Module Information
Course Delivery
Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
---|---|
Other | Workshop. 1 workshop with short oral presentations from students on a research or application related topic |
Assessment
Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
---|---|---|
Semester Exam | 3 Hours End of semester examination | 80% |
Semester Assessment | Oral Presentation Course Work | 20% |
Supplementary Exam | 3 Hours written examination | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
After taking this module, students should be able to
- explain the differences between crystalline and non-crystalline materials
- describe the structure of materials on different length scales
- suggest experimental techniques for structural investigations and for testing materials' properties
- discuss structure/property relationships on the basis of experimental data
- suggest suitable composite materials for advanced purposes
Brief description
Many technological processes and applications demand highly specific materials with tailored properties. Examples are high-energy density batteries for mobile information technology, materials resilient under awkward thermal, pressure, radiative, or chemical conditions (disposal of nuclear waste, shielding of spacecraft). The structure of highly specialised materials becomes more and more complex with an increasing number of boundary conditions for the properties aimed at. Physicists can do their share in the development of novel materials by providing information on the structure of complex materials and linking it with macroscopic materials' properties. This information will provide guidance as to where to look for new classes of materials for tomorrow's technology. In the module, various structural characterisation techniques are introduced, and their use for the investigation of some important structure-property relationships is demonstrated. The course is organised along some basic material classes, and some current applications are discussed.
Content
Ionic - covalent - hydrogen - Van der Waals
Glasses and Polymers:
Properties - viscosity - glass transition - density fluctuations - diffusion - rubbery state - branching and reptation
Structure - Radial Distribution Function and models for glass structure
Techniques - Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) - Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) - diffuse scattering - Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
Applications - window glass, optical fibres
Ceramics and Composites:
Properties - point-, line-, and surface defects - phase transitions - nucleation and growth - granularity - interface effects - deformation, elastic constants - creep
Techniques - Transmission and Scanning Electron Microscopies (TEM, SEM) - Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)
Applications - heat sink materials - bone replacement materials - high energy density batteries - cermets
Reading List
Recommended TextJ.C. Anderson, K.D. Leaver, R.D. Rawlings, J.M. Alexander (2001) Materials Science 4 Chapman and Hall Primo search Supplementary Text
Additional reading in relation to workshop topics will be provided Primo search
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 7