Will the Integration of Materials Science into Engineering Core Undergraduate Curricula Ever Be Complete?
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by materials science and engineering personnel, is taken by some non-materials majors. In this course, students get an
6-f Transport, Site-to-Site
Figure 1. Conventional representation of interstitial diffusion.
integrated view of materials behavior, properties, and applications based on fundamentals. But some other departments teach their own courses which are more narrowly focused and do not provide a broad-based knowledge. For example, a civil engineering graduate's perspective of materials is narrowly focused on steelreinforced concrete; electrical engineers are exposed only to semiconducting electronic materials; and chemical engineers get two-thirds the exposure to materials that computer science majors receive. In some cases, these courses are taught during the final semester of the undergraduate programs. For these engineers at least, the science of materials played no role whatsoever in their design activities. What seems to be missing here is more than merely an acceptance of materials science into overall undergraduate engineering education, but an understanding of how engineering curricula should adapt to this neighborhood newcomer and fulfill responsibilities to the students upon whom they confer degrees. Finally, what is it that non-materialsengineering majors ought to know about materials, physical properties themselves, or the origin of these properties— the "book" itself or instructions on how to read and interpret the "book"? If, as it should be, materials scientists/ engineers assume the lead in formulating the content of introductory survey courses, what is the best way to handle that responsibility? And here is where the problem arises. The classical or conventional manner is reflected in a dozen or so mostused textbooks, which vary in style but not in substance. It is represented by the following outline: Part I-"Structure" A. Chemical bonding-chemistry B. Crystal structure-unit cells C. Defects D. Microstructural evolution-phase diagrams Part II-Properties (Mechanical) A. Metals B. Ceramics C. Polymers D. Composites Part Ill-Miscellaneous Material Properties A. Optical/magnetic B. Electronic C. Thermal D. Environmental Stability Although most authors of these introductory textbooks say their objective is to establish and demonstrate the structure/ property relationship, this is only done in Part I, and then usually with respect to hypothetical situations based on unit-cell geometry. Parts II and III, representing one-half to two-thirds of the text, are only
MRS BULLETIN/SEPTEMBER 1992
Will the Integration of Materials Science into Engineering Curricula Ever Be Complete?
6-f Interstitial Transport (close-packed structures) 1. Start: Surface Position 2. Point of Maximum Strain (3-f site)
e(trans)=[V3[R+r(x)]/2R]-1 d(trans)=[[2V6/3]-1]R
developing a conceptual perspective of this relationship; 4. To leave the students with an appreciation of, and a respect for, materials behavior under a variety of service conditions; and 5. To develop an understanding of how some of the more common
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