Section A - Material Science Notes

Material Science:
Chapter 1.
INRODUCTION
1 .1 Historical Perspective
Materials are so important in the development of civilization that we associate Ages with them. In the origin of
human life on Earth, the Stone Age, people used only natural materials, like stone, clay, skins, and wood. When
people found copper and how to make it harder by alloying, the Bronze Age started about 3000 BC. The use of
iron and steel, a stronger material that gave advantage in wars started at about 1200 BC. The next big step was
the discovery of a cheap process to make steel around 1850, which enabled the railroads and the building of the
modern infrastructure of the industrial world.
1.2 Materials Science and Engineering
Understanding of how materials behave like they do, and why they differ in properties was only possible with
the atomistic understanding allowed by quantum mechanics, that first explained atoms and then solids starting
in the 1930s. The combination of physics, chemistry, and the focus on the relationship between the properties of
a material and its microstructure is the domain of Materials Science. The development of this science allowed
designing materials and provided a knowledge base for the engineering applications (Materials Engineering).
Structure: At the atomic level: arrangement of atoms in different ways. (Gives different properties for graphite
than diamond both forms of carbon.) At the microscopic level: arrangement of small grains of material that can
be identified by microscopy. (Gives different optical properties to transparent vs. frosted glass.) Properties are
the way the material responds to the environment. For instance, the mechanical, electrical and magnetic
properties are the responses to mechanical, electrical and magnetic forces, respectively. Other important
properties are thermal (transmission of heat, heat capacity), optical (absorption, transmission and scattering of
light), and the chemical stability in contact with the environment (like corrosion resistance). Processing of
materials is the application of heat (heat treatment), mechanical forces, etc. to affect their microstructure and,
therefore, their properties.
1.3 Why Study Materials Science and Engineering?
To be able to select a material for a given use based on considerations of cost and performance. To understand
the limits of materials and the change of their properties with use. To be able to create a new material that will
have some desirable properties. All engineering disciplines need to know about materials. Even the most
"immaterial", like software or system engineering depend on the development of new materials, which in turn
alter the economics, like software-hardware trade-offs. Increasing applications of system engineering are in
materials manufacturing (industrial engineering) and complex environmental systems.
1.4 Classification of Materials
Like many other things, materials are classified in groups, so that our brain can handle the complexity. One
could classify them according to structure, or properties, or use. The one that we will use is according to the
way the atoms are bound together: Metals: valence electrons are detached from atoms, and spread in an 'electron
sea' that "glues" the ions together. Metals are usually strong, conduct electricity and heat well and are opaque to
light (shiny if polished). Examples: aluminum, steel, brass, gold. Semiconductors: the bonding is covalent
(electrons are shared between atoms). Their electrical properties depend extremely strongly on minute
proportions of contaminants. They are opaque to visible light but transparent to the infrared. Examples: Si, Ge,
GaAs. Ceramics: atoms behave mostly like either positive or negative ions, and are bound by Coulomb forces
between them. They are usually combinations of metals or semiconductors with oxygen, nitrogen or carbon
(oxides, nitrides, and carbides). Examples: glass, porcelain, many minerals. Polymers: are bound by covalent
forces and also by weak van der Waals forces, and usually based on H, C and other non-metallic elements. They
decompose at moderate temperatures (100 400 C), and are lightweight. Other properties vary greatly.
Examples: plastics (nylon, Teflon, polyester) and rubber. Other categories are not based on bonding. A particular
microstructure identifies composites, made of different materials in intimate contact (example: fiberglass,
concrete, wood) to achieve specific properties. Biomaterials can be any type of material that is biocompatible
and used, for instance, to replace human body parts.

1.5 Advanced Materials

Materials used in "High-Tec" applications, usually designed for maximum performance, and normally
expensive. Examples are titanium alloys for supersonic airplanes, magnetic alloys for computer disks, special
ceramics for the heat shield of the space shuttle, etc.
1.6 Modern Material's Needs
Engine efficiency increases at high temperatures: requires high temperature structural materials Use of nuclear
energy requires solving problem with residues, or advances in nuclear waste processing. Hypersonic flight
requires materials that are light, strong and resist high temperatures. Optical communications require optical
fibers that absorb light negligibly. Civil construction materials for unbreakable windows. Structures: materials
that are strong like metals and resist corrosion like plastics.

Chapter 2.
ATOMIC STRUCTURE AND BONDING
2.2 Fundamental Concepts
Atoms are composed of electrons, protons, and neutrons. Electron and protons are negative and positive charges
of the same magnitude, 1.6 10-19 Coulombs. The mass of the electron is negligible with respect to those of
the proton and the neutron, which form the nucleus of the atom. The unit of mass is an atomic mass unit (amu)
= 1.66 10-27 kg, and equals 1/12 the mass of a carbon atom. The Carbon nucleus has Z=6, and A=6, where Z
is the number of protons, and A the number of neutrons. Neutrons and protons have very similar masses,
roughly equal to 1 amu. A neutral atom has the same number of electrons and protons, Z. A mole is the amount
of matter that has a mass in grams equal to the atomic mass in amu of the atoms. Thus, a mole of carbon has a
mass of 12 grams. The number of atoms in a mole is called the Avogadro number, Nav = 6.023 1023. Note
that Nav = 1 gram/1 amu. Calculating n, the number of atoms per cm3 in a piece of material of density d
(g/cm3). n = Nav d / M where M is the atomic mass in amu (grams per mol). Thus, for graphite (carbon) with
a density d = 1.8 g/cm3, M =12, we get 6 1023 atoms/mol 1.8 g/cm3 / 12 g/mol) = 9 1022 C/cm3. For a
molecular solid like ice, one uses the molecular mass, M(H2O) = 18. With a density of 1 g/cm3, one obtains n =
3.3 1022 H2O/cm3. Note that since the water molecule contains 3 atoms, this is equivalent to 9.9 1022
atoms/cm3. Most solids have atomic densities around 6 1022 atoms/cm3. The cube root of that number gives
the number of atoms per centimeter, about 39 million. The mean distance between atoms is the inverse of that,
or 0.25 nm. This is an important number that gives the scale of atomic structures in solids.
2.3 Electrons in Atoms
The forces in the atom are repulsions between electrons and attraction between electrons and protons. The
neutrons play no significant role. Thus, Z is what characterizes the atom. The electrons form a cloud around the
neutron, of radius of 0.05 2 nanometers. Electrons do not move in circular orbits, as in popular drawings, but
in 'fuzzy' orbits. We cannot tell how it moves, but only say what is the probability of finding it at some distance
from the nucleus. According to quantum mechanics, only certain orbits are allowed (thus, the idea of a mini
planetary system is not correct). The orbits are identified by a principal quantum number n, which can be related
to the size, n = 0 is the smallest; n = 1, 2 .. are larger. (They are "quantized" or discrete, being specified by
integers). The angular momentum l is quantized, and so is the projection in a specific direction m. The structure
of the atom is determined by the Pauli exclusion principle, only two electrons can be placed in an orbit with a
given n, l, m one for each spin. Table 2.1 in the textbook gives the number of electrons in each shell (given by
n) and subshells (given by l).
2.4 The Periodic Table
Elements are categorized by placing them in the periodic table. Elements in a column share similar properties.
The noble gases have closed shells, and so they do not gain or lose electrons near another atom. Alkalis can
easily lose an electron and become a closed shell; halogens can easily gain one to form a negative ion, again
with a closed shell. The propensity to form closed shells occurs in molecules, when they share electrons to close
a molecular shell. Examples are H2, N2, and NaCl. The ability to gain or lose electrons is termed
electronegativity or electropositivity, an important factor in ionic bonds
2.5 Bonding Forces and Energies
The Coulomb forces are simple: attractive between electrons and nuclei, repulsive between electrons and
between nuclei. The force between atoms is given by a sum of all the individual forces, and the fact that the

electrons are located outside the atom and the nucleus in the center. When two atoms come very close, the force
between them is always repulsive, because the electrons stay outside and the nuclei repel each other. Unless
both atoms are ions of the same charge (e.g., both negative) the forces between atoms is always attractive at
large internuclear distances r. Since the force is repulsive at small r, and attractive at small r, there is a distance
at which the force is zero. This is the equilibrium distance at which the atoms prefer to stay. The interaction
energy is the potential energy between the atoms. It is negative if the atoms are bound and positive if they can
move away from each other. The interaction energy is the integral of the force over the separation distance, so
these two quantities are directly related. The interaction energy is a minimum at the equilibrium position. This
value of the energy is called the bond energy, and is the energy needed to separate completely to infinity (the
work that needs to be done to overcome the attractive force.) The strongest the bond energy, the hardest is to
move the atoms, for instance the hardest it is to melt the solid, or to evaporate its atoms.
2.6 Primary Interatomic Bonds Ionic Bonding
This is the bond when one of the atoms is negative (has an extra electron) and another is positive (has lost an
electron). Then there is a strong, direct Coulomb attraction. An example is NaCl. In the molecule, there are
more electrons around Cl, forming Cl- and less around Na, forming Na+. Ionic bonds are the strongest bonds. In
real solids, ionic bonding is usually combined with covalent bonding. In this case, the fractional ionic bonding
is defined as %ionic = 100 [1 exp(-0.25 (XA XB)2], where XA and XB are the electronegativities of the
two atoms, A and B, forming the molecule.
Covalent Bonding In covalent bonding, electrons are shared between the molecules, to saturate the valency.
The simplest example is the H2 molecule, where the electrons spend more time in between the nuclei than
outside, thus producing bonding.
Metallic Bonding
In metals, the atoms are ionized, loosing some electrons from the valence band. Those electrons form a electron
sea, which binds the charged nuclei in place, in a similar way that the electrons in between the H atoms in the
H2 molecule bind the protons.
2.7 Secondary Bonding (Van der Waals)
Fluctuating Induced Dipole Bonds Since the electrons may be on one side of the atom or the other, a dipole is
formed: the + nucleus at the center, and the electron outside. Since the electron moves, the dipole fluctuates.
This fluctuation in atom A produces a fluctuating electric field that is felt by the electrons of an adjacent atom,
B. Atom B then polarizes so that its outer electrons are on the side of the atom closest to the + side (or opposite
to the side) of the dipole in A. This bond is called van der Waals bonding. Polar Molecule-Induced Dipole
Bonds A polar molecule like H2O (Hs are partially +, O is partially ), will induce a dipole in a nearby atom,
leading to bonding. Permanent Dipole Bonds This is the case of the hydrogen bond in ice. The H end of the
molecule is positively charged and can bond to the negative side of another dipolar molecule, like the O side of
the H2O dipole.
2.8 Molecules
If molecules formed a closed shell due to covalent bonding (like H2, N2) then the interaction between
molecules is weak, of the van der Waals type. Thus, molecular solids usually have very low melting points

Chapter-3:
STRUCTURE OF CRYSTALS
3.2 Fundamental Concepts
Atoms self-organize in crystals, most of the time. The crystalline lattice, is a periodic array of the atoms. When
the solid is not crystalline, it is called amorphous. Examples of crystalline solids are metals, diamond and other
precious stones, ice, graphite. Examples of amorphous solids are glass, amorphous carbon (a-C), amorphous Si,
most plastics To discuss crystalline structures it is useful to consider atoms as being hard spheres, with welldefined radii. In this scheme, the shortest distance between two like atoms is one diameter.
3.3 Unit Cells
The unit cell is the smallest structure that repeats itself by translation through the crystal. We construct these
symmetrical units with the hard spheres. The most common types of unit cells are the faced-centered cubic
(FCC), the body-centered cubic (FCC) and the hexagonal close-packed (HCP). Other types exist, particularly
among minerals. The simple cube (SC) is often used for didactical purpose, no material has this structure.

3.4 Metallic Crystal Structures

Important properties of the unit cells are The type of atoms and their radii R. cell dimensions (side a in cubic
cells, side of base a and height c in HCP) in terms of R. n, number of atoms per unit cell. For an atom that is
shared with m adjacent unit cells, we only count a fraction of the atom, 1/m. CN, the coordination number,
which is the number of closest neighbors to which an atom is bonded. APF, the atomic packing factor, which is
the fraction of the volume of the cell actually occupied by the hard spheres. APF = Sum of atomic
volumes/Volume of cell.
Unit Cell
n
CN
a/R
APF
SC
1
6
2
0.52
BCC
2
8
4 3
0.68
FCC
4
12
2 2
0.74
HCP
6
12
0.74
The closest packed direction in a BCC cell is along the diagonal of the cube; in a FCC cell is along the diagonal
of a face of the cube.
3.5 Density Computations
The density of a solid is that of the unit cell, obtained by dividing the mass of the atoms (n atoms x Matom) and
dividing by Vc the volume of the cell (a3 in the case of a cube). If the mass of the atom is given in amu (A),
then we have to divide it by the Avogadro number to get Matom. Thus, the formula for the density is: 3.6
Polymorphism and Allotropy Some materials may exist in more than one crystal structure, this is called
polymorphism. If the material is an elemental solid, it is called allotropy. An example of allotropy is carbon,
which can exist as diamond, graphite, and amorphous carbon.
3.11 Close-Packed Crystal Structures
The FCC and HCP are related, and have the same APF. They are built by packing spheres on top of each other,
in the hollow sites (Fig. 3.12 of book). The packing is alternate between two types of sites, ABABAB.. in the
HCP structure, and alternates between three types of positions, ABCABC in the FCC crystals. Crystalline and
Non-Crystalline Materials
3.12 Single Crystals
Crystals can be single crystals where the whole solid is one crystal. Then it has a regular geometric structure
with flat faces. 3.13 Polycrystalline Materials A solid can be composed of many crystalline grains, not aligned
with each other. It is called polycrystalline. The grains can be more or less aligned with respect to each other.
Where they meet is called a grain boundary.
3.14 Anisotropy
Different directions in the crystal have a different packing. For instance, atoms along the edge FCC crystals are
more separated than along the face diagonal. This causes anisotropy in the properties of crystals; for instance,
the deformation depends on the direction in which a stress is applied. 3.15 X-Ray Diffraction Determination of
Crystalline Structure not covered
3.16 Non-Crystalline Solids
In amorphous solids, there is no long-range order. But amorphous does not mean random, since the distance
between atoms cannot be smaller than the size of the hard spheres. Also, in many cases there is some form of
short-range order. For instance, the tetragonal order of crystalline SiO2 (quartz) is still apparent in amorphous
SiO2 (silica glass.)

Chapter-4:

IMPERFECTIONS
Imperfections in Solids
4.1 Introduction
Materials are often stronger when they have defects. The study of defects is divided according to their
dimension: 0D (zero dimension) point defects: vacancies and interstitials. Impurities. 1D linear defects:
dislocations (edge, screw, mixed) 2D grain boundaries, surfaces. 3D extended defects: pores, cracks. Point
Defects
4.2 Vacancies and Self-Interstitials
A vacancy is a lattice position that is vacant because the atom is missing. It is created when the solid is formed.
There are other ways of making a vacancy, but they also occur naturally as a result of thermal vibrations. An
interstitial is an atom that occupies a place outside the normal lattice position. It may be the same type of atom
as the others (self interstitial) or an impurity atom. In the case of vacancies and interstitials, there is a change in
the coordination of atoms around the defect. This means that the forces are not balanced in the same way as for
other atoms in the solid, which results in lattice distortion around the defect. The number of vacancies formed
by thermal agitation follows the law: NV = NA exp(-QV/kT) where NA is the total number of atoms in the
solid, QV is the energy required to form a vacancy, k is Boltzmann constant, and T the temperature in Kelvin
(note, not in oC or oF). When QV is given in joules, k = 1.38 10-23 J/atom-K. When using eV as the unit of
energy, k = 8.62 10-5 eV/atom-K. Note that kT(300 K) = 0.025 eV (room temperature) is much smaller than
typical vacancy formation energies. For instance, QV(Cu) = 0.9 eV/atom. This means that NV/NA at room
temperature is exp(-36) = 2.3 10-16, an insignificant number. Thus, a high temperature is needed to have a
high thermal concentration of vacancies. Even so, NV/NA is typically only about 0.0001 at the melting point.
4.3 Impurities in Solids
All real solids are impure. A very high purity material, say 99.9999% pure (called 6N six nines) contains ~ 6
1016 impurities per cm3. Impurities are often added to materials to improve the properties. For instance, carbon
added in small amounts to iron makes steel, which is stronger than iron. Boron impurities added to silicon
drastically change its electrical properties. Solid solutions are made of a host, the solvent or matrix) which
dissolves the solute (minor component). The ability to dissolve is called solubility. Solid solutions are:
homogeneous maintain crystal structure contain randomly dispersed impurities (substitutional or interstitial)
Factors for high solubility Similar atomic size (to within 15%) Similar crystal structure Similar electronegativity
(otherwise a compound is formed) Similar valence Composition can be expressed in weight percent, useful
when making the solution, and in atomic percent, useful when trying to understand the material at the atomic
level. Miscellaneous Imperfections
4.4 DislocationsLinear Defects
Dislocations are abrupt changes in the regular ordering of atoms, along a line (dislocation line) in the solid.
They occur in high density and are very important in mechanical properties of material. They are characterized
by the Burgers vector, found by doing a loop around the dislocation line and noticing the extra interatomic
spacing needed to close the loop. The Burgers vector in metals points in a close packed direction. Edge
dislocations occur when an extra plane is inserted. The dislocation line is at the end of the plane. In an edge
dislocation, the Burgers vector is perpendicular to the dislocation line. Screw dislocations result when
displacing planes relative to each other through shear. In this case, the Burgers vector is parallel to the
dislocation line.
4.5 Interfacial Defects
The environment of an atom at a surface differs from that of an atom in the bulk, in that the number of
neighbors (coordination) decreases. This introduces unbalanced forces which result in relaxation (the lattice
spacing is decreased) or reconstruction (the crystal structure changes). The density of atoms in the region
including the grain boundary is smaller than the bulk value, since void space occurs in the interface. Surfaces
and interfaces are very reactive and it is usual that impurities segregate there. Since energy is required to form a
surface, grains tend to grow in size at the expense of smaller grains to minimize energy. This occurs by
diffusion, which is accelerated at high temperatures. Twin boundaries: not covered
4.6 Bulk or Volume Defects

A typical volume defect is porosity, often introduced in the solid during processing. A common example is
snow, which is highly porous ice. 4.7 Atomic Vibrations Atomic vibrations occur, even at zero temperature (a
quantum mechanical effect) and increase in amplitude with temperature. Vibrations displace transiently atoms
from their regular lattice site, which destroys the perfect periodicity we discussed in Chapter 3.

Chapter-5:
DIFUSSION
5.1 Introduction
Many important reactions and processes in materials occur by the motion of atoms in the solid (transport),
which happens by diffusion. Inhomogeneous materials can become homogeneous by diffusion, if the
temperature is high enough (temperature is needed to overcome energy barriers to atomic motion.
5.2 Diffusion Mechanisms
Atom diffusion can occur by the motion of vacancies (vacancy diffusion) or impurities (impurity diffusion). The
energy barrier is that due to nearby atoms which need to move to let the atoms go by. This is more easily
achieved when the atoms vibrate strongly, that is, at high temperatures. There is a difference between diffusion
and net diffusion. In a homogeneous material, atoms also diffuse but this motion is hard to detect. This is
because atoms move randomly and there will be an equal number of atoms moving in one direction than in
another. In inhomogeneous materials, the effect of diffusion is readily seen by a change in concentration with
time. In this case there is a net diffusion. Net diffusion occurs because, although all atoms are moving randomly,
there are more atoms moving in regions where their concentration is higher.
5.3 Steady-State Diffusion
The flux of diffusing atoms, J, is expressed either in number of atoms per unit area and per unit time (e.g.,
atoms/m2-second) or in terms of mass flux (e.g., kg/m2-second). Steady state diffusion means that J does not
depend on time. In this case, Ficks first law holds that the flux along direction x is: J = D dC/dx Where dC/dx
is the gradient of the concentration C, and D is the diffusion constant. The concentration gradient is often called
the driving force in diffusion (but it is not a force in the mechanistic sense). The minus sign in the equation
means that diffusion is down the concentration gradient.
5.4 Nonsteady-State Diffusion
This is the case when the diffusion flux depends on time, which means that a type of atoms accumulates in a
region or that it is depleted from a region (which may cause them to accumulate in another region). 5.5 Factors
That Influence Diffusion As stated above, there is a barrier to diffusion created by neighboring atoms that need
to move to let the diffusing atom pass. Thus, atomic vibrations created by temperature assist diffusion. Also,
smaller atoms diffuse more readily than big ones, and diffusion is faster in open lattices or in open directions.
Similar to the case of vacancy formation, the effect of temperature in diffusion is given by a Boltzmann factor:
D = D0 exp(Qd/kT).
5.6 Other Diffusion Paths
Diffusion occurs more easily along surfaces, and voids in the material (short circuits like dislocations and grain
boundaries) because less atoms need to move to let the diffusing atom pass. Short circuits are often unimportant
because they constitute a negligible part of the total area of the material normal to the diffusion flux. .

Chapter-6:
Mechanical Properties of Metals
Introduction
Often materials are subject to forces (loads) when they are used. Mechanical engineers calculate those forces
and material scientists how materials deform (elongate, compress, twist) or break as a function of applied load,
time, temperature, and other conditions. Materials scientists learn about these mechanical properties by testing
materials. Results from the tests depend on the size and shape of material to be tested (specimen), how it is held,
and the way of performing the test. That is why we use common procedures, or standards, which are published
by the ASTM. Concepts of Stress and Strain To compare specimens of different sizes, the load is calculated per
unit area, also called normalization to the area. Force divided by area is called stress. In tension and
compression tests, the relevant area is that perpendicular to the force. In shear or torsion tests, the area is
perpendicular to the axis of rotation. s = F/A0 tensile or compressive stress t = F/A0 shear stress The unit is the

Megapascal = 106 Newtons/m2. There is a change in dimensions, or deformation elongation, DL as a result of a

tensile or compressive stress. To enable comparison with specimens of different length, the elongation is also
normalized, this time to the length L. This is called strain, e. e = DL/L The change in dimensions is the reason
we use A0 to indicate the initial area since it changes during deformation. One could divide force by the actual
area, this is called true stress (see Sec. 6.7). For torsional or shear stresses, the deformation is the angle of twist,
q (Fig. 6.1) and the shear strain is given by: g = tg q StressStrain Behavior Elastic deformation. When the
stress is removed, the material returns to the dimension it had before the load was applied. Valid for small
strains (except the case of rubbers). Deformation is reversible, non permanent Plastic deformation. When the
stress is removed, the material does not return to its previous dimension but there is a permanent, irreversible
deformation. In tensile tests, if the deformation is elastic, the stress-strain relationship is called Hooke's law: s =
E e That is, E is the slope of the stress-strain curve. E is Young's modulus or modulus of elasticity. In some
cases, the relationship is not linear so that E can be defined alternatively as the local slope: E = ds/de Shear
stresses produce strains according to: t = G g where G is the shear modulus. Elastic moduli measure the stiffness
of the material. They are related to the second derivative of the interatomic potential, or the first derivative of
the force vs. internuclear distance (Fig. 6.6). By examining these curves we can tell which material has a higher
modulus. Due to thermal vibrations the elastic modulus decreases with temperature. E is large for ceramics
(stronger ionic bond) and small for polymers (weak covalent bond). Since the interatomic distances depend on
direction in the crystal, E depends on direction (i.e., it is anisotropic) for single crystals. For randomly oriented
policrystals, E is isotropic. . Anelasticity Here the behavior is elastic but not the stress-strain curve is not
immediately reversible. It takes a while for the strain to return to zero. The effect is normally small for metals
but can be significant for polymers. Elastic Properties of Materials Materials subject to tension shrink laterally.
Those subject to compression, bulge. The ratio of lateral and axial strains is called the Poisson's ratio n. n =
elateral/eaxial The elastic modulus, shear modulus and Poisson's ratio are related by E = 2G(1+n) Tensile
Properties Yield point. If the stress is too large, the strain deviates from being proportional to the stress. The
point at which this happens is the yield point because there the material yields, deforming permanently
(plastically). Yield stress. Hooke's law is not valid beyond the yield point. The stress at the yield point is called
yield stress, and is an important measure of the mechanical properties of materials. In practice, the yield stress is
chosen as that causing a permanent strain of 0.002 (strain offset, Fig. 6.9.) The yield stress measures the
resistance to plastic deformation. The reason for plastic deformation, in normal materials, is not that the atomic
bond is stretched beyond repair, but the motion of dislocations, which involves breaking and reforming bonds.
Plastic deformation is caused by the motion of dislocations. Tensile strength. When stress continues in the
plastic regime, the stress-strain passes through a maximum, called the tensile strength (sTS) , and then falls as
the material starts to develop a neck and it finally breaks at the fracture point (Fig. 6.10). Note that it is called
strength, not stress, but the units are the same, MPa. For structural applications, the yield stress is usually a
more important property than the tensile strength, since once the it is passed, the structure has deformed beyond
acceptable limits. Ductility. The ability to deform before braking. It is the opposite of brittleness. Ductility can
be given either as percent maximum elongation emax or maximum area reduction. %EL = emax x 100 % %AR
= (A0 - Af)/A0 These are measured after fracture (repositioning the two pieces back together). Resilience.
Capacity to absorb energy elastically. The energy per unit volume is the area under the strain-stress curve in the
elastic region. Toughness. Ability to absorb energy up to fracture. The energy per unit volume is the total area
under the strain-stress curve. It is measured by an impact test (Ch. 8). True Stress and Strain When one applies a
constant tensile force the material will break after reaching the tensile strength. The material starts necking (the
transverse area decreases) but the stress cannot increase beyond sTS. The ratio of the force to the initial area,
what we normally do, is called the engineering stress. If the ratio is to the actual area (that changes with stress)
one obtains the true stress. Elastic Recovery During Plastic Deformation If a material is taken beyond the yield
point (it is deformed plastically) and the stress is then released, the material ends up with a permanent strain. If
the stress is reapplied, the material again responds elastically at the beginning up to a new yield point that is
higher than the original yield point (strain hardening, Ch. 7.10). The amount of elastic strain that it will take
before reaching the yield point is called elastic strain recovery (Fig. 6. 16). Compressive, Shear, and Torsional
Deformation Compressive and shear stresses give similar behavior to tensile stresses, but in the case of
compressive stresses there is no maximum in the s-e curve, since no necking occurs. Hardness Hardness is the
resistance to plastic deformation (e.g., a local dent or scratch). Thus, it is a measure of plastic deformation, as is

the tensile strength, so they are well correlated. Historically, it was measured on an empirically scale,
determined by the ability of a material to scratch another, diamond being the hardest and talc the softer. Now we
use standard tests, where a ball, or point is pressed into a material and the size of the dent is measured. There are
a few different hardness tests: Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers, etc. They are popular because they are easy and nondestructive (except for the small dent). Variability of Material Properties Tests do not produce exactly the same
result because of variations in the test equipment, procedures, operator bias, specimen fabrication, etc. But, even
if all those parameters are controlled within strict limits, a variation remains in the materials, due to
uncontrolled variations during fabrication, non homogenous composition and structure, etc. The measured
mechanical properties will show scatter, which is often distributed in a Gaussian curve (bell-shaped), that is
characterized by the mean value and the standard deviation (width). Design/Safety Factors To take into account
variability of properties, designers use, instead of an average value of, say, the tensile strength, the probability
that the yield strength is above the minimum value tolerable. This leads to the use of a safety factor N > 1 (typ.
1.2 - 4). Thus, a working value for the tensile strength would be sW = sTS / N. Not tested: true stress-true stain
relationships, details of the different types of hardness tests, but should know that hardness for a given material
correlates with tensile strength. Variability of material properties

Chapter 7.
DISLOCATIONS AND STRENGTHENING MECHANISM
Introduction
The key idea of the chapter is that plastic deformation is due to the motion of a large number of dislocations.
The motion is called slip. Thus, the strength (resistance to deformation) can be improved by putting obstacles to
slip. Basic Concepts Dislocations can be edge dislocations, screw dislocations and exist in combination of the
two (Ch. 4.4). Their motion (slip) occurs by sequential bond breaking and bond reforming (Fig. 7.1). The
number of dislocations per unit volume is the dislocation density, in a plane they are measured per unit area.
Characteristics of Dislocations There is strain around a dislocation which influences how they interact with
other dislocations, impurities, etc. There is compression near the extra plane (higher atomic density) and tension
following the dislocation line (Fig. 7.4) Dislocations interact among themselves (Fig. 7.5). When they are in the
same plane, they repel if they have the same sign and annihilate if they have opposite signs (leaving behind a
perfect crystal). In general, when dislocations are close and their strain fields add to a larger value, they repel,
because being close increases the potential energy (it takes energy to strain a region of the material). The
number of dislocations increases dramatically during plastic deformation. Dislocations spawn from existing
dislocations, and from defects, grain boundaries and surface irregularities. Slip Systems In single crystals there
are preferred planes where dislocations move (slip planes). There they do not move in any direction, but in
preferred crystallographic directions (slip direction). The set of slip planes and directions constitute slip
systems. The slip planes are those of highest packing density. How do we explain this? Since the distance
between atoms is shorter than the average, the distance perpendicular to the plane has to be longer than average.
Being relatively far apart, the atoms can move more easily with respect to the atoms of the adjacent plane. (We
did not discuss direction and plane nomenclature for slip systems.) BCC and FCC crystals have more slip
systems, that is more ways for dislocation to propagate. Thus, those crystals are more ductile than HCP crystals
(HCP crystals are more brittle). Slip in Single Crystals A tensile stress s will have components in any plane that
is not perpendicular to the stress. These components are resolved shear stresses. Their magnitude depends on
orientation (see Fig. 7.7). tR = s cos f cos l If the shear stress reaches the critical resolved shear stress tCRSS,
slip (plastic deformation) can start. The stress needed is: sy = tCRSS / (cos f cos l)max at the angles at which
tCRSS is a maximum. The minimum stress needed for yielding is when f = l = 45 degrees: sy = 2tCRSS. Thus,
dislocations will occur first at slip planes oriented close to this angle with respect to the applied stress (Figs. 7.8
and 7.9). Plastic Deformation of Polycrystalline Materials Slip directions vary from crystal to crystal. When
plastic deformation occurs in a grain, it will be constrained by its neighbors which may be less favorably
oriented. As a result, polycrystalline metals are stronger than single crystals (the exception is the perfect single
crystal, as in whiskers.) Deformation by Twinning This topic is not included. Mechanisms of Strengthening in
Metals General principles. Ability to deform plastically depends on ability of dislocations to move.
Strengthening consists in hindering dislocation motion. We discuss the methods of grain-size reduction, solidsolution alloying and strain hardening. These are for single-phase metals. We discuss others when treating

alloys. Ordinarily, strengthening reduces ductility. Strengthening by Grain Size Reduction This is based on the
fact that it is difficult for a dislocation to pass into another grain, especially if it is very misaligned. Atomic
disorder at the boundary causes discontinuity in slip planes. For high-angle grain boundaries, stress at end of
slip plane may trigger new dislocations in adjacent grains. Small angle grain boundaries are not effective in
blocking dislocations. The finer the grains, the larger the area of grain boundaries that impedes dislocation
motion. Grain-size reduction usually improves toughness as well. Usually, the yield strength varies with grain
size d according to: sy = s0 + ky / d1/2 Grain size can be controlled by the rate of solidification and by plastic
deformation. Solid-Solution Strengthening Adding another element that goes into interstitial or substitutional
positions in a solution increases strength. The impurity atoms cause lattice strain (Figs. 7.17 and 7.18) which
can "anchor" dislocations. This occurs when the strain caused by the alloying element compensates that of the
dislocation, thus achieving a state of low potential energy. It costs strain energy for the dislocation to move
away from this state (which is like a potential well). The scarcity of energy at low temperatures is why slip is
hindered. Pure metals are almost always softer than their alloys. Strain Hardening Ductile metals become
stronger when they are deformed plastically at temperatures well below the melting point (cold working). (This
is different from hot working is the shaping of materials at high temperatures where large deformation is
possible.) Strain hardening (work hardening) is the reason for the elastic recovery discussed in Ch. 6.8. The
reason for strain hardening is that the dislocation density increases with plastic deformation (cold work) due to
multiplication. The average distance between dislocations then decreases and dislocations start blocking the
motion of each one. The measure of strain hardening is the percent cold work (%CW), given by the relative
reduction of the original area, A0 to the final value Ad : %CW = 100 (A0Ad)/A0 Recovery, recrystallization
and Grain Growth Plastic deformation causes 1) change in grain size, 2) strain hardening, 3) increase in the
dislocation density. Restoration to the state before cold-work is done by heating through two processes:
recovery and recrystallization. These may be followed by grain growth. Recovery Heating increased diffusion
enhanced dislocation motion relieves internal strain energy and reduces the number of dislocation. The
electrical and thermal conductivity are restored to the values existing before cold working. Recrystallization
Strained grains of cold-worked metal are replaced, upon heating, by more regularly-spaced grains. This occurs
through short-range diffusion enabled by the high temperature. Since recrystallization occurs by diffusion, the
important parameters are both temperature and time. The material becomes softer, weaker, but more ductile
(Fig. 7.22). Recrystallization temperature: is that at which the process is complete in one hour. It is typically 1/3
to 1/2 of the melting temperature. It falls as the %CW is increased. Below a "critical deformation",
recrystallization does not occur. Grain Growth The growth of grain size with temperature can occur in all
polycrystalline materials. It occurs by migration of atoms at grain boundaries by diffusion, thus grain growth is
faster at higher temperatures. The "driving force" is the reduction of energy, which is proportional to the total
area. Big grains grow at the expense of the small ones.

Chapter 8.
FAILURE
Introduction
Failure of materials may have huge costs. Causes included improper materials selection or processing, the
improper design of components, and improper use. Fundamentals of Fracture Fracture is a form of failure where
the material separates in pieces due to stress, at temperatures below the melting point. The fracture is termed
ductile or brittle depending on whether the elongation is large or small. Steps in fracture (response to stress):
track formation track propagation Ductile vs. brittle fracture
deformation
track propagation
type of materials
warning
strain energy
fractured surface
necking

Ductile
extensive
slow, needs stress
most metals (not too cold)
permanent elongation
higher
rough
yes

Brittle
little
fast
ceramics, ice, cold metals
none
lower
smoother
no

Ductile Fracture Stages of ductile fracture Initial necking small cavity formation (microvoids) void growth
(elipsoid) by coalescence into a crack fast crack propagation around neck. Shear strain at 45o final shear
fracture (cup and cone) The interior surface is fibrous, irregular, which signify plastic deformation.
Brittle Fracture There is no appreciable deformation, and crack propagation is very fast. In most brittle
materials, crack propagation (by bond breaking) is along specific crystallographic planes (cleavage planes). This
type of fracture is transgranular (through grains) producing grainy texture (or faceted texture) when cleavage
direction changes from grain to grain. In some materials, fracture is intergranular.
Principles of Fracture Mechanics Fracture occurs due to stress concentration at flaws, like surface scratches,
voids, etc. If a is the length of the void and r the radius of curvature, the enhanced stress near the flaw is: sm 2
s0 (a/r)1/2 where s0 is the applied macroscopic stress. Note that a is 1/2 the length of the flaw, not the full
length for an internal flaw, but the full length for a surface flaw. The stress concentration factor is: Kt = sm/s0
2 (a/r)1/2 Because of this enhancement, flaws with small radius of curvature are called stress raisers. Impact
Fracture Testing Normalized tests, like the Charpy and Izod tests measure the impact energy required to fracture
a notched specimen with a hammer mounted on a pendulum. The energy is measured by the change in potential
energy (height) of the pendulum. This energy is called notch toughness. Ductile to brittle transition occurs in
materials when the temperature is dropped below a transition temperature. Alloying usually increases the
ductile-brittle transition temperature (Fig. 8.19.) For ceramics, this type of transition occurs at much higher
temperatures than for metals. Fatigue Fatigue is the catastrophic failure due to dynamic (fluctuating) stresses. It
can happen in bridges, airplanes, machine components, etc. The characteristics are: long period of cyclic strain
the most usual (90%) of metallic failures (happens also in ceramics and polymers) is brittle-like even in ductile
metals, with little plastic deformation it occurs in stages involving the initiation and propagation of cracks.
Cyclic Stresses These are characterized by maximum, minimum and mean stress, the stress amplitude, and the
stress ratio (Fig. 8.20). The SN Curve SN curves (stress-number of cycles to failure) are obtained using
apparatus like the one shown in Fig. 8.21. Different types of SN curves are shown in Fig. 8.22. Fatigue limit
(endurance limit) occurs for some materials (like some ferrous and Ti allows). In this case, the SN curve
becomes horizontal at large N . This means that there is a maximum stress amplitude (the fatigue limit) below
which the material never fails, no matter how large the number of cycles is. For other materials (e.g., nonferrous) the SN curve continues to fall with N. Failure by fatigue shows substantial variability (Fig. 8.23).
Failure at low loads is in the elastic strain regime, requires a large number of cycles (typ. 104 to 105). At high
loads (plastic regime), one has low-cycle fatigue (N < 104 - 105 cycles). Crack Initiation and Propagation
Stages is fatigue failure: I. crack initiation at high stress points (stress raisers) II. propagation (incremental in
each cycle) III. final failure by fracture Nfinal = Ninitiation + Npropagation Stage I - propagation slow along
crystallographic planes of high shear stress flat and featureless fatigue surface Stage II - propagation crack
propagates by repetive plastic blunting and sharpening of the crack tip. (Fig. 8.25.) . Crack Propagation Rate
(not covered) . Factors That Affect Fatigue Life Mean stress (lower fatigue life with increasing smean). Surface
defects (scratches, sharp transitions and edges). Solution: polish to remove machining flaws add residual
compressive stress (e.g., by shot peening.) case harden, by carburizing, nitriding (exposing to appropriate gas at
high temperature) . Environmental Effects Thermal cycling causes expansion and contraction, hence thermal
stress, if component is restrained. Solution: eliminate restraint by design use materials with low thermal
expansion coefficients. Corrosion fatigue. Chemical reactions induced pits which act as stress raisers. Corrosion
also enhances crack propagation. Solutions: decrease corrosiveness of medium, if possible. add protective
surface coating. add residual compressive stresses.
Creep
Creep is the time-varying plastic deformation of a material stressed at high temperatures. Examples: turbine
blades, steam generators. Keys are the time dependence of the strain and the high temperature. . Generalized
Creep Behavior At a constant stress, the strain increases initially fast with time (primary or transient
deformation), then increases more slowly in the secondary region at a steady rate (creep rate). Finally the strain
increases fast and leads to failure in the tertiary region. Characteristics: Creep rate: de/dt Time to failure. . Stress
and Temperature Effects Creep becomes more pronounced at higher temperatures (Fig. 8.37). There is
essentially no creep at temperatures below 40% of the melting point. Creep increases at higher applied stresses.
The behavior can be characterized by the following expression, where K, n and Qc are constants for a given

material: de/dt = K sn exp(-Qc/RT) . Data Extrapolation Methods (not covered.) . Alloys for High-Temperature
Use These are needed for turbines in jet engines, hypersonic airplanes, nuclear reactors, etc. The important
factors are a high melting temperature, a high elastic modulus and large grain size (the latter is opposite to what
is desirable in low-temperature materials). Some creep resistant materials are stainless steels, refractory metal
alloys (containing elements of high melting point, like Nb, Mo, W, Ta), and superalloys (based on Co, Ni, Fe.)

Chapter-9:
PHASE DIAGRAMS
9.1 Introduction
Definitions
Component: pure metal or compound (e.g., Cu, Zn in Cu-Zn alloy, sugar, water, in a syrup.) Solvent: host or
major component in solution. Solute: dissolved, minor component in solution. System: set of possible alloys
from same component (e.g., iron-carbon system.) Solubility Limit: Maximum solute concentration that can be
dissolved at a given temperature. Phase: part with homogeneous physical and chemical characteristics
9.2 Solubility Limit
Effect of temperature on solubility limit. Maximum content: saturation. Exceeding maximum content (like when
cooling) leads to precipitation.
9.3 Phases
One-phase systems are homogeneous. Systems with two or more phases are heterogeneous, or mixtures. This is
the case of most metallic alloys, but also happens in ceramics and polymers. A two-component alloy is called
binary. One with three components, ternary. 9.4 Microstructure The properties of an alloy do not depend only on
concentration of the phases but how they are arranged structurally at the microscopy level. Thus, the
microstructure is specified by the number of phases, their proportions, and their arrangement in space. A binary
alloy may be a single solid solution two separated, essentially pure components. two separated solid solutions. a
chemical compound, together with a solid solution. The way to tell is to cut the material, polish it to a mirror
finish, etch it a weak acid (components etch at a different rate) and observe the surface under a microscope.
9.5 Phase Equilibria
Equilibrium is the state of minimum energy. It is achieved given sufficient time. But the time to achieve
equilibrium may be so long (the kinetics is so slow) that a state that is not at an energy minimum may have a
long life and appear to be stable. This is called a metastable state. A less strict, operational, definition of
equilibrium is that of a system that does not change with time during observation.
Equilibrium Phase Diagrams
Give the relationship of composition of a solution as a function of temperatures and the quantities of phases in
equilibrium. These diagrams do not indicate the dynamics when one phase transforms into another. Sometimes
diagrams are given with pressure as one of the variables. In the phase diagrams we will discuss, pressure is
assumed to be constant at one atmosphere. 9.6 Binary Isomorphous Systems This very simple case is one
complete liquid and solid solubility, an isomorphous system. The example is the Cu-Ni alloy of Fig. 9.2a. The
complete solubility occurs because both Cu and Ni have the same crystal structure (FCC), near the same radii,
electronegativity and valence. The liquidus line separates the liquid phase from solid or solid + liquid phases.
That is, the solution is liquid above the liquidus line. The solidus line is that below which the solution is
completely solid (does not contain a liquid phase.) Interpretation of phase diagrams Concentrations: Tie-line
method locate composition and temperature in diagram In two phase region draw tie line or isotherm note
intersection with phase boundaries. Read compositions. Fractions: lever rule construct tie line (isotherm) obtain
ratios of line segments lengths. Note: the fractions are inversely proportional to the length to the boundary for
the particular phase. If the point in the diagram is close to the phase line, the fraction of that phase is large.
Development of microstructure in isomorphous alloys
a) Equilibrium cooling Solidification in the solid + liquid phase occurs gradually upon cooling from the liquidus
line. The composition of the solid and the liquid change gradually during cooling (as can be determined by the
tie-line method.) Nuclei of the solid phase form and they grow to consume all the liquid at the solidus line. b)
Non-equilibrium cooling Solidification in the solid + liquid phase also occurs gradually. The composition of the
liquid phase evolves by diffusion, following the equilibrium values that can be derived from the tie-line method.
However, diffusion in the solid state is very slow. Hence, the new layers that solidify on top of the grains have

the equilibrium composition at that temperature but once they are solid their composition does not change. This
lead to the formation of layered (cored) grains (Fig. 9.14) and to the invalidity of the tie-line method to
determine the composition of the solid phase (it still works for the liquid phase, where diffusion is fast.)
9.7 Binary Eutectic Systems
Interpretation: Obtain phases present, concentration of phases and their fraction (%). Solvus line: limit of
solubility Eutectic or invariant point. Liquid and two solid phases exist in equilibrium at the eutectic
composition and the eutectic temperature. Note: the melting point of the eutectic alloy is lower than that of the
components (eutectic = easy to melt in Greek). At most two phases can be in equilibrium within a phase field.
Single-phase regions are separated by 2-phase regions. Development of microstructure in eutectic alloys Case
of lead-tin alloys, figures 9.99.14. A layered, eutectic structure develops when cooling below the eutectic
temperature. Alloys which are to the left of the eutectic concentration (hipoeutectic) or to the right
(hypereutectic) form a proeutectic phase before reaching the eutectic temperature, while in the solid + liquid
region. The eutectic structure then adds when the remaining liquid is solidified when cooling further. The
eutectic microstructure is lamellar (layered) due to the reduced diffusion distances in the solid state. To obtain
the concentration of the eutectic microstructure in the final solid solution, one draws a vertical line at the
eutectic concentration and applies the lever rule treating the eutectic as a separate phase (Fig. 9.16).
9.8 Equilibrium Diagrams Having Intermediate Phases or Compounds
A terminal phase or terminal solution is one that exists in the extremes of concentration (0 and 100%) of the
phase diagram. One that exists in the middle, separated from the extremes, is called an intermediate phase or
solid solution. An important phase is the intermetallic compound, that has a precise chemical compositions.
When using the lever rules, intermetallic compounds are treated like any other phase, except they appear not as
a wide region but as a vertical line.
9.9 Eutectoid and Peritectic Reactions
The eutectoid (eutectic-like) reaction is similar to the eutectic reaction but occurs from one solid phase to two
new solid phases. It also shows as V on top of a horizontal line in the phase diagram. There are associated
eutectoid temperature (or temperature), eutectoid phase, eutectoid and proeutectoid microstructures. Solid Phase
1 Solid Phase 2 + Solid Phase 3 The peritectic reaction also involves three solid in equilibrium, the transition
is from a solid + liquid phase to a different solid phase when cooling. The inverse reaction occurs when heating.
Solid Phase 1 + liquid Solid Phase 2 9.10 Congruent Phase Transformations Another classification scheme.
Congruent transformation is one where there is no change in composition, like allotropic transformations (e.g.,
a-Fe to g-Fe) or melting transitions in pure solids.
9.13 The IronIron Carbide (FeFe3C) Phase Diagram
This is one of the most important alloys for structural applications. The diagram FeC is simplified at low
carbon concentrations by assuming it is the FeFe3C diagram. Concentrations are usually given in weight
percent. The possible phases are: a-ferrite (BCC) Fe-C solution g-austenite (FCC) Fe-C solution d-ferrite (BCC)
Fe-C solution liquid Fe-C solution Fe3C (iron carbide) or cementite. An intermetallic compound. The maximum
solubility of C in a- ferrite is 0.022 wt%. d-ferrite is only stable at high temperatures. It is not important in
practice. Austenite has a maximum C concentration of 2.14 wt %. It is not stable below the eutectic temperature
(727 C) unless cooled rapidly (Chapter 10). Cementite is in reality metastable, decomposing into a-Fe and C
when heated for several years between 650 and 770 C. For their role in mechanical properties of the alloy, it is
important to note that: Ferrite is soft and ductile Cementite is hard and brittle Thus, combining these two phases
in solution an alloy can be obtained with intermediate properties. (Mechanical properties also depend on the
microstructure, that is, how ferrite and cementite are mixed.) 9.14 Development of Microstructures in Iron
Carbon Alloys The eutectoid composition of austenite is 0.76 wt %. When it cools slowly it forms perlite, a
lamellar or layered structure of two phases: a-ferrite and cementite (Fe3C). Hypoeutectoid alloys contain
proeutectoid ferrite plus the eutectoid perlite. Hypereutectoid alloys contain proeutectoid cementite plus perlite.
Since reactions below the eutectoid temperature are in the solid phase, the equilibrium is not achieved by usual
cooling from austenite. The new microstructures that form are discussed in Ch. 10.
9.15 The Influence of Other Alloying Elements
As mentioned in section 7.9, alloying strengthens metals by hindering the motion of dislocations. Thus, the

strength of FeC alloys increase with C content and also with the addition of other elements.

Chapter-10:
Phase Transformations in Metals
10.1 Introduction The goal is to obtain specific microstructures that will improve the mechanical properties of a
metal, in addition to grain-size refinement, solid-solution strengthening, and strain-hardening.
10.2 Basic Concepts
Phase transformations that involve a change in the microstructure can occur through: Diffusion Maintaining the
type and number of phases (e.g., solidification of a pure metal, allotropic transformation, recrystallization, grain
growth. Alteration of phase composition (e.g., eutectoid reactions, see 10.5) Diffusionless Production of
metastable phases (e.g., martensitic transformation, see 10.5)
10.3 The Kinetics of Solid-State Reactions
Change in composition implies atomic rearrangement, which requires diffusion. Atoms are displaced by random
walk. The displacement of a given atom, d, is not linear in time t (as would be for a straight trajectory) but is
proportional to the square root of time, due to the tortuous path: d = c(Dt) 1/2 where c is a constant and D the
diffusion constant. This time-dependence of the rate at which the reaction (phase transformation) occurs is what
is meant by the term reaction kinetics. D is called a constant because it does not depend on time, but it depends
on temperature as we have seen in Ch. 5. Diffusion occurs faster at high temperatures. Phase transformation
requires two processes: nucleation and growth. Nucleation involves the formation of very small particles, or
nuclei (e.g., grain boundaries, defects). This is similar to rain happening when water molecules condensed
around dust particles. During growth, the nuclei grow in size at the expense of the surrounding material. The
kinetic behavior often has the S-shape form of Fig. 10.1, when plotting percent of material transformed vs. the
logarithm of time. The nucleation phase is seen as an incubation period, where nothing seems to happen.
Usually the transformation rate has the form r = A e-Q/RT (similar to the temperature dependence of the
diffusion constant), in which case it is said to be thermally activated.
10.4 Multiphase Transformations
To describe phase transformations that occur during cooling, equilibrium phase diagrams are inadequate if the
transformation rate is slow compared to the cooling rate. This is usually the case in practice, so that equilibrium
microstructures are seldom obtained. This means that the transformations are delayed (e.g., case of
supercooling), and metastable states are formed. We then need to know the effect of time on phase
transformations. Microstructural and Property Changes in Fe-C Alloys
10.5 Isothermal Transformation Diagrams
We use as an example the cooling of an eutectoid alloy (0.76 wt% C) from the austenite (g- phase) to pearlite,
that contains ferrite (a) plus cementite (Fe3C or iron carbide). When cooling proceeds below the eutectoid
temperature (727 oC) nucleation of pearlite starts. The S-shaped curves (fraction of pearlite vs. log. time, fig.
10.3) are displaced to longer times at higher temperatures showing that the transformation is dominated by
nucleation (the nucleation period is longer at higher temperatures) and not by diffusion (which occurs faster at
higher temperatures). The family of S-shaped curves at different temperatures can be used to construct the TTT
(Time-Temperature-Transformation) diagrams (e.g., fig. 10.4.) For these diagrams to apply, one needs to cool
the material quickly to a given temperature To before the transformation occurs, and keep it at that temperature
over time. The horizontal line that indicates constant temperature To intercepts the TTT curves on the left
(beginning of the transformation) and the right (end of the transformation); thus one can read from the diagrams
when the transformation occurs. The formation of pearlite shown in fig. 10.4 also indicates that the
transformation occurs sooner at low temperatures, which is an indication that it is controlled by the rate of
nucleation. At low temperatures, nucleation occurs fast and grain growth is reduced (since it occurs by
diffusion, which is hindered at low temperatures). This reduced grain growth leads to fine-grained
microstructure (fine pearlite). At higher temperatures, diffusion allows for larger grain growth, thus leading to

coarse pearlite. At lower temperatures nucleation starts to become slower, and a new phase is formed, bainite.
Since diffusion is low at low temperatures, this phase has a very fine (microscopic) microstructure. Spheroidite
is a coarse phase that forms at temperatures close to the eutectoid temperature. The relatively high temperatures
caused a slow nucleation but enhances the growth of the nuclei leading to large grains. A very important
structure is martensite, which forms when cooling austenite very fast (quenching) to below a maximum
temperature that is required for the transformation. It forms nearly instantaneously when the required low
temperature is reached; since no thermal activation is needed, this is called an athermal transformation.
Martensite is a different phase, a body-centered tetragonal (BCT) structure with interstitial C atoms. Martensite
is metastable and decomposes into ferrite and pearlite but this is extremely slow (and not noticeable) at room
temperature. In the examples, we used an eutectoid composition. For hypo- and hypereutectoid alloys, the
analysis is the same, but the proeutectoid phase that forms before cooling through the eutectoid temperature is
also part of the final microstructure. 10.6 Continuous Cooling Transformation Diagrams - not covered 10.7
Mechanical Behavior of Fe-C Alloys The strength and hardness of the different microstructures is inversely
related to the size of the microstructures. Thus, spheroidite is softest, fine pearlite is stronger than coarse
pearlite, bainite is stronger than pearlite and martensite is the strongest of all. The stronger and harder the phase
the more brittle it becomes.
10.8 Tempered Martensite
Martensite is so brittle that it needs to be modified in many practical cases. This is done by heating it to 250-650
oC for some time (tempering) which produces tempered martensite, an extremely fine-grained and well
dispersed cementite grains in a ferrite matrix. Chapter 11. Thermal Processing of Metal Alloys Annealing
Processes 11.1 Introduction
Annealing is a heat treatment where the material is taken to a high temperature, kept there for some time and
then cooled. High temperatures allow diffusion processes to occur fast. The time at the high temperature
(soaking time) is long enough to allow the desired transformation to occur. Cooling is done slowly to avoid the
distortion (warping) of the metal piece, or even cracking, caused by stresses induced by differential contraction
due to thermal inhomogeneities. Benefits of annealing are: relieve stresses increase softness, ductility and
toughness produce a specific microstructure
11.2 Process Annealing
Deforming a piece that has been strengthened by cold working requires a lot of energy. Reverting the effect of
cold work by process annealing eases further deformation. Heating allows recovery and recrystallization but is
usually limited to avoid excessive grain growth and oxidation.
11.3 Stress Relief
Stresses resulting from machining operations of non-uniform cooling can be eliminated by stress relief
annealing at moderately low temperatures, such that the effect of cold working and other heat treatments is
maintained.
11.4 Annealing of Ferrous Alloys
Normalizing (or austenitizing) consists in taking the Fe-C alloy to the austenitic phase which makes the grain
size more uniform, followed by cooling in air. Full anneal involves taking hypoeutectoid alloys to the austenite
phase and hypereutectoid alloys over the eutectoid temperature (Fig. 11.1) to soften pieces which have been
hardened by plastic deformation, and which need to be machined. Spheroidizing consists in prolongued heating
just below the eutectoid temperature, which results in the soft spheroidite structure discussed in Sect. 10.5. This
achieves maximum softness that minimizes the energy needed in subsequent forming operations.
Heat Treatment of Steels 1.5 Hardenability
To achieve a full conversion of austenite into hard martensite, cooling needs to be fast enough to avoid partial

conversion into perlite or bainite. If the piece is thick, the interior may cool too slowly so that full martensitic
conversion is not achieved. Thus, the martensitic content, and the hardness, will drop from a high value at the
surface to a lower value in the interior of the piece. Hardenability is the ability of the material to be hardened by
forming martensite. Hardenability is measured by the Jominy end-quench test (Fig. 11.2). Hardenability is then
given as the dependence of hardness on distance from the quenched end. High hardenability means that the
hardness curve is relatively flat.
11.6 Influence of Quenching Medium, Specimen Size, and Geometry
The cooling rate depends on the cooling medium. Cooling is fastest using water, then oil, and then air. Fast
cooling brings the danger of warping and formation of cracks, since it is usually accompanied by large thermal
gradients. The shape and size of the piece, together with the heat capacity and heat conductivity are important in
determining the cooling rate for different parts of the metal piece. Heat capacity is the energy content of a
heated mass, which needs to be removed for cooling. Heat conductivity measures how fast this energy is
transported to the colder regions of the piece.
Precipitation Hardening Hardening can be enhanced by extremely small precipitates that hinder dislocation
motion. The precipitates form when the solubility limit is exceeded. Precipitation hardening is also called age
hardening because it involves the hardening of the material over a prolonged time.
11.7 Heat Treatments
Precipitation hardening is achieved by:
a) solution heat treatment where all the solute atoms are dissolved to form a single-phase solution. b) rapid
cooling across the solvus line to exceed the solubility limit. This leads to a supersaturated solid solution that
remains stable (metastable) due to the low temperatures, which prevent diffusion. c) precipitation heat treatment
where the supersaturated solution is heated to an intermediate temperature to induce precipitation and kept there
for some time (aging).
If the process is continued for a very long time, eventually the hardness decreases. This is called overaging. The
requirements for precipitation hardening are: appreciable maximum solubility solubility curve that falls fast
with temperature composition of the alloy that is less than the maximum solubility
11.8 Mechanism of Hardening
Strengthening involves the formation of a large number of microscopic nuclei, called zones. It is accelerated at
high temperatures. Hardening occurs because the deformation of the lattice around the precipitates hinder slip.
Aging that occurs at room temperature is called natural aging, to distinguish from the artificial aging caused by
premeditated heating.
11.9 Miscellaneous Considerations
Since forming, machining, etc. uses more energy when the material is hard, the steps in the processing of alloys
are usually: solution heat treat and quench do needed cold working before hardening do precipitation hardening
Exposure of precipitation-hardened alloys to high temperatures may lead to loss of strength by overaging

Chapter 12.
Ceramics - Structures and Properties
12.1 Introduction
Ceramics are inorganic and non-metallic materials that are commonly electrical and thermal insulators, brittle
and composed of more than one element (e.g., two in Al2O3) Ceramic Structures
12.2 Crystal Structures
Ceramic bonds are mixed, ionic and covalent, with a proportion that depends on the particular ceramics. The

ionic character is given by the difference of electronegativity between the cations (+) and anions (-). Covalent
bonds involve sharing of valence electrons. Very ionic crystals usually involve cations which are alkalis or
alkaline-earths (first two columns of the periodic table) and oxygen or halogens as anions. The building criteria
for the crystal structure are two: maintain neutrality charge balance dictates chemical formula achieve closest
packing the condition for minimum energy implies maximum attraction and minimum repulsion. This leads to
contact, configurations where anions have the highest number of cation neighbors and viceversa. The parameter
that is important in determining contact is the ratio of cation to anion radii, rC/rA. Table 13.2 gives the
coordination number and geometry as a function of rC/rA. For example, in the NaCl structure (Fig. 13.2), rC =
rNa = 0.102 nm, rA =rCl.= 0.181 nm, so rC/rA.= 0.56. From table 13.2 this implies coordination number = 6, as
observed for this rock-salt structure. Other structures were shown in class, but will not be included in the test.
12.3 Silicate Ceramics
Oxygen and Silicon are the most abundant elements in Earths crust. Their combination (silicates) occur in
rocks, soils, clays and sand. The bond is weekly ionic, with Si4+ as the cation and O2- as the anion. rSi = 0.04
nm, rO.= 0.14 nm, so rC/rA = 0.286. From table 13.2 this implies coordination number = 4, that is tetrahedral
coordination (Fig. 13.9). The tetrahedron is charged: Si4+ + 4 O2- (Si O4)4-. Silicates differ on how the
tetrahedra are arranged. In silica, (SiO2), every oxygen atom is shared by adjacent tetrahedra. Silica can be
crystalline (e.g., quartz) or amorphous, as in glass. Soda glasses melt at lower temperature than amorphous
SiO2 because the addition of Na2O (soda) breaks the tetrahedral network. A lower melting point makes it easy
to form glass to make, for instance, bottles.
12.4 Carbon
Carbon is not really a ceramic, but an allotropic form, diamond, may be thought as a type of ceramic. Diamond
has very interesting and even unusual properties: diamond-cubic structure (like Si, Ge) covalent C-C bonds
highest hardness of any material known very high thermal conductivity (unlike ceramics) transparent in the
visible and infrared, with high index of refraction semiconductor (can be doped to make electronic devices)
metastable (transforms to carbon when heated) Synthetic diamonds are made by application of high
temperatures and pressures or by chemical vapor deposition. Future applications of this latter, cheaper
production method include hard coatings for metal tools, ultra-low friction coatings for space applications, and
microelectronics. Graphite has a layered structure with very strong hexagonal bonding within the planar layers
(using 3 of the 3 bonding electrons) and weak, van der Waals bonding between layers using the fourth electron.
This leads to easy interplanar cleavage and applications as a lubricant and for writing (pencils). Graphite is a
good electrical conductor and chemically stable even at high temperatures. Applications include furnaces,
rocket nozzles, electrodes in batteries. A recently (1985) discovered formed of carbon is the C60 molecule, also
known as fullerene or bucky-ball (after the architect Buckminster Fuller who designed the geodesic structure
that C60 resembles.) Fullerenes and related structures like bucky-onions amd nanotubes are exceptionally
strong. Future applications are as a structural material and possibly in microelectronics, due to the unusual
properties that result when fullerenes are doped with other atoms.
12.5 Imperfections in Ceramics
Imperfections include point defects and impurities. Their formation is strongly affected by the condition of
charge neutrality (creation of unbalanced charges requires the expenditure of a large amount of energy. Nonstoichiometry refers to a change in composition so that the elements in the ceramic are not in the proportion
appropriate for the compound (condition known as stoichiometry). To minimize energy, the effect of nonstoichiometry is a redistribution of the atomic charges (Fig. 13.1). Charge neutral defects include the Frenkel
and Schottky defects. A Frenkel-defect is a vacancy- interstitial pair of cations (placing large anions in an
interstitial position requires a lot of energy in lattice distortion). A Schottky-defect is the a pair of nearby cation
and anion vacancies. Introduction of impurity atoms in the lattice is likely in conditions where the charge is
maintained. This is the case of electronegative impurities that substitute a lattice anions or electropositive
substitutional impurities. This is more likely for similar ionic radii since this minimizes the energy required for
lattice distortion. Defects will appear if the charge of the impurities is not balanced. 12.6 Ceramic Phase

Diagrams (not covered)

12.7 Brittle Fracture of Ceramics
The brittle fracture of ceramics limits applications. It occurs due to the unavoidable presence of microscopic
flaws (micro-cracks, internal pores, and atmospheric contaminants) that result during cooling from the melt. The
flaws need to crack formation, and crack propagation (perpendicular to the applied stress) is usually
transgranular, along cleavage planes. The flaws cannot be closely controlled in manufacturing; this leads to a
large variability (scatter) in the fracture strength of ceramic materials. The compressive strength is typically ten
times the tensile strength. This makes ceramics good structural materials under compression (e.g., bricks in
houses, stone blocks in the pyramids), but not in conditions of tensile stress, such as under flexure. Plastic
deformation in crystalline ceramics is by slip, which is difficult due to the structure and the strong local
(electrostatic) potentials. There is very little plastic deformation before fracture. Non-crystalline ceramics, like
common glass deform by viscous flow (like very high-density liquids). Viscosity decreases strongly with
increases temperature.

Chapter 13.
Ceramics - Applications and Processing
13.1 Introduction
Ceramics properties that are different from those of metals lead to different uses. In structures, designs must be
done for compressive loads. The transparency to light of many ceramics leads to optical uses, like in windows,
photographic cameras, telescopes and microscopes. Good thermal insulation leads to use in ovens, the exterior
tiles of the Shuttle orbiter, etc. Good electrical isolation are used to support conductors in electrical and
electronic applications. The good chemical inertness shows in the stability of the structures thousands of years
old.
13.2 Glass Properties
A special characteristic of glasses is that solidification is gradual, through a viscous stage, without a clear
melting temperature. The specific volume does not have an abrupt transition at a temperature but rather shows a
change in slope at the glass-transition temperature (Fig. 14.3). The melting point, working point, softening point
and annealing point are defined in terms of viscosity, rather than temperature (Fig. 14.4), and depend on glass
composition.. 13.4 Heat Treating Glasses Similar to the case of metals, annealing is used at elevated
temperatures is used to remove stresses, like those caused by inhomogeneous temperatures during cooling.
Strengthening by glass tempering is done by heating the glass above the glass transition temperature but below
the softening point and then quenched in an air jet or oil bath. The interior, which cools later than the outside,
tries to contract while in a plastic state after the exterior has become rigid. This causes residual compressive
stresses on the surface and tensile stresses inside. To fracture, a crack has first to overcome the residual
compressive stress, making tempered glass less susceptible to fracture. This improvement leads to use in
automobile windshields, glass doors, eyeglass lenses, etc

Chapter 14.
Polymer Structures
14.1 Introduction
Polymers are common in nature, in the form of wood, rubber, cotton, leather, wood, silk, proteins, enzymes,
starches, cellulose. Artificial polymers are made mostly from oil. Their use has grown exponentially, especially
after WW2. The key factor is the very low production cost and useful properties (e.g., combination of

transparency and flexibility, long elongation).

14.2 Hydrocarbon Molecules
Most polymers are organic, and formed from hydrocarbon molecules. These molecules can have single, double,
or triple carbon bonds. A saturated hydrocarbon is one where all bonds are single, that is, the number of atoms is
maximum (or saturated). Among this type are the paraffin compounds, CnH2n+2 (Table 15.1). In contrast, nonsaturated hydrocarbons contain some double and triple bonds. Isomers are molecules that contain the same
molecules but in a different arrangement. An example is butane and isobutane.
14.3 Polymer Molecules
Polymer molecules are huge, macromolecules that have internal covalent bonds. For most polymers, these
molecules form very long chains. The backbone is a string of carbon atoms, often single bonded. Polymers are
composed of basic structures called mer units. A molecule with just one mer is a monomer.
14.4 The Chemistry of Polymer Molecules
Examples of polymers are polyvinyl chloride (PVC), poly-tetra-chloro-ethylene (PTFE or Teflon),
polypropylene, nylon and polystyrene. Chains are represented straight but in practice they have a threedimensional, zig-zag structure (Fig. 15.1b). When all the mers are the same, the molecule is called a
homopolymer. When there is more than one type of mer present, the molecule is a copolymer.
14.5 Molecular Weight
The mass of a polymer is not fixed, but is distributed around a mean value, since polymer molecules have
different lengths. The average molecular weight can be obtained by averaging the masses with the fraction of
times they appear (number-average) or with the mass fraction of the molecules (called, improperly, a weight
fraction). The degree of polymerization is the average number of mer units, and is obtained by dividing the
average mass of the polymer by the mass of a mer unit. Polymers of low mass are liquid or gases, those of very
high mass (called high-polymers, are solid). Waxes, paraffins and resins have intermediate masses.
14.6 Molecular Shape
Polymers are usually not linear; bending and rotations can occur around single C-C bonds (double and triple
bonds are very rigid) (Fig. 15.5). Random kings and coils lead to entanglement, like in the spaghetti structure
shown in Fig. 15.6.
14.7 Molecular Structure
Typical structures are (Fig. 15.7): linear (end-to-end, flexible, like PVC, nylon) branched cross-linked (due to
radiation, vulcanization, etc.) network (similar to highly cross-linked structures). 14.8 Molecular Configurations
The regularity and symmetry of the side-groups can affect strongly the properties of polymers. Side groups are
atoms or molecules with free bonds, called free-radicals, like H, O, methyl, etc. If the radicals are linked in the
same order, the configuration is called isostatic In a stereoisomer in a syndiotactic configuration, the radical
groups alternative sides in the chain. In the atactic configuration, the radical groups are positioned at random.
14.9 Copolymers
Copolymers, polymers with at least two different types of mers can differ in the way the mers are arranged. Fig.
15.9 shows different arrangements: random, alternating, block, and graft. 14.10 Polymer Crystallinity
Crystallinity in polymers is more complex than in metals (fig. 15.10). Polymer molecules are often partially
crystalline (semicrystalline), with crystalline regions dispersed within amorphous material. . Chain disorder or

misalignment, which is common, leads to amorphous material since twisting, kinking and coiling prevent strict
ordering required in the crystalline state. Thus, linear polymers with small side groups, which are not too long
form crystalline regions easier than branched, network, atactic polymers, random copolymers, or polymers with
bulky side groups. Crystalline polymers are denser than amorphous polymers, so the degree of crystallinity can
be obtained from the measurement of density. 14.11 Polymer Crystals Different models have been proposed to
describe the arrangement of molecules in semicrytalline polymers. In the fringed-micelle model, the crystallites
(micelles) are embedded in an amorphous matrix (Fig.15.11). Polymer single crystals grown are shaped in
regular platelets (lamellae) (Fig. 15.12). Spherulites (Fig. 15.4) are chain-folded crystallites in an amorphous
matrix that grow radially in spherical shape grains.

Chapter 15.
Polymers. Characteristics, Applications and Processing
15.1 Introduction
15.2 Stress-Strain Behavior
The description of stress-strain behavior is similar to that of metals, but a very important consideration for
polymers is that the mechanical properties depend on the strain rate, temperature, and environmental conditions.
The stress-strain behavior can be brittle, plastic and highly elastic (elastomeric or rubber-like), see Fig. 16. 1.
Tensile modulus (modulus) and tensile strengths are orders of magnitude smaller than those of metals, but
elongation can be up to 1000 % in some cases. The tensile strength is defined at the fracture point (Fig. 16.2)
and can be lower than the yield strength. Mechanical properties change dramatically with temperature, going
from glass-like brittle behavior at low temperatures (like in the liquid-nitrogen demonstration) to a rubber-like
behavior at high temperatures (Fig. 16.3). In general, decreasing the strain rate has the same influence on the
strain-strength characteristics as increasing the temperature: the material becomes softer and more ductile.
15.3 Deformation of Semicrystalline Polymers
Many semicrystalline polymers have the spherulitic structure and deform in the following steps (Fig. 16.4):
elongation of amorphous tie chains tilting of lamellar chain folds towards the tensile direction separation of
crystalline block segments orientation of segments and tie chains in the tensile direction The macroscopic
deformation involves an upper and lower yield point and necking. Unlike the case of metals, the neck gets
stronger since the deformation aligns the chains so increasing the tensile stress leads to the growth of the neck.
(Fig. 16.5).
15.4 Factors that Influence the Mechanical Properties of Polymers
The tensile modulus decreases with increasing temperature or diminishing strain rate. Obstacles to the steps
mentioned in 16.4 strengthen the polymer. Examples are cross-linking (aligned chains have more van der Waals
inter-chain bonds) and a large mass (longer molecules have more inter-chain bonds). Crystallinity increases
strength as the secondary bonding is enhanced when the molecular chains are closely packed and parallel. Predeformation by drawing, analogous to strain hardening in metals, increases strength by orienting the molecular
chains. For undrawn polymers, heating increases the tensile modulus and yield strength, and reduces the
ductility - opposite of what happens in metals.
15.5 Crystallization, Melting, and Glass Transition Phenomena
Crystallization rates are governed by the same type of S-curves we saw in the case of metals (Fig. 16.7).
Nucleation becomes slower at higher temperatures. The melting behavior of semicrystalline polymers is
intermediate between that of crystalline materials (sharp density change at a melting temperature) and that of a
pure amorphous material (slight change in slope of density at the glass-transition temperature). The glass
transition temperature is between 0.5 and 0.8 of the melting temperature. The melting temperature increases

with the rate of heating, thickness of the lamellae, and depends on the temperature at which the polymer was
crystallized. Melting involves breaking of the inter-chain bonds, so the glass and melting temperatures depend
on: chain stiffness (e.g., single vs. double bonds) size, shape of side groups size of molecule side branches,
defects cross-linking Rigid chains have higher melting temperatures.
15.6 Thermoplastic and Thermosetting Polymers
Thermoplastic polymers (thermoplasts) soften reversibly when heated (harden when cooled back)
Thermosetting polymers (thermosets) harden permanently when heated, as cross-linking hinder bending and
rotations. Thermosets are harder, more dimensionally stable, and more brittle than thermoplasts.
15.7 Viscoelasticity
At low temperatures, amorphous polymers deform elastically, like glass, at small elongation. At high
temperatures the behavior is viscous, like liquids. At intermediate temperatures, the behavior, like a rubbery
solid, is termed viscoelastic. Viscoelasticity is characterized by the viscoelastic relaxation modulus Er = s(t)/e0.
If the material is strained to a value e0.it is found that the stress needs to be reduced with time to maintain this
constant value of strain (see figs. 16.11 and 16.12). In viscoelastic creep, the stress is kept constant at s0 and the
change of deformation with time e(t) is measured. The time-dependent creep modulus is given by Ec = s0/e(t).
15.8 Deformation and Elastomers
Elastomers can be deformed to very large strains and the spring back elastically to the original length, a
behavior first observed in natural rubber. Elastic elongation is due to uncoiling, untwisting and straightening of
chains in the stress direction. To be elastomeric, the polymer needs to meet several criteria: must not crystallize
easily have relatively free chain rotations delayed plastic deformation by cross-linking (achieved by
vulcanization). be above the glass transition temperature
15.9 Fracture of Polymers
As other mechanical properties, the fracture strength of polymers is much lower than that of metals. Fracture
also starts with cracks at flaws, scratches, etc. Fracture involves breaking of covalent bonds in the chains.
Thermoplasts can have both brittle and ductile fracture behaviors. Glassy thermosets have brittle fracture at low
temperatures and ductile fracture at high temperatures. Glassy thremoplasts often suffer grazing before brittle
fracture. Crazes are associated with regions of highly localized yielding which leads to the formation of
interconnected microvoids (Fig. 16.15). Crazing absorbs energy thus increasing the fracture strength of the
polymer.
15.10 Miscellaneous Characteristics
Polymers are brittle at low temperatures and have low impact strengths (Izod or Charpy tests), and a brittle to
ductile transition over a narrow temperature range. Fatigue is similar to the case of metals but at reduced loads
and is more sensitive to frequency due to heating which leads to softening.
15.11 Polymerization
Polymerization is the synthesis of high polymers from raw materials like oil or coal. It may occur by: addition
(chain-reaction) polymerization, where monomer units are attached one at a time condensation polymerization,
by stepwise intermolecular chemical reactions that produce the mer units.
15.12 Elastomers
In vulcanization, crosslinking of the elastomeric polymer is achieved by an irreversible chemical reaction
usually at high temperatures (hence vulcan), and usually involving the addition of sulfur compounds. The S
atoms are the ones that form the bridge cross-links. Elastomers are thermosetting due to the cross-linking.
Rubbers become harder and extend less with increasing sulfur content. For automobile applications, synthetic
rubbers are strengthened by adding carbon black. In silicone rubbers, the backbone C atoms are replaced by a
chain of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms. These elastomers are also cross-linked and are stable to higher

temperatures than C-based elastomers.

Chapter 16.
Composites
16.1 Introduction
The idea is that by combining two or more distinct materials one can engineer a new material with the desired
combination of properties (e.g., light, strong, corrosion resistant). The idea that a better combination of
properties can be achieved is called the principle of combined action. New - High-tech materials, engineered to
specific applications Old - brick-straw composites, paper, known for > 5000 years. A type of composite that has
been discussed is perlitic steel, which combines hard, brittle cementite with soft, ductile ferrite to get a superior
material. Natural composites: wood (polymer-polymer), bones (polymer-ceramics). Usual composites have just
two phases: matrix (continuous) dispersed phase (particulates, fibers) Properties of composites depend on
properties of phases geometry of dispersed phase (particle size, distribution, orientation) amount of phase
Classification of composites: three main categories: particle-reinforced (large-particle and dispersionstrengthened) fiber-reinforced (continuous (aligned) and short fibers (aligned or random) structural (laminates
and sandwich panels) Particle-reinforced composites These are the cheapest and most widely used. They fall in
two categories depending on the size of the particles: large-particle composites, which act by restraining the
movement of the matrix, if well bonded. dispersion-strengthened composites, containing 10-100 nm particles,
similar to what was discussed under precipitation hardening. The matrix bears the major portion of the applied
load and the small particles hinder dislocation motion, limiting plastic deformation.
16.2 Large-Particle Composites
Properties are a combination of those of the components. The rule of mixtures predicts that an upper limit of the
elastic modulus of the composite is given in terms of the elastic moduli of the matrix (Em) and the particulate
(Ep) phases by: Ec = EmVm + EpVp where Vm and Vp are the volume fraction of the two phases. A lower
bound is given by: Ec = EmEp / (EpVm + EmVp) Fig. 17.3 - modulus of composite of WC particles in Cu
matrix vs. WC concentration. Concrete The most common large-particle composite is concrete, made of a
cement matrix that bonds particles of different size (gravel and sand.) Cement was already known to the
Egyptians and the Greek. Romans made cement by mixing lime (CaO) with volcanic ice. In its general from,
cement is a fine mixture of lime, alumina, silica, and water. Portland cement is a fine powder of chalk, clay and
lime-bearing minerals fired to 1500o C (calcinated). It forms a paste when dissolved in water. It sets into a solid
in minutes and hardens slowly (takes 4 months for full strength). Properties depend on how well it is mixed, and
the amount of water: too little - incomplete bonding, too much - excessive porosity. The advantage of cement is
that it can be poured in place, it hardens at room temperature and even under water, and it is very cheap. The
disadvantages are that it is weak and brittle, and that water in the pores can produce crack when it freezes in
cold weather. Concrete is cement strengthened by adding particulates. The use of different size (stone and sand)
allows better packing factor than when using particles of similar size. Concrete is improved by making the pores
smaller (using finer powder, adding polymeric lubricants, and applying pressure during hardening. Reinforced
concrete is obtained by adding steel rods, wires, mesh. Steel has the advantage of a similar thermal expansion
coefficient, so there is reduced danger of cracking due to thermal stresses. Pre-stressed concrete is obtained by
applying tensile stress to the steel rods while the cement is setting and hardening. When the tensile stress is
removed, the concrete is left under compressive stress, enabling it to sustain tensile loads without fracturing.
Pre-stressed concrete shapes are usually prefabricated. A common use is in railroad or highway bridges.
Cermets are composites of ceramic particles (strong, brittle) in a metal matrix (soft, ductile) that enhances
toughness. For instance, tungsten carbide or titanium carbide ceramics in Co or Ni. They are used for cutting
tools for hardened steels. Reinforced rubber is obtained by strengthening with 20-50 nm carbon-black particles.
Used in auto tires

16.3 Dispersion-Strengthened Composites

Use of very hard, small particles to strengthen metals and metal alloys. The effect is like precipitation hardening
but not so strong. Particles like oxides do not react so the strengthening action is retained at high temperatures.
Fiber-reinforced composites In many applications, like in aircraft parts, there is a need for high strength per unit
weight (specific strength). This can be achieved by composites consisting of a low-density (and soft) matrix
reinforced with stiff fibers. The strength depends on the fiber length and its orientation with respect to the stress
direction. The efficiency of load transfer between matrix and fiber depends on the interfacial bond
16.4 Influence of Fiber Length
Normally the matrix has a much lower modulus than the fiber so it strains more. This occurs at a distance from
the fiber. Right next to the fiber, the strain is limited by the fiber. Thus, for a composite under tension, a shear
stress appears in the matrix that pulls from the fiber. The pull is uniform over the area of the fiber. This makes
the force on the fiber be minimum at the ends and maximum in the middle, like in the tug-of-war game. To
achieve effective strengthening and stiffening, the fibers must be larger than a critical length lc, defined as the
minimum length at which the center of the fiber reaches the ultimate (tensile) strength sf, when the matrix
achieves the maximum shear strength tm: lc = sf d /2 tm Since it is proportional to the diameter of the fiber d, a
more unified condition for effective strengthening is that the aspect ratio of the fiber is l/d > sf /2 tm.
16.5 Influence of Fiber Orientation
The composite is stronger along the direction of orientation of the fibers and weakest in a direction
perpendicular to the fiber. For discontinuous, random fibers, the properties are isotropic. 16.6 Polymer Matrix
Composites Largest and most diverse use of composites due to ease of fabrication, low cost and good
properties. Glass-fiber reinforced composites (GFRC) are strong, corrosion resistant and lightweight, but not
very stiff and cannot be used at high temperatures. Applications include auto and boat bodies, aircraft
components. Carbon-fiber reinforced composites (CFRC) use carbon fibers, which have the highest specific
module (module divided by weight). CFRC are strong, inert, allow high temperature use. Applications include
fishing rods, golf clubs, aircraft components. Kevlar, and aremid-fiber composite (Fig. 17.9) can be used as
textile fibers. Applications include bullet-proof vests, tires, brake and clutch linings. Wood: This is one of the
oldest and the most widely used structural material. It is a composite of strong and flexible cellulose fibers
(linear polymer) surrounded and held together by a matrix of lignin and other polymers. The properties are
anisotropic and vary widely among types of wood. Wood is ten times stronger in the axial direction than in the
radial or tangential directions

Chapter 17.
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conduction
17.2 Ohms Law
When an electric potential V is applied across a material, a current of magnitude I flows. In most metals, at low
values of V, the current is proportional to V, according to Ohm's law: I = V/R where R is the electrical
resistance. R depends on the intrinsic resistivity r of the material and on the geometry (length l and area A
through which the current passes). R = rl/A
17.3 Electrical Conductivity

The electrical conductivity is the inverse of the resistivity: s = 1/r. The electric field in the material is E=V/l,
Ohm's law can then be expressed in terms of the current density j = I/A as: j = s E The conductivity is one of the
properties of materials that varies most widely, from 107 (W-m) typical of metals to 10-20 (W-m) for good
electrical insulators. Semiconductors have conductivities in the range 10-6 to 104 (W-m).
17.4 Electronic and Ionic Conduction
In metals, the current is carried by electrons, and hence the name electronic conduction. In ionic crystals, the
charge carriers are ions, thus the name ionic conduction (see Sect. 19.15).
17.5 Energy Band Structures in Solids
When atoms come together to form a solid, their valence electrons interact due to Coulomb forces, and they also
feel the electric field produced by their own nucleus and that of the other atoms. In addition, two specific
quantum mechanical effects happen. First, by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, constraining the electrons to a
small volume raises their energy, this is called promotion. The second effect, due to the Pauli exclusion
principle, limits the number of electrons that can have the same property (which include the energy). As a result
of all these effects, the valence electrons of atoms form wide valence bands when they form a solid. The bands
are separated by gaps, where electrons cannot exist. The precise location of the bands and band gaps depends on
the type of atom (e.g., Si vs. Al), the distance between atoms in the solid, and the atomic arrangement (e.g.,
carbon vs. diamond). In semiconductors and insulators, the valence band is filled, and no more electrons can be
added, following Pauli's principle. Electrical conduction requires that electrons be able to gain energy in an
electric field; this is not possible in these materials because that would imply that the electrons are promoted
into the forbidden band gap. In metals, the electrons occupy states up to the Fermi level. Conduction occurs by
promoting electrons into the conduction band, that starts at the Fermi level, separated by the valence band by an
infinitesimal amount.
17.6 Conduction in Terms of Band and Atomic Bonding Models
Conduction in metals is by electrons in the conduction band. Conduction in insulators is by electrons in the
conduction band and by holes in the valence band. Holes are vacant states in the valence band that are created
when an electron is removed. In metals there are empty states just above the Fermi levels, where electrons can
be promoted. The promotion energy is negligibly small so that at any temperature electrons can be found in the
conduction band. The number of electrons participating in electrical conduction is extremely small. In
insulators, there is an energy gap between the valence and conduction bands, so energy is needed to promote an
electron to the conduction band. This energy may come from heat, or from energetic radiation, like light of
sufficiently small wavelength. A working definition for the difference between semiconductors and insulators is
that in semiconductors, electrons can reach the conduction band at ordinary temperatures, where in insulators
they cannot. The probability that an electron reaches the conduction band is about exp(-Eg/2kT) where Eg is the
band gap and kT has the usual meaning. If this probability is, say, < 10-24 one would not find a single electron
in the conduction band in a solid of 1 cubic centimeter. This requires Eg/2kT > 55. At room temperature, 2kT =
0.05 eV; thus Eg > 2.8 eV can be used as the condition for an insulator. Besides having relatively small Eg,
semiconductors have covalent bond, whereas insulators usually are partially ionic bonded.
17.7 Electron Mobility
Electrons are accelerated in an electric field E, in the opposite direction to the field because of their negative
charge. The force acting on the electron is -eE, where e is the electric charge. This force produces a constant
acceleration so that, in the absence of obstacles (in vacuum, like inside a TV tube) the electron speeds up
continuously in an electric field. In a solid, the situation is different. The electrons scatter by collisions with
atoms and vacancies that change drastically their direction of motion. Thus electrons move randomly but with a
net drift in the direction opposite to the electric field. The drift velocity is constant, equal to the electric field
times a constant called the mobility m, vd= me E which means that there is a friction force proportional to

velocity. This friction translates into energy that goes into the lattice as heat. This is the way that electric heaters
work. The electrical conductivity is: s = n |e| me where n is the concentration of electrons (n is used to indicate
that the carriers of electricity are negative particles).
17.8 Electrical Resistivity of Metals
The resistivity then depends on collisions. Quantum mechanics tells us that electrons behave like waves. One of
the effects of this is that electrons do not scatter from a perfect lattice. They scatter by defects, which can be:
atoms displaced by lattice vibrations vacancies and interstitials dislocations, grain boundaries impurities One
can express the total resistivity rtot by the Matthiessen rule, as a sum of resistivities due to thermal vibrations,
impurities and dislocations. Fig. 19.8 illustrates how the resistivity increases with temperature, with
deformation, and with alloying.
17.9 Electrical Characteristics of Commercial Alloys
The best material for electrical conduction (lower resistivity) is silver. Since it is very expensive, copper is
preferred, at an only modest increase in r. To achieve low r it is necessary to remove gases occluded in the metal
during fabrication. Copper is soft so, for applications where mechanical strength is important, the alloy CuBe is
used, which has a nearly as good r. When weight is important one uses Al, which is half as good as Cu. Al is
also more resistant to corrosion. When high resistivity materials are needed, like in electrical heaters, especially
those that operate at high temperature, nichrome (NiCr) or graphite are used.
17.10 Intrinsic Semiconduction
Semiconductors can be intrinsic or extrinsic. Intrinsic means that electrical conductivity does not depend on
impurities, thus intrinsic means pure. In extrinsic semiconductors the conductivity depends on the concentration
of impurities. Conduction is by electrons and holes. In an electric field, electrons and holes move in opposite
direction because they have opposite charges. The conductivity of an intrinsic semiconductor is: s = n |e| me + p
|e| mh where p is the hole concentration and mh the hole mobility. One finds that electrons move much faster
than holes: me > mh In an intrinsic semiconductor, a hole is produced by the promotion of each electron to the
conduction band. Thus: n = p Thus, s = 2 n |e| (me + mh) (only for intrinsic semiconductors).
17.11 Extrinsic Semiconduction
Unlike intrinsic semiconductors, an extrinsic semiconductor may have different concentrations of holes and
electrons. It is called p-type if p>n and n-type if n>p. They are made by doping, the addition of a very small
concentration of impurity atoms. Two common methods of doping are diffusion and ion implantation. Excess
electron carriers are produced by substitutional impurities that have more valence electron per atom than the
semiconductor matrix. For instance phosphorous, with 5 valence electrons, is an electron donor in Si since only
4 electrons are used to bond to the Si lattice when it substitutes for a Si atom. Thus, elements in columns V and
VI of the periodic table are donors for semiconductors in the IV column, Si and Ge. The energy level of the
donor state is close to the conduction band, so that the electron is promoted (ionized) easily at room
temperature, leaving a hole (the ionized donor) behind. Since this hole is unlike a hole in the matrix, it does not
move easily by capturing electrons from adjacent atoms. This means that the conduction occurs mainly by the
donated electrons (thus n-type). Excess holes are produced by substitutional impurities that have fewer valence
electrons per atom than the matrix. This is the case of elements of group II and III in column IV
semiconductors, like B in Si. The bond with the neighbors is incomplete and so they can capture or accept
electrons from adjacent silicon atoms. They are called acceptors. The energy level of the acceptor is close to the
valence band, so that an electron may easily hop from the valence band to complete the bond leaving a hole
behind. This means that conduction occurs mainly by the holes (thus p-type).
17.12 The Temperature Variation of Conductivity and Carrier Concentration

Temperature causes electrons to be promoted to the conduction band and from donor levels, or holes to acceptor
levels. The dependence of conductivity on temperature is like other thermally activated processes: s = A exp(
Eg/2kT) where A is a constant (the mobility varies much more slowly with temperature). Plotting ln s vs. 1/T
produces a straight line of slope Eg/2k from which the band gap energy can be determined. Extrinsic
semiconductors have, in addition to this dependence, one due to the thermal promotion of electrons from donor
levels or holes from acceptor levels. The dependence on temperature is also exponential but it eventually
saturates at high temperatures where all the donors are emptied or all the acceptors are filled. This means that at
low temperatures, extrinsic semiconductors have larger conductivity than intrinsic semiconductors. At high
temperatures, both the impurity levels and valence electrons are ionized, but since the impurities are very low in
number and they are exhausted, eventually the behavior is dominated by the intrinsic type of conductivity.
17.14 Semiconductor Devices
A semiconductor diode is made by the intimate junction of a p-type and an n-type semiconductor (an n-p
junction). Unlike a metal, the intensity of the electrical current that passes through the material depends on the
polarity of the applied voltage. If the positive side of a battery is connected to the p-side, a situation called
forward bias, a large amount of current can flow since holes and electrons are pushed into the junction region,
where they recombine (annihilate). If the polarity of the voltage is flipped, the diode operates under reverse
bias. Holes and elec
rons are removed from the region of the junction, which therefore becomes depleted of carriers and behaves like
an insulator. For this reason, the current is very small under reverse bias. The asymmetric current-voltage
characteristics of diodes (Fig. 19.20) is used to convert alternating current into direct current. This is called
rectification. A p-n-p junction transistor contains two diodes back-to-back. The central region is very thin and is
called the base. A small voltage applied to the base has a large effect on the current passing through the
transistor, and this can be used to amplify electrical signals (Fig. 19.22). Another common device is the
MOSFET transistor where a gate serves the function of the base in a junction transistor. Control of the current
through the transistor is by means of the electric field induced by the gate, which is isolated electrically by an
oxide layer.
17.15 Conduction in Ionic Materials
In ionic materials, the band gap is too large for thermal electron promotion. Cation vacancies allow ionic motion
in the direction of an applied electric field, this is referred to as ionic conduction. High temperatures produce
more vacancies and higher ionic conductivity. At low temperatures, electrical conduction in insulators is usually
along the surface, due to the deposition of moisture that contains impurity ions.
17.16 Electrical Properties of Polymers
Polymers are usually good insulators but can be made to conduct by doping. Teflon is an exceptionally good
insulator. Dielectric Behavior A dielectric is an electrical insulator that can be made to exhibit an electric dipole
structure (displace the negative and positive charge so that their center of gravity is different).
17.17 Capacitance When two parallel plates of area A, separated by a small distance l, are charged by +Q, Q,
an electric field develops between the plates E = D/ee0 where D = Q/A. e0 is called the vacuum permittivity and
e the relative permittivity, or dielectric constant (e = 1 for vacuum). In terms of the voltage between the plates,
V = E l, V = Dl/ee0 = Q l/Aee0 = Q / C The constant C= Aee0/l is called the capacitance of the plates.
17.18 Field Vectors and Polarization
The dipole moment of a pair of positive and negative charges (+q and q) separated at a distance d is p = qd. If
an electric field is applied, the dipole tends to align so that the positive charge points in the field direction.
Dipoles between the plates of a capacitor will produce an electric field that opposes the applied field. For a
given applied voltage V, there will be an increase in the charge in the plates by an amount Q' so that the total

charge becomes Q = Q' + Q0, where Q0 is the charge of a vacuum capacitor with the same V. With Q' = PA, the
charge density becomes D = D0 E + P, where the polarization P = e0 (e1) E .
19.19 Types of Polarization
Three types of polarization can be caused by an electric field: Electronic polarization: the electrons in atoms are
displaced relative to the nucleus. Ionic polarization: cations and anions in an ionic crystal are displaced with
respect to each other. Orientation polarization: permanent dipoles (like H2O) are aligned. 17.20 Frequency
Dependence of the Dielectric Constant Electrons have much smaller mass than ions, so they respond more
rapidly to a changing electric field. For electric field that oscillates at very high frequencies (such as light) only
electronic polarization can occur. At smaller frequencies, the relative displacement of positive and negative ions
can occur. Orientation of permanent dipoles, which require the rotation of a molecule can occur only if the
oscillation is relatively slow (MHz range or slower). The time needed by the specific polarization to occur is
called the relaxation time.
17.21 Dielectric Strength
Very high electric fields (>108 V/m) can free electrons from atoms, and accelerate them to such high energies
that they can, in turn, free other electrons, in an avalanche process (or electrical discharge). This is called
dielectric breakdown, and the field necessary to start the is called the dielectric strength or breakdown strength.
17.22 Dielectric Materials Capacitors require dielectrics of high e that can function at high frequencies (small
relaxation times). Many of the ceramics have these properties, like mica, glass, and porcelain). Polymers usually
have lower e.
17.23 Ferroelectricity
Ferroelectric materials are ceramics that exhibit permanent polarization in the absence of an electric field. This
is due to the asymmetric location of positive and negative charges within the unit cell. Two possible
arrangements of this asymmetry results in two distinct polarizations, which can be used to code "0" and "1" in
ferroelectric memories. A typical ferroelectric is barium titanate, BaTiO3, where the Ti4+ is in the center of the
unit cell and four O2- in the central plane can be displaced to one side or the other of this central ion (Fig.
19.33).
17.24 Piezoelectricity
In a piezolectric material, like quartz, an applied mechanical stress causes electric polarization by the relative
displacement of anions and cations