number of both real-world and lab-based systems producing predictive models applicable in comparable populations. We will assemble and explore real-world datasets, use pair-wise plots to explore correlations, perform clustering, self-similarity, and logistic regression develop both fixed-effect and mixed-effect predictive models. We will introduce machine-learning approaches for classification and tree-based methods. Results will be interpreted, visualized and discussed. We will introduce the basic elements of data science and analytics using R Project open source software. R is an open-source software project with broad abilities to access machine-readable open-data resources, data cleaning and assembly functions, and a rich selection of statistical packages, used for data analytics, model development, prediction, inference and clustering. With this background, it becomes possible to start performing variable transformations for linear regression fitting and developing structural equation models, fixed-effects and mixed-effects models along with other statistical learning techniques, while exploring for statistically significant relationships. The class will be structured to have a balance of theory and practice. We'll split class into Foundation and Practicum a) Foundation: lectures, presentations, discussion b) Practicum: coding, demonstrations and hands-on data science work. The M section of DSCI 353 is for students focusing on Materials Data Science. Offered as DSCI 353 , DSCI 353M and DSCI 453 .

DSCI 353M. Data Science: Statistical Learning, Modeling and Prediction. 3 Units.

DSCI 354. Data Visualization and Analytics. 3 Units.

Data Visualization and Analytics students will learn data visualization and analytics techniques focused on different types of data such as time-series, spectral, or image data science problems. This class will focus on increasing analysis of complex data sets through visualization by enhancing exploratory data analysis and data cleaning. This class will focus on creating effective data visualizations to communicate data analytics results to different audiences. Different datasets will be provided to develop different types of visualizations and analytics. Types of data visualizations include in interactive plots (e.g., bar graphs change over time), applications that allow users to adjust the visualizations based on their decisions (e.g., shiny applications), interactive maps, 3-D plots of data, etc. Discussing how an audience understands information and brings in data as well as the ethics of making data visualizations will be discussed. The class will also include ways to increase modeling and analysis with effective visualizations for credible, data-driven decision making. This will include a git repository for other students to use these codes as open source resources and the preparation of reproducible data science analyses for different types of problems. Offered as DSCI 354 , DSCI 354M , and DSCI 454 . Prereq: ( DSCI 351 or DSCI 351M ) and ( DSCI 353 or DSCI 353M ).

DSCI 354M. Data Visualization and Analytics. 3 Units.

DSCI 430. Cognition and Computation. 3 Units.

DSCI 432. Spatial Statistics for Near Surface, Surface, and Subsurface Modeling. 3 Units.

DSCI 451. Exploratory Data Science. 3 Units.

In this course, we will learn data science and analysis approaches to identify statistically significance relationships and better model and predict the behavior of these systems. We will assemble and explore real-world datasets, perform clustering and pair plot analyses to investigate correlations, and logistic regression will be employed to develop associated predictive models. Results will be interpreted, visualized and discussed. We will introduce basic elements of statistical analysis using R Project open source software for exploratory data analysis and model development. R is an open-source software project with broad abilities to access machine-readable open-data resources, data cleaning and munging functions, and a rich selection of statistical packages, used for data analytics, model development and prediction. This will include an introduction to R data types, reading and writing data, looping, plotting and regular expressions, so that one can start performing variable transformations for linear fitting and developing structural equation models, while exploring for statistically significant relationships. The M section of DSCI 351 is for students focusing on Materials Data Science. Offered as DSCI 351 , DSCI 351M and DSCI 451 .

DSCI 452. Applied Data Science Research. 3 Units.

This is a project based data science research class, in which project teams identify a research project under the guidance of a domain expert professor. The research is structured as a data analysis project including the 6 steps of developing a reproducible data science project, including 1: Define the ADS question, 2: Identify, locate, and/or generate the data 3: Exploratory data analysis 4: Statistical modeling and prediction 5: Synthesizing the results in the domain context 6: Creation of reproducible research, Including code, datasets, documentation and reports. During the course special topic lectures will include Ethics, Privacy, Openness, Security, Ethics. Value. The M section of DSCI 352 is for students focusing on Materials Data Science. Offered as DSCI 352 , DSCI 352M and DSCI 452 .

DSCI 453. Data Science: Statistical Learning, Modeling and Prediction. 3 Units.

DSCI 454. Data Visualization and Analytics. 3 Units.

Data Visualization and Analytics students will learn data visualization and analytics techniques focused on different types of data such as time-series, spectral, or image data science problems. This class will focus on increasing analysis of complex data sets through visualization by enhancing exploratory data analysis and data cleaning. This class will focus on creating effective data visualizations to communicate data analytics results to different audiences. Different datasets will be provided to develop different types of visualizations and analytics. Types of data visualizations include in interactive plots (e.g., bar graphs change over time), applications that allow users to adjust the visualizations based on their decisions (e.g., shiny applications), interactive maps, 3-D plots of data, etc. Discussing how an audience understands information and brings in data as well as the ethics of making data visualizations will be discussed. The class will also include ways to increase modeling and analysis with effective visualizations for credible, data-driven decision making. This will include a git repository for other students to use these codes as open source resources and the preparation of reproducible data science analyses for different types of problems. Offered as DSCI 354 , DSCI 354M , and DSCI 454 . Prereq: DSCI 451 and DSCI 453 .

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Materials Education (MatEdU)

Materials science and education.

  • Instructional Resources

This tab provides Instructional resources for instructors and students, including the MatEdU Materials Science Educational Handbook, the searchable listing of MatEdU educational modules, textbooks, videos, and links to other resources for instruction in the wide scope of Materials Science and Technology.

featured

Featured Resources

highlighted here for easy access

  • ASM - Educators Resources To help high school STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) teachers develop a more successful curriculum or lesson plan, the ASM Materials Education Foundation provides access to additional teacher resources.
  • Core Competency Needs in Materials Technology
  • Educational Needs for Personnel in Nanotechnology: Core Competencies for Technicians
  • Future Outlook for Materials Technology Education
  • Integration of Materials Instruction in the Field of Manufacturing
  • Materials Science: The Missing Piece in High School Science Curricula
  • Minessota State Advanced Manufacturing Center of Excellence Free to use, online learning modules covering topics valued by manufacturing companies—communication, reliability, productivity, and 23 more.
  • The STEM Workforce - Potential Solution

handbook

So you Want To Be In Materials Science: Blueprint a learning Environment

Everyone agrees that everything in the world is made of some kind of material; and manufacturers from IPOD to SPACE-POD want to make products faster, stronger, more efficient, lighter in weight, and less expensive. The challenge is to provide well educated material technicians using appropriate learning environments and state-of-art laboratories.

  • Materials Blueprint Presentation (PPT)
  • So You Want to be in Materials Science Case Study (PDF)
  • Materials Science Inventory Worksheet (PDF)

handbook

MatEdU Materials Science Educational Handbook

Materials educational modules for secondary and post-secondary instructor and students. Part of the Digital Library of the National Resource Center for Materials Technology Education, this handbook has six relevant materials science chapters with lessons from introductory to advanced levels. Developed by subject matter experts and peer reviewed, each lesson has been thoroughly vetted for use at all levels of education and technology.

  • MatEdU Educational Handbook - Title Page, Introduction and How to Use
  • Table of Contents
  • Chapter 1, Introduction to Materials
  • Chapter 2, Metals and Alloys
  • Chapter 3, Composite Materials
  • Chapter 4, Polymers and Plastics
  • Chapter 5, Ceramic Materials
  • Chapter 6, Engineering Materials and Design

Materials Washington

Materials Washington

Materials Washington is an alliance of community and technical colleges working to enhance the competitiveness of Washington's workforce in the area of materials technology, and of Washignton's materials industry.

  • Visit Materials Washington

material science case study

CSM Case Study on Resources for the Multilingual Classroom

MatEd has long partnered and collaborated with the Critical Materials Institute (CMI) at the Colorado School of Mines (Mines) in support of materials science and technology. This case study will be help to anyone teaching STEM courses in a multilingual classroom.

  • CSM Case Study - on Resources for the Multilingual Classroom

modules

  • MatEdU Modules

Here you have access to over 150 hands-on and educational modules on real, everyday materials for teachers and students applicable to middle and high school as well as for community and technical colleges. The collection demonstrates that materials are everywhere!

handbook

MST Teacher's Handbook

Developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, this handbook is an Introduction to Materials Science and Technology -- creating an MST environment -- standards, learning goals, assessment -- experiments and demonstrations.

  • MST Teachers Handbook - 1 PNNL Cover Page
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 2 PNNL Disclaimer
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 3 PNNL Table of Content
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 4 Introduction to Materials Science and Technology
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 5 Creating an MST Environment
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 6 Standards, Learning Goals, and Assessment
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 7 Experiments Demonstrations Introductory
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 8 Experiments Demonstrations Metals
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 9 Experiments Demonstrations Ceramics
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 10 Experiments Demonstrations Polymers
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 11 Experiments Demonstrations Composites
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 12 Acknowledgement
  • MST Teachers Handbook - 13 Resource Appendix

Videos

Materials Videos

American Society of Metals extensive collection of 100's of materials related videos.

  • ASM International Videos

NSF Programs

National Science Foundation Programs

National Science Foundation has nationwide resources for technician education.  A wide variety of organizations are working on certifications, curriculum development, learning style specific content and education.

  • Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers (MRSEC) - a network of Centers located at academic institutions throughout the United States, funded by the National Science Foundation.
  • NSF - National Science Foundation
  • ATE Central - ATE refers to Advanced Technological Education. With an emphasis on two-year colleges, the National Science Foundation's ATE program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-technology fields that drive our nation's economy

material science case study

Course Designs

From CNC to laser cutting to additive manufacturing, these courses are freely available as open source classroom resources.

  • 3 Dimensional Digital Laser Scanning Fundamentals
  • CNC Router Fundamentals Orientation
  • FDM Additive Manufacturing Fundamentals Orientation
  • The Impact of Materials on Society
  • Laser Cutting and Engraving Fundamentals
  • Mastercam Fundamentals Orientation

material science case study

Engineering and Technology Education

Selected educational products in engineering and technology are provided here along with listings of projects and professional groups that have their own educational activities, these include kits, labs, books, workshops and posters, along with workshops for teachers and students at different levels of education.

  • Teach Engineering is a searchable, web-based digital library collection populated with standards-based engineering curricula for use by K-12 teachers and engineering faculty.
  • American Ceramic Society (ACerS)
  • ASM Materials Education Foundation
  • ASTM International
  • Materials Research Society (MRS)
  • Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS)
  • Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE)
  • Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME)
  • MTAG the Manufacturing Technology Advisory Group, has developed curricula in a wide variety of manufacturing-related areas. Visit for sample curriculum

material science case study

Recommended by educators and technicians as excellent tools for teaching and learning material science.

Textbooks for 2 Year Materials Technician Programs

  • Engineering Materials Properties and Selection (9th Edition) by Kenneth G. Budinski and Michael K. Budinski
  • Engineering Materials Technology: Structures, Processing, Properties and Selection (5th Edition) by James A. Jacobs, Thomas F. Kilduff, (Hardcover - March, 2004) --This is a good book with applications but the level may be a little high for technicians.
  • Essentials of Advanced Composite Fabrication Repair by Dorworth, L.; Gardiner, G.; Mellema, G.
  • Materials and Processes in Manufacturing (11th Edition) by E. Paul DeGarmo, J T. Black, and Ronald A. Kohser -- Recommended for the second year of the Material technician course since it requires the user to have basic knowledge in materials science.
  • Manufacturing Processes and Materials (5th Edition) by George F. Schrader and Ahmad K Elshennawy -- A good book for technician level.
  • The New Science of Strong Materials or Why You Don't Fall through the Floor (Princeton Science Library) by J. E. Gordon and Philip Ball, (Paperback - May 2018) --This is a nice little book with lots of good examples. Not really a textbook but a fun read and quite applicable to materials technology.
  • Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape Our Man-Made World (2014) by Mark Miodownik

Textbooks for 4 year programs

  • Textbooks for 4 year Programs
  • Physical Properties of Materials, Second Edition by Mary Anne White (June 28, 2011)

Individual Textbooks

  • The Essentials of Materials Science and Technology for Engineers , Copyright 2013, A. K. Rakhit, PhD
  • Elementary Materials Science , William F Hosford, ASM International, 2014 Covers the basic concepts of Materials Science applied to metals, ceramics, polymers and composites
  • Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering: An Integrated Approach , 4th edition, William D. Callister and D.G. Rethwisch, John Wiley & Songs, Hoboken, NJ, 2012
  • Materials Science and Engineering : An Introduction , 9th edition, W.D. Callister and D.G. Rethwisch, John Wiley & Songs, Hoboken, NJ, 2014
  • Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down , pub 2003, by J. E. Gordon

material science case study

Web Sites & Other Resources

Innovative materials resources from a wide variety of providers including professional organizations, university programs, state and federal projects and national laboratories.

  • America Ceramic Society - Resource page with downloads for demos, databases and tools for classroom use
  • ATE - ATE Center Impact
  • American Composites Manufacturing Association - featuring articles, a magazine and resources
  • Center of Excellence for Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing - One of Washington State's 10 Centers of Excellence focused on sector strategies and economic development.
  • The CORE-Materials Repository  - contains 1670 open educational resources (OERs) in Materials Science and Engineering
  • Granta  - NDT Resources Center
  • Hindawi - Advances in Material Science and Engineering
  • How things are made and work - Ideas, inspiration and giveaways for teachers
  • ICE - Institute for Chemical Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Open courseware in Material Science
  • MatMatch - features materials blog and provides a resource database
  • MatWeb - Materials Database
  • Microworlds: Exploring the Structure of Materials - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
  • National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers - The National Coalition of Advanced Technology Centers is a network of higher education resources that advocates and promotes the use of technology applications that enhance economic and workforce development programs and services.
  • NIST - Materials Science Portal
  • NDT - NDT Resources Center
  • NSDL - The National Science Digital Library
  • numberland.com - International website on materials
  • The Optical Society - education resources including a lab manual for teachers
  • Pacific Northwest National Laboratory - STEM education and work-based learning resources
  • Try Engineering - hands-on, standards-based lesson plans for middle and high school STEM faculty.
  • Webmineral - Mineralogy Database
  • Materials Washington - Materials Washington is an alliance of community and technical colleges working to enhance the competitiveness of Washington's workforce in the area of materials technology, and of Washignton's materials industry.

material science case study

Career Resources

Guides and support information for students to explore career pathways, job descriptions and educational preparation requirements.

  • Career Cluster Resources for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
  • Career Cornerstone - Overview of needed educational preparation in engineering technology
  • Careers in Welding
  • Carnegie Science Center Resources - Career Resources including links to hot jobs, internships, job descriptions, self assessment quizzes, interviews and more with those in the fields of Biotechnology, Nanotechnology, Robotics, Advanced Materials Processes, Environmental Technology and Information Technology.
  • Learn How to Become - A career path resource site that includes engineering paths

material science case study

Papers & Publications

More depth by thought leaders in the areas of standards, high school pathways, defining material science concepts and forming focus groups.

  • ASEE Engineering Technology Division Membership Survey
  • Education Working With Global Industry Standards
  • Entrepreneurship Incubation Case Study of the Facility Makerspace : Impacts, Challenges and Strategies
  • Guide for Planning, Organizing, and Managing Focus Groups
  • MatEdU Collaborative Internship: a Case Study of our collaborative internship model for education and industry
  • MatEdU Guitar Building : Case Study
  • High School Materials Science:  It really works! ,John Rusin, Tom Stoebe, Charles Hayes, The Future of Materials Science & Engineering Education Conference, April 4-8, 2004 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
  • Materials Science and Technology: What do the Students Say? Guy Whittaker, Journal of Technology Education, Volume 5, Number 2 , Spring 1994
  • Materials Science: The Gateway to Science! ,Tom Stoebe, John Rusin, University of Alabama, June 13, 2006, Tuscaloosa, AL
  • Materials Science: The Missing Piece in High School Science Curricula, Lisa Ogiemwonyi
  • Materials Science Program Impact at the High School Level ,Tom Stoebe, Laura Collins, MS&T 05, September 27, 2005, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Materials Technology Education Program Impact on Secondary Teachers and Students ,Thomas Stoebe, Guy Whittaker and Karen Hinkley, Journal of Materials Education 24 (1-3):  23-30  (2002)
  • What is MST? , Debbie Goodwin & Andy Nydam
  • Innovations in Education , Mel Cossette & Thomas Stoebe
  • Science Education: Our Professional Responsibility
  • Making STEM Work for Students
  • Importance of Teaching Technology and Science Together
  • Changing Face of Minerals and Materials Science
  • Material Science Q & A
  • Types Of Materials
  • What Is Materials Science
  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
  • Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Computer & Data Sciences
  • Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering
  • Macromolecular Science & Engineering

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Case Study Questions for Class 6 Science Chapter 4 Sorting Materials into Groups

  • Last modified on: 9 months ago
  • Reading Time: 9 Minutes

[Download] Case Study Questions for Class 6 Science Chapter 4 Sorting Materials into Groups

Here we are providing case study or passage-based questions for class 6 science chapter 4 Sorting Materials into Groups.

Case Study/Passage Based Questions

A list of objects is given as following: On the basis of this list of objects answer the following questions. A chair, a bullock cart, a cycle, a shirt, a rubber ball, a football, a glass marble, an apple, and orange. 1. The number of round objects in the list are (a) 2 (b) 3 (c) 5 (d) 7 2. The number of articles made of wood are (a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5 3. The number of eatable articles are (a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 4

We know that materials differ in some of their properties and they may also be similar in some of their properties. Materials can be grouped on the basis of similarities or differences in their properties. 1. Why we group materials in everyday life? (a) We consider it essential (b) We group them for our convenience (c) We group them as it is interesting (d) None of the above is correct 2. Which of the following materials can be placed into same group? (a) Books, shirt, table, newspaper (b) Books, notebooks, newspaper, calendar (c) Shirt, shoes, handkerchief, plate (d) All of these 3. Which of the following items, can be grouped as edible? (a) Refined oils (b) Kerosene oil (c) Beauty soaps (d) None of these

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What is case study question for class 6 science.

Case study or passage-based questions in class 6 Science typically require students to read a given scenario or passage and answer questions based on the information provided. These questions assess students’ comprehension, analytical thinking, and application of scientific concepts. Here is an example of case study or passage-based questions for class 6 Science:

Passage: Rahul conducted an experiment to investigate how different liquids affect the rusting of iron nails. He placed four iron nails in four separate beakers containing water, vinegar, oil, and saltwater. After one week, he observed the nails and recorded his observations.

a) What is the purpose of Rahul’s experiment?

b) Compare and contrast the appearance of the iron nails in each beaker after one week.

Best Ways to Prepare for Case Study Questions

To develop a strong command on class 6 Science case study questions, you can follow these steps:

  • Read the textbook and study materials: Familiarize yourself with the concepts and topics covered in your class 6 Science curriculum. Read the textbook thoroughly and take notes on important information.
  • Practice analyzing case studies: Look for case studies or passages related to class 6 Science topics. Analyze the given information, identify key details, and understand the context of the situation.
  • Develop comprehension skills: Focus on improving your reading comprehension skills. Practice reading passages or articles and try to summarize the main points or extract relevant information. Pay attention to details, vocabulary, and the overall structure of the passage.
  • Understand scientific concepts: Ensure that you have a solid understanding of the scientific concepts discussed in class. Review the fundamental principles and theories related to each topic.
  • Make connections: Try to connect the information provided in the case study to the concepts you have learned in class. Identify any cause-effect relationships, patterns, or relevant scientific principles that apply to the situation.
  • Practice critical thinking: Develop your critical thinking skills by analyzing and evaluating the information given in the case study. Think logically, consider multiple perspectives, and draw conclusions based on the evidence provided.
  • Solve practice questions: Look for practice questions or sample case study questions specifically designed for class 6 Science. Solve these questions to apply your knowledge, practice your analytical skills, and familiarize yourself with the format of case study questions.
  • Seek clarification: If you come across any challenging concepts or have doubts, don’t hesitate to ask your teacher for clarification. Understanding the underlying principles will help you tackle case study questions effectively.

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Building a New Foundation with High-Quality Instructional Materials

Passaic public schools and tntp partner to uplevel the curriculum, ensuring every student has access to complex, grade-appropriate, and equity-focused assignments., the challenge, insight + courage + action, an assessment audit uncovers a deeper challenge.

In early 2021, TNTP worked with Passaic Public Schools, a district in northern New Jersey, about 10 miles from New York City, to conduct an assessment audit. District stakeholders worried they were over-testing and that exams were either too easy or difficult. In addition, district leadership wanted to determine whether assessment materials aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.   

The findings uncovered a more foundational issue—the curriculum itself, particularly the instructional materials such as textbooks and worksheets. In many cases, students were being taught from materials that were below grade level or lacking complexity.  Since educators weren’t working from high-level texts, classroom instruction was not rigorous enough.   

High-quality instructional materials are fundamental for student achievement, one of the four criteria TNTP’s The Opportunity Myth deems essential to a successful educational experience.   

Swift , Thorough Action to Reimagine the Curriculum

Passaic leadership immediately extended its partnership with TNTP to conduct a complete curricular audit and classroom-level diagnostic, released in the fall of 2021. The findings showed that only 45% of the students’ assignments were grade appropriate. The lack of high-quality materials was also impacting the other three pillars of high-quality instruction: a mere 23% of lessons were rooted in strong instruction, in which students were asked to do intellectually heavy lifting. Only 50% of students were deeply engaged in the content, while only 37% of students had teachers with high expectations for them. Yet, the review also uncovered a promising fact: when students were given the chance to engage in standards-aligned grade-appropriate assignments, they rose to the occasion, and the percentage of students able to meet the target standards doubled.   

Instructional staff understood that access to high-quality instructional materials is, at its heart, an equity issue. The Opportunity Myth shows that classrooms that serve predominantly students from higher-income backgrounds spent twice as much time on grade-appropriate assignments than did classrooms with students from low-income backgrounds, and this seemed to be playing out in Passaic, where 86% of the district’s 15,000 students qualified for free or reduced lunch. Educators were determined to interrupt the opportunity gap.

A Materials Review That Centers Equity for Multi l ingual Learners

Harnessing TNTP’s Curriculum Implementation Framework, Passaic leaders began by convening a task force to design a vision for standout ELA and math education that would guide the selection of new instructional materials. Then, content specialists began reviewing materials for ELA for grades K through 8 and math for grades 3 through 12.    

Central to Passaic’s efforts was an unwavering commitment to finding vendors that offered the same curriculum in both English and Spanish, since 93% of Passaic’s families identify as Latinx. Leaders also wanted to ensure continuity across schools, since students often move between schools within the district.  

Finding dual-language materials proved more challenging than expected. Content-area specialists and bilingual supervisors examined numerous options, discovering that because of inequities in the markets, materials that were offered in both English and Spanish often didn’t meet the standards that define high-quality instructional materials; conversely, high quality materials often were only offered in English.  

Yet Passaic leaders weren’t willing to compromise on the materials’ quality, nor on offering them in both Spanish and English. Leaders also felt it was critical from an equity standpoint that all students in a grade learn same curriculum, so purchasing high quality materials in English and different ones in Spanish also was not an option.   

Next, Passaic worked with TNTP to assemble a diverse group of stakeholders to conduct an in-depth review of the few materials that met the criteria. They assessed whether the materials were rich in content and driven by learning science, and examined whether the texts were aligned with college- and career-ready standards. They also looked closely at whether they were culturally responsive and equity centered. The task force also reviewed performance reports on the materials that other organizations had conducted and invited publishers to give presentations.   

TNTP worked with Passaic to establish criteria on which to assess the materials and determine which options best meet their needs. The group held discussions and ultimately used the criteria to vote, selecting Amplify CKLA and Amplify Caminos as the ELA and SLA vendor, and Carnegie Learning and Illustrative Math for the math curricula.    

Once these key decisions were made, with support from TNTP, the district immediately began creating their strategic implementation plan. From setting clear goals for implementation in alignment with their new content visions, to creating yearlong professional learning plans for key stakeholders including school leaders, coaches, and teachers, to aligning the district’s teacher development strategy to its new instructional priorities, to implementing a progress monitoring approach, each layer of the plan was strategic and intended to build the investment and skills for instructional staff at all levels that would be required to achieve their desired results.

High Quality Materials and Students Meeting Challenges  

Passaic began implementing the new curriculum in the 2022-2023 school year, and early figures showed immense promise. The percentage of in-class lessons using grade-level content jumped from just 47% in October 2021 to 90% in November 2022, while the percentage of assignments with grade-level content increased from 45% to 79%. The new curriculum strongly impacted the in-class teaching, with the percentage of lessons with strong instruction jumping from 19% in October 2021 to 50% in November 2022. More than 80% of teachers feel that the instructional materials benefit their students, and more than half feel students are more engaged with the new curriculum than with the old one.   

In addition, leaders were encouraged by the fact that students mastered grade-level standards as soon as they had the chance. In October 2021, students were meeting grade-level standards in only 30% of their work; by April 2023, that figure had climbed to 74%. Bilingual classrooms demonstrated comparable growth to non-bilingual classrooms, with grade-appropriate assignments increasing from 17% to 50% and lessons with strong instruction increasing from 17% to 50%.     

Passaic extended its partnership with TNTP to continue rolling out the curriculum and to monitor progress. The district is also partnering with TNTP to refine its vision for bilingual instruction and ensure that teachers are fully leveraging the new materials in support of this vision. Passaic also applied this process to select new materials for its high schools during the 2022-2023 school year, and is now implementing HMH – Into Literature high-quality instructional materials at the high school level.   

School leaders praised the breadth of experience TNTP brought to the project, having guided other districts through selecting high quality instructional materials. “Partner with TNTP—that would truthfully and honestly be my first advice [to districts embarking on a similar project]. It’s so helpful to have a thought partner who has done this work in other places,” said Lisa Rowbotham, Passaic’s Director of Elementary and Secondary Education. “You might have colleagues in other districts you can call, but they can’t give you that level of support to say, ‘We’ve worked across the United States, and this is what we’ve experienced.’ It gives you a completely different understanding of this work.”

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Blog Post | April 1, 2024

Join TNTP in Embracing Multilingualism as a Superpower

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Imali Ariyarathne, seventh-grade teacher at Langston Hughes Academy, stands in front of her students while introducing them to the captivating world of science

Imali Ariyarathne, seventh-grade teacher at Langston Hughes Academy, introduces her students to the captivating world of science.

TNTP is the nation’s leading research, policy, and consulting organization dedicated to transforming America’s public education system, so that every generation thrives.

Today, we work side-by-side with educators, system leaders, and communities across 39 states and over 6,000 districts nationwide to reach ambitious goals for student success.

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Hot Oceans Worsened Dubai’s Dramatic Flooding, Scientists Say

An international team of researchers found that heavy rains had intensified in the region, though they couldn’t say for sure how much climate change was responsible.

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Trucks under water with a bridge in the background.

By Raymond Zhong

Scenes of flood-ravaged neighborhoods in one of the planet’s driest regions stunned the world this month. Heavy rains in the United Arab Emirates and Oman submerged cars, clogged highways and killed at least 21 people. Flights out of Dubai’s airport, a major global hub, were severely disrupted.

The downpours weren’t a total surprise — forecasters had anticipated the storms several days earlier and issued warnings. But they were certainly unusual.

Here’s what to know.

Heavy rain there is rare, but not unheard-of.

On average, the Arabian Peninsula receives a scant few inches of rain a year, although scientists have found that a sizable chunk of that precipitation falls in infrequent but severe bursts, not as periodic showers. These rains often come during El Niño conditions like the ones the world is experiencing now.

U.A.E. officials said the 24-hour rain total on April 16 was the country’s largest since records there began in 1949 . And parts of the nation had already experienced an earlier round of thunderstorms in March.

Oman, with its coastline on the Arabian Sea, is also vulnerable to tropical cyclones. Past storms there have brought torrential rain, powerful winds and mudslides, causing extensive damage.

Global warming is projected to intensify downpours.

Stronger storms are a key consequence of human-caused global warming. As the atmosphere gets hotter, it can hold more moisture, which can eventually make its way down to the earth as rain or snow.

But that doesn’t mean rainfall patterns are changing in precisely the same way across every part of the globe.

In their latest assessment of climate research , scientists convened by the United Nations found there wasn’t enough data to have firm conclusions about rainfall trends in the Arabian Peninsula and how climate change was affecting them. The researchers said, however, that if global warming were to be allowed to continue worsening in the coming decades, extreme downpours in the region would quite likely become more intense and more frequent.

Hot oceans are a big factor.

An international team of scientists has made a first attempt at estimating the extent to which climate change may have contributed to April’s storms. The researchers didn’t manage to pin down the connection precisely, though in their analysis, they did highlight one known driver of heavy rain in the region: above-normal ocean temperatures.

Large parts of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans have been hotter than usual recently, in part because of El Niño and other natural weather cycles, and in part because of human-induced warming .

When looking only at El Niño years, the scientists estimated that storm events as infrequent as this month’s delivered 10 percent to 40 percent more rain to the region than they would in a world that hadn’t been warmed by human activities. They cautioned, however, that these estimates were highly uncertain.

“Rainfall, in general, is getting more extreme,” said Mansour Almazroui, a climate scientist at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and one of the researchers who contributed to the analysis.

The analysis was conducted by scientists affiliated with World Weather Attribution, a research collaboration that studies extreme weather events shortly after they occur. Their findings about this month’s rains haven’t yet been peer reviewed, but are based on standardized methods .

The role of cloud seeding isn’t clear.

The U.A.E. has for decades worked to increase rainfall and boost water supplies by seeding clouds. Essentially, this involves shooting particles into clouds to encourage the moisture to gather into larger, heavier droplets, ones that are more likely to fall as rain or snow.

Cloud seeding and other rain-enhancement methods have been tried around the world, including in Australia, China, India, Israel, South Africa and the United States. Studies have found that these operations can, at best, affect precipitation modestly — enough to turn a downpour into a bigger downpour, but probably not a drizzle into a deluge.

Still, experts said pinning down how much seeding might have contributed to this month’s storms would require detailed study.

“In general, it is quite a challenge to assess the impact of seeding,” said Luca Delle Monache, a climate scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. Dr. Delle Monache has been leading efforts to use artificial intelligence to improve the U.A.E.’s rain-enhancement program.

An official with the U.A.E.’s National Center of Meteorology, Omar Al Yazeedi, told news outlets that the agency didn’t conduct any seeding during the latest storms. His statements didn’t make clear, however, whether that was also true in the hours or days before.

Mr. Al Yazeedi didn’t respond to emailed questions from The New York Times, and Adel Kamal, a spokesman for the center, didn’t have further comment.

Cities in dry places just aren’t designed for floods.

Wherever it happens, flooding isn’t just a matter of how much rain comes down. It’s also about what happens to all that water once it’s on the ground — most critically, in the places people live.

Cities in arid regions often aren’t designed to drain very effectively. In these areas, paved surfaces block rain from seeping into the earth below, forcing it into drainage systems that can easily become overwhelmed.

One recent study of Sharjah , the capital of the third-largest emirate in the U.A.E., found that the city’s rapid growth over the past half-century had made it vulnerable to flooding at far lower levels of rain than before.

Omnia Al Desoukie contributed reporting.

Raymond Zhong reports on climate and environmental issues for The Times. More about Raymond Zhong

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