The Department of Physics

Course Description

Materials Science II is a level 3 course which is offered as an elective course for Materials Science minor in semester II. The course provides students with working knowledge on different materials such as steel, polymers, composites, their mechanical properties, as well as destructive and non-destructive techniques for analyzing mechanical properties and applications. It is a compulsory course for the Materials Science minor offered by the Department of Physics. Through in-class discussions, and problem solving sessions, Students would have an opportunity to improve their ability to reason through challenging situations in the physical Universe using basic principles to develop appropriate solutions. Assessment and evaluation is done in the form of in-course tests and a Final examination. 

Course Content

Importance of metals, Iron ore, purification Processes; Steel making processes, phase diagram of steel, various phases of steel and temperature dependence; Phase diagram of steel continued, TTT phase diagrams, cooling curves, effect of impurities, different type of steel phases, tempering; Destructive techniques; Non-destructive techniques; Introduction, various polymer materials,  molecular weight distribution, synthesis, properties; Crystalline polymer, amorphous polymers, viscoelastic properties, rheological properties, models for various polymers; Introduction to composites; Different types of composites (particle reinforced, fiber reinforced, structural composites); Microstructure of ceramics, mechanical and other properties of ceramics.  

Goals/Aims

This course aims to:

• Impart fundamental knowledge of materials science as basis for appreciation ofthe importance of engineering materials to technological development. 
• Lay a foundation for the future development of the career of prospective practitioners in endeavours where expertise in materials science is requisite. 

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the students will be able to do the following:

• Identify and describe various types of steels based on the doping profile. 
• Analyze and study phase diagrams and understand how to modify different steels. 
• Evaluate the mechanical properties based on destructive and non-destructive techniques used in the present day industry. 
• Analyze and evaluate mechanical properties of steels, polymers and composites. 
• Assess different composite materials, their properties and applications. 
• Identify these materials in the lab and observe/explain/measure the various properties affecting parameters. 

Assessment