World of Materials

"The montage above represents the field of materials science and engineering. It all begins with some component of the Earth, organic or inorganic, which can be reduced to create materials useful to civilization. A piece of iron sulfide (pyrite) is shown in the center of the montage. This `ore' can be ground, roasted to drive-off the sulfur, and then liquefied to make cast iron, steel or wrought iron. After a metal or alloy is cast, it can be formed into a variety of shapes by bending, stretching and rolling. Often, the bending stretching or rolling is done when the material is heated. The structure of the blade of a fine Damascus sword, shown in the upper right of the montage, is determined by the forming history, and is a clue to the materials engineer as to how a certain material may perform in service. Whether it is a jet engine, a micro-electronic package, or an artificial hip, the structure, properties and processing of the materials used are crucial to successful performance. This is the realm of the materials scientist, the realm of the materials engineer"

Click on the picture to explore some industrial sites on the Internet that will give you a sense of what materials engineering is all about. This wonderful internet compilation was prepared by Emeritus Professor Patrick P. Pizzo of San Jose State University.

Video of the Week

Watch Molecules Walk Across the Surface of Copper

A research team at the University of California at Riverside was the first to design a molecule that can move in a straight line on a flat surface. Now this team has found a way to attach cargo: two CO₂ molecules, making the nano-walker a molecule carrier. The new molecule carrier runs on a copper surface. It can pick up and release up to two carbon dioxide molecules and carry them along its straight path. Click on the picture to watch the movie.

http://research.chem.ucr.edu/groups/bartels/server/molecule_carrier_anim.mov