Materials Science and Engineering

Units: 3

Fundamentals of structure, structure modification and properties of materials with emphasis on structure-property relationships and modern theory of solids.

Offered in Fall and Spring

Units: 3

Introduces students to properties and selection of materials for nuclear steam supply systems and to radiation effects on materials. Implications of radiation damage to reactor materials and materials problems in nuclear engineering are discussed. Topics include an overview of nuclear steam supply systems, crystal structure and defects, dislocation theory, mechanical properties, radiation damage, hardening and embrittlement due to radiation exposure and problems concerned with fission and fusion materials. Students cannot receive credit for both 409 and 509.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Fundamental concepts of solidification and their application to foundry and welding practices; metal forming concepts applied to forging, rolling, extrusion, drawing, and sheet forming operations; machining mechanisms and methods; powder metallurgy;advanced processing methods including rapid solidification and mechanical alloying. Credit for both MSE 440 and MSE 540 is not allowed

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Ceramic processing of powders includes powder synthesis, characterization, mixing, and size reduction. Theoretical aspects include particle packing, particles in suspension, and some aspects of surface chemistry. Forming methods include compaction, casting, and extrusion. Firing and sintering are examined. Credit for both MSE 445 and MSE 545 is not allowed

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Classes of commercially important polymers, advanced topics in phase behavior, viscoelasticity, fracture and ultimate properties of polymers; polymer rheology, and processing; design of polymeric materials. Credit for both MSE 455 and MSE 555 is not allowed.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

The course covers the basic principles underlying properties of composite materials as related to the properties of individual constituents and their interactions. Polymer, metal and ceramic matrix composites are included. Property averaging and micromechanics of composites are covered at an introductory level. Emphasis is placed on design and processing of composite systems to yield desired combinations of properties. Credit for both MSE 456 and MSE 556 is not allowed.

Offered in Spring and Summer

Units: 3

Introduction to nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, and nanostructured films, emphasizing their synthesis, structural and property characterization, novel physical and chemical properties, applications and contemporary literature.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Covers principles and prevention of the degradation of materials. The topics will include dissolution of polymer and ceramic materials, electrochemical corrosion, oxidation of metals and polymers, degradation of polymers, friction and wear, degradation of electrical device components, bio-deterioration of materials, and failure analysis. The general practice in failure analysis will be applied to a variety of case studies to illustrate important failure mechanisms. Credit will not be given for both MSE 480 and MSE 580.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Coverage of both fundamental and engineering aspects of mechanical behavior of materials. Elasticity, plasticity and dislocation theory concepts used to describe phenomenological behavior and micro-mechanical mechanisms. Strengthening mechanisms in crystals, high-temperature deformation, fracture mechanics, fracture toughening mechanisms and cyclic deformation.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation, spinodal decomposition, interface and diffusion-controlled growth, formal theory of transformation kinetics, precipitation, coarsening, order-disorder, and martensitic transformations.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Review of first and second laws of thermodynamics, equilibrium and irreversible processes, open and closed systems, partition functions and particle distribution functions. Applications include extension of thermodynamic potentials to situations where electrical, magnetic and stress fields present, heat capacity of crystals, electron gas in metals, solution models, binary phase diagrams and rubber elasticity in polymers.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 3

Interaction of radiation with matter with emphasis on microstructural modification, physical and mechanical effects. Defects generation and annealing, void swelling, irradiation growth and creep, and irradiation induced effects in reactor materialsare discussed. Current theories and experimental techniques are discussed.

Offered in Spring Only

Units: 3

Ion implantation and doping for advanced semiconductor devices, thin films and epitaxy, silicides, ohmic contacts and interconnection metallurgy, oxidation and nitridation, gettering of impurities and dopant segregation phenomena, electromigration, electronic packaging materials science and advanced device concepts.

Offered in Fall Only

YEAR: Offered Alternate Years

Units: 3

Effects of scale less than 100 nm on the electrical properties & processing of all materials [metals, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers and biomaterials]. Current status and future prospects for the semiconductor industry summarized by invited scientists and by review and discussion of selected current literature. Student presentations and research proposals are required.

Offered in Fall Only

Units: 1 - 3

Special studies of advanced topics in materials science and engineering.

Offered in Fall Spring Summer