Handbook

This Level 3 course for materials science and engineering students draws upon the knowledge gained in earlier courses on metals/alloys, ceramics and polymers to demonstrate how composites and coatings of varying compositions and characteristics can be created from the preceding individual materials to achieve novel advantageous properties for advanced structural and functional applications.  The course will emphasise structure (microstructure and nanostructure)-property correlations.  

The first part of the course will cover types of composites (polymer-matrix, ceramic-matrix, and metal matrix, nanocomposite, hybrid) and coatings (metal/ceramic/polymer/composite), and the different possible forms of the individual components in composites (fibres, whiskers, particulates, matrix) . 

The second part will cover behaviour of composites and coatings including mechanical properties (elastic deformation, stress-strain relationships, strength, fracture toughness, scratch and wear resistance), failure mechanisms of both the individual components and overall materials (e.g. interfacial failure), and functional properties (e.g. optical, electrical, acoustic, thermal), as well as methods for testing these properties. Properties will be related to the individual component materials and their forms, to show how unique properties can emerge when individual materials are combined. 

The final part of the course will cover fabrication routes for different types of composites (including nanocomposites and hybrids) and coatings and the impact of the processing conditions on the properties, as well as recycling of used composites for value-added applications. 

Finally, each of these parts of the course will be brought together using cases studies to demonstrate design of optimal composites and coatings for structural and advanced functional applications, including discussion of the environmental impacts of composite and coatings. 

The course will be delivered through lectures, assignments, and laboratory activities, with the latter involving participation in  laboratory activities related to fabrication, testing, and characterisation of composite materials, and practice in data analysis to correlate structure and properties.   

Knowledge of the processing-structure-property relationships for metals, ceramics, and polymers developed in previous studies will be built upon in this course.