Sciences des matériaux

• Introduction: analysis of case studies of major failures caused by the inappropriate use of materials.
• Atomic structure of matter: atomic models, electronic orbitals, quantum numbers, and the periodic classification of elements.
• Interatomic bonding and material families: covalent, ionic, metallic, and secondary bonds; classification of materials.
• Crystalline and amorphous structures: atomic packing, metallic, ionic, and covalent crystals, and polymer structures.
• Crystallography: crystal lattices, symmetry, unit cells, Bravais lattices, crystallographic directions, and Miller indices.
• Crystal defects: point defects, dislocations, grain boundaries, stacking faults, and twins.
• Structural characterization techniques based on diffraction: Bragg's law, X-ray diffraction, and EBSD.
• Phase transformations and equilibrium diagrams: phase diagrams, nucleation, growth, and transformation kinetics.
• Material microstructures: solidification microstructures, steel microstructures, and aluminum alloy microstructures.
• Mechanical behavior and elasticity: mechanical testing, stress, strain, elasticity, and the properties of polymers and composites.
• Plasticity and strengthening mechanisms: crystallographic slip, dislocations, work hardening, solid-solution strengthening, grain-size strengthening, and precipitation hardening.
• Material failure mechanisms: brittle and ductile fracture, fracture mechanics, and an introduction to fatigue.
• The profession of materials science engineering: guest lectures and testimonials from external professionals.

This course aims to provide students with the scientific foundations necessary to understand the relationships between the structure of matter, microstructure, processing routes, and the properties of materials. Particular emphasis is placed on the thermodynamic and kinetic aspects governing microstructural evolution and enabling its control through thermal or thermomechanical treatments.

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Explain the influence of atomic structure, interatomic bonding, crystal organization, and defects on material properties.
• Analyze phase transformations using the fundamental concepts of thermodynamics and kinetics.
• Use phase diagrams to quantitatively determine the nature, proportion, and evolution of phases present in a material as a function of temperature and composition.
• Apply the concepts of nucleation, growth, and transformation kinetics to justify microstructural changes observed during heat treatments or manufacturing processes.
• Interpret the characteristic microstructures of the main families of metallic alloys, particularly steels and aluminum alloys.
• Explain the structural origin of polymer properties and predict the influence of molecular architecture on their mechanical and thermal behavior.
• Establish the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties (elasticity, plasticity, strength, toughness, and fracture).
• Identify and explain the principal mechanisms of deformation, strengthening, and failure in materials.
• Propose and justify thermal or thermomechanical treatments aimed at optimizing material properties.
• Develop an engineering approach to selecting or adapting materials by considering the relationships among processing, structure, microstructure, and performance.

Required and Corequired knowledge and skills

To successfully follow this course, students should possess the basic knowledge acquired in the common engineering curriculum, particularly in general chemistry, general physics, and thermodynamics, as well as the mathematical tools required for analyzing physical phenomena.

No prior specific knowledge of materials science is required. Concepts such as crystallography, microstructure, phase diagrams, and the mechanical behavior of materials are introduced and developed throughout the course.

• Lectures
• Laboratory sessions

References, bibliography, and recommended reading

• J. Baïlon, J. Dorlot, Des matériaux, 3rd edition, ISBN 9782553007705, Presses Internationales Polytechnique, 2000.
• Meyers & Chawla, Mechanical Behavior of Materials, 2nd Edition, ISBN 9780511810947, Cambridge University Press, 2012.
• Ashby & Jones, Materials: Engineering, Science, Processing and Design (translation of the 3rd American edition), ISBN 9782889150250, EPFL Press.
• Dantzig & Rappaz, Solidification, 2nd Edition, ISBN 9780849382383, EPFL Press, 2016.

Course notes

• Syllabus
• Université virtuelle

Contacts

Dr. Ir. Charlotte de Formanoir

Campus

Solbosch

Method(s) of evaluation

• written examination
• Group work

written examination

• Open question with short answer
• Closed question with multiple choices (MCQ)
• Open question with developed answer

Group work

Written Examination

The written examination is designed to assess both the understanding of fundamental concepts and the student's ability to apply course knowledge to analyze and solve materials-related problems. The examination includes:

• Short-answer open-ended questions intended to verify mastery of concepts, definitions, and fundamental mechanisms.
• Long-form open-ended questions aimed at evaluating analytical skills, scientific reasoning, and the ability to justify microstructural phenomena and material properties.

Laboratory Sessions

The laboratory component is designed to provide practical application of the theoretical concepts covered in class. It includes five laboratory sessions and one review session.

• At the end of each session, a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) is used to assess the acquisition of the concepts covered.
• For selected sessions, a group report (maximum of six students per group) must be submitted within one week of the laboratory session.

The evaluation of the laboratory component is organized as follows:

• Attendance at laboratory sessions is mandatory. Any unjustified absence results in a grade of zero for the corresponding session.
• Students work in groups of up to six students.
• At the end of each session, a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ) assesses understanding of the concepts covered. The MCQ is open-book; however, the use of mobile phones or any artificial intelligence tools is strictly prohibited during the test. In cases of cheating, a grade of zero will be assigned to the group's MCQ for that session.
• For selected sessions, a group report must be submitted within one week of the session. The report grade is shared by all group members. However, if a student's substantial lack of participation in preparing the report is identified and reported by the other group members, the instructor reserves the right to assign that student a grade of zero for the report concerned.
• Laboratory exemption: Students who have already passed the laboratory component in a previous enrollment may be exempted from attending laboratory sessions. In this case, the laboratory grade obtained in the previous year is retained and carried forward in the calculation of the final grade.

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

• Written examination: 67%
• Laboratory sessions: 33%

The final grade is calculated as the weighted average of these two components.

Language(s) of evaluation

• french