MSE 23500 Materials Properties Laboratory

Credits and Contact Hours: 3 credit hours. Weekly Schedule: two 50-minute lectures, one 2-hour laboratory session.

Instructors or Course Coordinators: K. Erk, M. Okuniewski, M. Titus, D. Johnson

Textbook: “Materials Science and Engineering, An Introduction,” 8th ed., W.D. Callister, Jr. and David G. Rethwisch (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010); Montgomery, Runger,  & Hubele, “Engineering Statistics” 5th edition, (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2011); Van Aken and Hosford, “Reporting Results, A Practical Guide for Engineers and Scientists”, 1st edition, (Cambridge University Press, 2008).

Specific Course Information

  1. Catalog Description: Laboratory experiments involving usage of standard equipment in the measurement of mechanical, microstructural, thermal, electrical, and optical properties. Introduction to computer aided data analysis. Experiments are carried out with metal, ceramic, and polymeric materials to illustrate property-structure-processing relationships.
  2. Prerequisites: CHM 11500 and MA 16500
  3. Course Status: MSE 23500 is a required course. 

Specific Goals for the Course

1. All Students

A. Use direct and indirect approaches for assessing structural and microstructural features and related properties in crystalline and non-crystalline materials. Examples:

  • Identification of crystal structures, directions, and planes using 3-D ball and stick models.
  • X-ray diffraction measurements to determine the crystal structure of a metal sample.
  • Charpy impact testing to determine the impact energy of a specimen.
  • Optical microscopy to view a metal sample’s grain structure.

B. Process information pertaining to atomic and molecular scale structure, microstructure, and materials properties from raw data or literature values. Examples:

  • Calculate the lattice parameter of cubic metals from x-ray diffraction patterns.
  • Transform force-displacement data to stress-strain curves.
  • Determine liquidus temperature from cooling curve measurements of different metal alloys.
  • Calculate the elastic modulus from the stress-strain responses of metallic and polymeric specimen.
  • Estimate the brittle-ductile transition temperature of metal specimen from Charpy impact energies.

C. Display effective written communication in technical reports.

D. Accurately and clearly report engineering data using figures, graphs, and tables and proper statistical methods.

E. Identify and properly utilize primary sources and online databases to find information about material structures, properties, and processing techniques.

2. Most Students

A. Ability to directly relate specific nano- and microstructural features to macroscale material properties. Examples:

  • Yield stress of macroscale copper specimen is greater than copper nanowire due to differences in dislocation density and ease of motion.
  • XRD peak shift associated with solid solution alloying.
  • Dependence of yield stress on the crystallographic orientation of metal nanowires and direction of applied tensile force.

Orientation of polymer molecules with respect to the direction of applied tensile force will change mechanical behavior, including values of yield stress and elastic modulus.

B. Assess validity of experimental data. Examples:

  • Using statistical methods to identify outlying data points.
  • Drawing comparisons between averaged observed values and reference values reported in published literature or databases; reporting/speculating on potential sources of error.

C. Recognize experimental factors affecting data. Examples:

  • Measuring Young’s modulus with and without an extensometer.
  • Effect of environmental temperature on the deformation response (brittle, ductile) of polymeric materials.
  • Impact of specimen size on run-time of computer simulation run-time; accuracy of results from repeated simulation runs.

Relation of Course to Program Outcomes:

(MSE-3, ABET-3) an ability to communicate effectively with a range of audiences.

(MSE-6, ABET-6) an ability to develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions.

(MSE-7, ABET-7) an ability to acquire and apply new knowledge as needed, using appropriate learning strategies.

Topics Covered: laboratory safety, statistics, graphing and making figures, technical writing, information literacy, density measurements, crystal structures, x-ray diffraction, mechanical properties, fracture properties, metallographic preparation and microscopy, thermal properties, computational simulations