Engineering Materials

This chapter presents a brief introduction to the section on “engineering materials”. Engineering materials are the fundamental building blocks of modern civilization, playing a pivotal role in almost every aspect of our daily lives. These materials are carefully designed and selected to meet specific performance criteria, ensuring the reliability and durability of various structures, machines, and devices. Engineering materials encompass a vast array of substances, each with unique properties and applications, and they can be broadly classified into metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites. Accordingly, this chapter will mainly focus on the raw materials and their types such as (e.g., ores, minerals, fossil fuels, biomass), extraction and processing, and refining of materials including refining process and techniques.

Materials science and engineering is an interdisciplinary field that deals with the study of the relation between the structure and the property of materials. Coming from historical roots in ancient metallurgy, the field today encompasses a vast range of different materials, including metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Fundamentally, material science is a study in which the link between synthesis and processing methods, the structure, and the properties of materials is identified. One of the principal goals is to relate macroscopic properties to those at the atomic- and molecular-level. A crystallographic (or crystal structure) perspective illustrates how atoms are stacked in crystalline solids, and is critical to understanding the relationship between the structures of materials and the resultant properties. Materials are categorized based on how they behave. The need for newer, more advanced materials has led to the idea of designing and customizing the properties of materials to meet specific requirements or needs. The above interplay between microstructure development and resulting properties, and processing techniques, is also necessary in materials science. It has enabled a vast array of innovative materials applications from aerospace to healthcare. By including theory, characterization, and application while taking a complete view, materials science continues to radically transform countless technological fields and is innovations that continue to shape our world.

The building blocks of life, polymers, have existed from the beginning of time. However, their nature and potential was not fully comprehended until the middle of the 20th century. This adventure began with the quest to find billiard ball substitutes other than ivory, which resulted in the discovery of cellulose nitrate (celluloid) in 1868. In 1909, Bakelite, the first entirely synthetic plastic was developed. This opened the door for the quick creation of new materials including cellulose acetate, nylon, and PVC.

Ceramics are in general compounds of non-metallic and metallic elements, including carbides, oxides, and nitrides. They are known for higher insulation, resistance to corrosion and environmental conditions, and capable of withstanding high temperatures. Unlike metals, ceramics materials generally display greater stiffness, lower electrical and thermal conductivity, and lower fracture toughness.

Metallic materials play a pivotal role in various industrial sectors due to their exceptional properties and wide-ranging applications. This chapter provides an extensive analysis of the mechanical and physical qualities that come from the processing methods used to create metallic materials, as well as a thorough assessment of those methods. The processing techniques covered in this discussion include both liquid state and solid state modern procedures. The effects of each approach on phase composition, defect formation, microstructure, and grain size are assessed, as these factors have a major impact on the mechanical and physical properties of metallic materials. The purpose of this chapter is to help researchers, engineers, and practitioners understand the relationships between metallic materials’ processing, structure, and properties. This will enable the development of advanced materials with customized properties for a range of applications in the engineering, aerospace, automotive, and other industries.

Textile products are essential to a wide range of sectors and support modern living in many ways. Their adaptability makes them suitable for use in filtration systems, insulation, apparel, aerospace, naval, and composite reinforcement applications. With millions of jobs and a large GDP contribution from the worldwide textile sector, it is a vital economic engine for many nations. Because of their special qualities, textile materials are essential to daily life and a wide range of industrial uses. Textiles in clothes offer protection, comfort, and a way to express one's individual style. Advanced textile composites improve performance in the aviation and naval industries by providing strong, long-lasting, and heat-resistant solutions. By efficiently capturing impurities, textiles used in filtration systems enhance the quality of the air and water. Insulating fabrics support the preservation of energy efficiency in automobiles and buildings. Furthermore, textiles provide more adaptable, strong, and environmentally friendly packaging options than conventional materials. Innovations like smart textiles that can monitor health issues or adjust to environmental changes are the result of continuous research and development in the field of textile science. This invention emphasizes how crucial textile materials are to advancing technology and raising standards of living.

A composite is a macroscopically homogeneous material produced by the dispersion of a reinforcing phase in a relatively weaker material, i.e., a matrix.

Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have emerged as an attractive class of materials that exhibit unique properties and a broad range of applications. These atomically thin, planar structures offer an exceptional combination of physical and chemical properties that makes them desirable for futuristic applications. This book chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the synthesis and properties of 2D nanomaterials. This chapter begins with an exploration of various synthesis and fabrication techniques used for 2D nanomaterials, covering both top-down and bottom-up approaches. Top-down approaches such as mechanical exfoliation, liquid-phase exfoliation, and electrochemical techniques enable the isolation of atomically thin individual layers from the bulk parent materials. Bottom-up synthesis strategies including chemical vapor deposition, and solution-based synthesis allow for controlled and scalable production of 2D nanomaterials. Furthermore, the chapter examines the structural and chemical properties of 2D nanomaterials, highlighting their distinctive characteristics. The high surface area-to-volume ratio present in these materials provides unprecedented adsorption and catalytic capacity. The lateral dimension of these materials allows for exceptional charge carrier mobility, creating numerous opportunities in electronic applications. The inherent flexibility and ability to intercalate different species within the two-dimensional lattice further expands the functionality of these materials. The chapter concludes by addressing the challenges and future research directions in the field of 2D nanomaterials, highlighting the importance of overcoming scalability, stability, and integration-related issues to unlock their full potential.

This chapter provides a thorough introduction, a historical progression, and a full categorization of biomedical materials with a crucial role in contemporary healthcare is emphasized. Synthesis methods for metal-, polymer-, ceramic-, biomolecules-, and nanoparticle-based materials are described together with their unique mechanical, chemical, and physical characteristics. This chapter further explores the two domains of natural and synthetic biomaterials, explaining the various uses of each in the biomedical field. In the end, this chapter focuses on technology advancements and opens the door to creative ideas and improved medical interventions. The biomedical materials’ future emphasizes the potential for groundbreaking discoveries and unexplored avenues for further research and development.

This chapter focusses on the classification and descriptive types of material characterization methods that are being used across various sectors, for quality control and assurance, product design, performance enhancement, as well as failure analysis, and assessment of the product’s lifecycle. This helps to maintain the set standards since the characterization of the material to be used in the manufacturing process is an important aspect of quality control. Knowledge on material features is essential in the design of products and improvements in efficiency while avoiding failure. Savings can be done in determination of right material, doing away with extravagance, and compliance with necessary laws. Discovering new material and technology advances modification while nonetheless assessing influences of the environment and accommodating multiple uses. To conclude, this chapter has highlighted the importance of material characterization in driving up the quality and innovation of products, sustainability, and compliance in various sectors.

This chapter discusses the key aspects of sustainability in materials and extensively explores practices and concepts in sustainable materials engineering. Beginning with introduction and history of sustainability in materials, the chapter then discusses life cycle assessment (LCA) and stages of LCA. The application of LCA explores how the material impacts the environment, this section showcases the impacts of various materials like metals, alloys, polymers, ceramics, composites, nanomaterials, textiles, and biomaterials etc. including resource depletion, carbon footprint, energy consumption, and emissions. This chapter also includes materials recycling principles, challenges, and opportunities, providing examples of recycling metals, polymers, and composites. For further understanding of various examples of recycling and upcycling; current practices of upcycling provide insight into industrial adaptation. This chapter will be a valuable resource for educators, researchers, and industrial professionals to have an overview of sustainability in materials engineering.