Handbook

This is a first-year core course for Materials Science and Engineering and Materials Science students. Students will learn about the structure and properties of materials for applications in industry and society including, for example, structural, medical and transport applications. Topics covered include microstructure and structure-property relationships of the main types of engineering materials (metals, ceramics, polymers and composites); micromechanisms of elastic and plastic deformation; fracture mechanisms for ductile and brittle materials, and phase equilibria of alloys. Students will gain an insight into current research conducted by academics in the school and visit major industrial materials companies in NSW. Introductory materials laboratories will allow students to test and characterise materials and analyse data related to material properties. A knowledge of high-school level chemistry and physics (NSW HSC Year 11 or equivalent) will provide a strong foundation for the course. The course content will be delivered through a series of standard and flipped lectures and tutorials.