Material Science I

The module covers all sections of materials science from the physical and chemical foundations of the substances and materials to the selection of materials, their appropriate use regarding construction requirements and the characterization of building blocks.
The first part of the module covers the physical-chemical basics for a deeper understanding of the material structure, without which properties (covered by the second part of the module) such as tensile strength, corrosion resistance, hardness, ductility, brittleness or anisotropy cannot be understood. Based on the fundamental interactions in solids, the structures and their determination using physical measurement methods are listed. Important aspects of selected substance classes are derived with regard to the application-related relevance in materials science, and their structure-property relations are examined.
Individual contents are:
Introduction: binding forces in the solid
1. The atomic structure of solids (crystal structures, reciprocal space, diffraction and spectroscopic methods)
2. Material classes (metals / alloys, semiconductor compounds, ceramics, oxides, zeolites, polymers, nanomaterials)
3. Physical properties of the materials at the atomic level (mechanical, thermal, electrical, magnetic and optical properties

After taking part in the module Materials Science I, students understand the physical and chemical structure of materials at the atomic level and know methods to investigate this structure. Furthermore, they are able to identify and characterize the most common material classes in engineering and to define the various physical properties of the materials. They can differentiate between the different substance classes in materials science and classify compounds. By linking the fundamental aspects of the atomic structure, the chemical bond and the substantial chemical contents, the students are able to independently work on and evaluate chemical issues relating to the synthesis, reactivity and stability of materials. After passing the module Materials Science I, students have gained an overview of the structural chemistry of solids and are able to understand relations between structure and symmetry.

Basic knowledge of mathematics, physics and chemistry, which have been taught in the 1st and 2nd semester of the study program: Mathematical Basics 1 and 2, Physics 1 and 2 (Experimental Physics 1 and 2), Chemistry I and II (introduction to chemistry, chemical foundations of inorganic and organic materials).

The module consists of a class and an accompanying seminar course. The contents of the class are conveyed as lectures and presentations. Concomitantly, the students should work through a selected textbook, which contributes to further delve into the module’s matter, possibly supplemented by further literature. In the seminar course, the contents of the module are illustrated in practical experiments.

Presentations, videos and board charts

Callister, William D., Materials Science and Engineering, 8th ed., Wiley Desktop Edition 2010; additionally: Askeland, Donald R., Materialwissenschaften, 1. Aufl., Spektrum Akademischer Verlag 2010 / The Science and Engineering of Materials, 5th ed., Thomson Learning 2006; Roos, E., Maile, K., Werkstoffe für Ingenieure, 3. Aufl., Springer Verlag 2008; chemical part: English literature: A. Burrows, J. Holman, A. Parsons, G. Pilling, G. Price, Chemistry, Oxford University press 2009, ISBN 978-0-19-927789-6; C. E. Housecroft, E. Constable, Chemistry, Pearson Education Limited Harlow, 3rd ed. 2006, ISBN 978-0-131-27567; P. Atkins, T. Overton, J. Rourke, M. Weller, F. Armstrong, Inorganic Chemistry, Oxford University press, 4th ed. 2006, ISBN 978-0-19-926463-6; German literature: E. Riedel, Allgemeine und Anorganische Chemie, de Gruyter, 10. Aufl. 2010, ISBN 978-3-11-022781-9; M. Binnewies, M. Jäckel, H. Willner, G. Rayner-Canham, Allgemeine und Anorganische Chemie, Spektrum Akademischer Verlag Heidelberg, 1. Aufl. 2004, ISBN 3-8274-0208-5; U. Müller, Inorganic Structure Chemistry, Whiley, 2nd ed., ISBN 978-0470018651.

The study achievement is attained in the form of a 90-minute written exam. Therein, the students should show that, within limited time and without aids, a problem in the field of materials science can be recognized and routes to a solution can be found. The students demonstrate that they have gained an overview of the structural chemistry of solids and consult the relations between structure and symmetry to solve problems. Some of the answers require own calculations and formulations, others require ticking preset multiple choice answers.