MSE220

Introduction to Materials and Manufacturing

Introduction to Materials Engineering and materials processing in manufacturing. The engineering properties of metals, polymers, semiconductors, ceramics, and composites are correlated with the internal structure of the materials and the service conditions.

Level Undergraduate
Terms Offered Fall, Winter
Prerequisites CHEM 130 or CHEM 210 (enforced)
Textbook William Callister, Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction,9th Ed.
Instructor(s)
Kathleen Sevener Carlos Engler-Pinto

Course Objectives


  1. To teach students the elementary relationships between structure, properties, processing and performance of materials that are essential for understanding the role of materials in the design of engineering systems.

  2. To introduce students to the various classes of materials (metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, composites) and their fundamental chemical and structural nature.

  3. To illustrate application of thermodynamics (through phase diagrams) and kinetics (through diffusion) to the design of materials and their properties.

  4. To introduce students to the functional properties of materials and the roles that microstructure, defects, and environment play in typical engineering applications.

  5. To introduce students to manufacturing methods for engineering materials.

  6. To stimulate student interest in and appreciation of Materials Science and Engineering by critical examination of engineering case studies.

Course Outcomes


  1. To teach students the elementary relationships between structure, properties, processing and performance of materials that are essential for understanding the role of materials in the design of engineering systems.

  2. To introduce students to the various classes of materials (metals, ceramics, polymers, semiconductors, composites) and their fundamental chemical and structural nature.

  3. To illustrate application of thermodynamics (through phase diagrams) and kinetics (through diffusion) to the design of materials and their properties.

  4. To introduce students to the functional properties of materials and the roles that microstructure, defects, and environment play in typical engineering applications.

  5. To introduce students to manufacturing methods for engineering materials.

  6. To stimulate student interest in and appreciation of Materials Science and Engineering by critical examination of engineering case studies.

Assessment Tools


  1. In-class closed-book exams and quizzes test outcomes #1-8 for individual students.

  2. Weekly problem sets test outcomes #1-8 under less time pressure and with allowable student collaboration.

  3. Weekly discussion sections for student-instructor interaction on learning.

  4. End-of-term written evaluations by students allow instructor to improve the next offering of the course.

Course Topics


  1. Atomic bonding, crystallography, defects.

  2. Diffusion.

  3. Mechanical properties, strengthening mechanisms.

  4. Failure of materials and engineering components.

  5. Phase diagrams.

  6. Microstructural and nanostructural design of materials.

  7. Heat treatment processes for metallic alloys.

  8. Polymers and polymer processing.

  9. Composites and composite processing.

  10. Ceramics and ceramic processing.

  11. Electrical properties.

  12. Semiconductor device processing and thin films.

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