THE NATURE AND PROPERTIES

OF MATERIALS

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 Tutorial

Thursday, 11-11:50 AM
Tutor Day Sections Venue

Prof.R.Mukherjee MON O1 (38) FB426

(rajdipm@)
Prof.S.Omar TUE O2 (22) L1
(somar@)
Prof. M.Katiyar WED O3 (16) FB657
(mk@)
Dr. B.Chatterjee THURS O4 (41) FB557
(budhochat@gmail.com)
Mr.P.Gup FRI O5 (36) FB482
(pkgupta@)
 Let us begin our journey

What empowers us to tailor a given material ?

In old times, it used to be an art, or empirical

knowledge.

Now????
Following topics will be covered in next 11-12 lectures
including todays:
Outline

Atomic Structure and the Elements

Bonding between Atoms and Molecules
Crystalline Structures
Noncrystalline (Amorphous) Structures
Engineering Materials
 Materials world
Most engineering materials can be classified into one of
three basic categories:
1. Metals
2. Ceramics
3. Polymers
Their chemistries are different
Their mechanical and physical properties are dissimilar
These differences affect the manufacturing processes that
can be used to produce products from them
 In Addition: Composites
Nonhomogeneous mixtures of the other three
basic types rather than a unique category
 Ceramics
Compounds containing metallic (or semi-
metallic) and nonmetallic elements.
Typical nonmetallic elements are oxygen,
nitrogen, and carbon
For processing, ceramics divide into:
1. Crystalline ceramics includes:
Traditional ceramics, such as clay (hydrous
aluminum silicates)
Modern ceramics, such as alumina (Al2O3)
2. Glasses mostly based on silica (SiO2)
 Polymers
Compound formed of repeating structural units
called mers, whose atoms share electrons to form
very large molecules
Three categories:
1. Thermoplastic polymers - can be subjected to multiple
heating and cooling cycles without altering molecular
structure
2. Thermosetting polymers - molecules chemically
transform (cure) into a rigid structure cannot be
reheated
3. Elastomers - shows significant elastic behavior
 Composites
Material consisting of two or more phases that are
processed separately and then bonded together to
achieve properties superior to its constituents
Phase - homogeneous mass of material, such as grains of
identical unit cell structure in a solid metal
Usual structure consists of particles or fibers of one
phase mixed in a second phase
Properties depend on components, physical shapes of
components, and the way they are combined to form
the final material
 Atomic Structure and the
Elements
The basic structural unit of matter is the
atom
Each atom is composed of a positively
charged nucleus, surrounded by a sufficient
number of negatively charged electrons so
the charges are balanced
More than 100 elements, and they are the
chemical building blocks of all matter
 Element Groupings

The elements can be grouped into families

and relationships established between and
within the families by means of the Periodic
Table
Metals occupy the left and center portions of
the table
Nonmetals are on right
Between them is a transition zone containing
metalloids or semi-metals
Periodic Table
 For example,
case-1: Carbon and Silicon
Note: Two different atoms but same structure (or arrangement)
Same structure and
type of bonding
Different between atoms in Different materials and different properties
atoms these two materials

A transparent solid object.

Carbon Electrically insulator

An opaque solid object.

Silicon Electrically
semiconducting
case-2: Carbon and Carbon (i.e. same atoms but different structures or arrangement)

Different structures
and the force
between the atoms
of two layers in
graphite in not there
in the carbon atoms
Same in diamond diamond. Different materials and different properties
atoms

A transparent solid object.

Carbon Electrically insulator

An opaque solid object.

Carbon Electrically conducting
 Diamond cubic Casting
Metal Forming
Welding
Thermo-mechanical Powder Processing
Crystal Treatments Machining

Atom Structure Microstructure Component

Electro-
magnetic

Processing determines shape and microstructure of a

component
Microscopic Structures of Matter
Atoms and molecules are the building
blocks of more macroscopic structure of
matter
When materials solidify from the molten
state, they tend to close ranks and pack
tightly, arranging themselves into one of
two structures:
Crystalline
Noncrystalline
 Microscopic Structures in Solids
Atoms in Pure Pt

20 x 20
astro.virginia.edu
 Crystalline Structure
Structure in which the atoms are located at
regular and recurring positions in three
dimensions
Unit cell - basic geometric grouping of
atoms that is repeated
The pattern may be replicated millions of
times within a given crystal
Characteristic structure of virtually all
metals, as well as many ceramics and some
polymers
Simple Cubic
Body-centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure:
(a) unit cell, with atoms indicated as point locations in a
three-dimensional axis system
(b) unit cell model showing closely packed atoms (sometimes
called the hard-ball model)
(c) repeated pattern of the BCC structure
 Crystalline Structure

SC BCC FCC DC
Po Fe,Cr,W Al,Ni,Cu, Si,Ge,Diamond
Mo, Au,Ag
Crystalline Structure
Magnesium, Titanium, Zinc
Crystal Structures for Common Metals
(at Room Temperature)

Body-centered cubic (BCC)

Chromium, Iron, Molybdenum, Tungsten
Face-centered cubic (FCC)
Aluminum, Copper, Gold, Lead, Silver, Nickel
Hexagonal close-packed (HCP)
Magnesium, Titanium, Zinc
 Microstructure

10 m

100 nm

1
 Microstructure

10 m 10 m

Pure Iron Steel (Fe with 0.8 wt% C)

Imperfections (Defects) in Crystals
Imperfections often arise due to inability of
solidifying material to continue replication of unit
cell, e.g., grain boundaries in metals
Imperfections can also be introduced purposely;
e.g., addition of alloying ingredient in metal
Types of defects:
1. Point defects
2. Line defects
3. Planar defects
 Point Defects
Imperfections in crystal structure involving
either a single atom or a few number of
atoms

Point defects: (a) vacancy, (b) ion-pair vacancy, (c) interstitialcy, (d)
displaced ion (Frenkel Defect)