Why do engineers need to know about materials? Metals, polymers, ceramics, composites what are the key characteristics of each class of material and which is best suited for a given industrial application? How can service conditions change the performance of materials? This compact undergraduate textbook gives you, the engineer, insight into these questions and the information you need to effectively interact with materials experts from all walks of life and gain a foothold in your budding career as a materials-literate engineer.
Featuring familiar examples from the aviation and the automotive industries, this applications-led approach focuses on illustrating key concepts, giving real-world context to the material presented. In addition, the book acquaints you with important operational aspects of materials selection, such as costs, environmental impact, and sustainability. Optimised for mechanical and aerospace engineers, this book is also suitable for students in the adjacent fields of civil, industrial, and manufacturing engineering. Concise, practical, and easy to understand this textbook is the ideal accompaniment to any introductory engineering course.
Introduction.- Aluminium alloys.- Titanium alloys.- Superalloys.- Steel.- Polymers and polymer composites.- Brittle materials.- Usage induced changes materials in service.- Looking after materials in service.- Materials selection.- Other materials.
Following an undergraduate physics degree, Dr. Katy Voisey gained a PhD from the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, Cambridge University in 2002. She has spent the majority of her working life, from 2005 onwards, as an academic in the Faculty of Engineering, Nottingham University, teaching materials to a wide variety of non-materials specialists: mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, aerospace engineering, product design and manufacturing, bioengineering and additive manufacturing students, as well as advanced materials MSc students.
Dr Voiseys research in materials science and engineering is focussed in the areas of laser materials processing, coatings and corrosion. A recurring theme is how interactions with high power densities and/or the environment can change the microstructure and performance of materials. She has successfully supervised over 20 PhD students, has 70 publications (Web of Science), over 1400 citations (Scopus), an h-index of 23 and is a Member of the Institute of Physics as well as a Fellow of The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.
