Handbook

This Level 2 core course in Materials Science and Engineering extends on the fundamentals of mechanical behaviour of engineering materials introduced in MATS1192 Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering.

The course provides a systematic and quantitative treatment of how materials respond to stresses and strains. Key topics include stress, strain, axial and multiaxial loading, and the analysis of stresses in components under axial, torsional, bending, and transverse shear stresses. The course extends this knowledge to complex stress states in combined loading scenarios, employing numerical and graphical methods, such as Mohr’s circle leading to failure criteria (e.g. Tresca, von Mises).

The course then covers the mechanical properties and behaviour of engineering materials, examining metals, polymers, ceramics, and composites, and exploring their elastic and plastic deformation mechanisms at atomic, molecular, and microscopic levels. Material failure and its prediction are covered, including crack propagation, ductile and brittle modes of failure, yield criteria, creep and fatigue. The influence of factors such as strain rate and temperature on mechanical behaviour is analysed.

The course provides a solid foundation for more advanced level courses covering the structure-property-processing-performance relationships of specific classes of materials.  This course is a core component of the BE (Hons) (Materials Science and Engineering) program and the Materials Science Major of the BSc and BAdvSc (Hons) programs.

Teaching methods include lectures, tutorials, and laboratory classes to provide hands-on experience with mechanical testing.

Previous knowledge of first-year calculus is recommended.