Undergraduate Program | Department of Mechanical Engineering

Undergraduate Curriculum Learning Objectives

1. Structure

Understand covalent, metallic and ionic primary bonding; understand the nature and role of secondary bonding.
Be able to describe the most important crystal structures by their unit cells. Be able to specify planes and directions by their indices. Execute density calculations. Understand polymorphism and allotropy. Distinguish between single crystal and polycrystalline materials.
Distinguish between isotropy and anisotropy, and homogeneity and inhomogeneity in materials.
Be able to describe semi-crystalline and non-crystalline structures.
Have the ability to describe important deviations from perfect crystalline structures: point, line, planar and volume defects. Understand their role in shaping material properties. Develop a qualitative understanding of the role of dislocations in the yielding of crystalline materials.

2. Mechanical Behavior

Be able to use the concepts of stress and strain in one dimension. Understand the tensile test, and be able to derive relevant mechanical parameters from such a test.
Understand the stiffness parameters for Young’s modulus and shear modulus, as well as Poisson’s ratio, for small deformations.
Know how to derive yield points from tensile tests. Be able to describe test curves past the yield point. Understand elastic recovery in a yielded material.
Relate yield strength to number of slip systems in various crystalline structures and to resolved shear stresses.
Understand differences between compression and tensile tests. Be able to relate hardness values to yield stress.
Understand the variability (statistical nature) of many mechanical parameters.

3. Dislocations and Strengthening Mechanisms for Crystalline Materials

Understand the concepts of dislocations and slip systems in the plastic deformation of crystalline material systems.
Know the basic principle of strengthening: hindering dislocation motion.
Understand the four basic methods of strengthening: formation of solid solutions, grain size refinement, formation of fine dispersions of a second phase, and cold working.
Be able to solve one dimensional steady state and non-steady state diffusion problems involved in thermal processing of metals. Understand the factors that influence diffusion.
Understand the processes of recovery, recrystallization and grain growth used to “undo” cold work.

4. Failure

Know the principal modes of failure: brittle fracture, ductile fracture and creep.
Be able to describe brittle fracture. Be able to use the elementary parameters of fracture mechanics: stress concentrations, critical strain energy release rate, fracture toughness. Know impact test methods, and be able to interpret brittle to ductile transitions.
Be able to describe the generalized creep behavior of metals, including stress and temperature effects. Be able to apply temperature-time extrapolation methods.

5. Phase Diagrams

Be able to calculate all relevant quantities in binary equilibrium phase diagrams: number of phases, composition of phases, and phase amounts. Be able to identify the eutectic and eutectoid, as well as the peritectic and peritectoid reactions.
Be able to interpret the Gibb’s phase rule.
Be familiar with the equilibrium Fe-C phase diagram. Be able to explain the development of equilibrium microstructures in these alloys, and the role of additional elements on the development of these microstructures.
Understand the influence of other alloying elements on the binary phase diagram.

6. Metal Alloys, Ceramics and Polymer

Understand the basic material structure, including the role of structural features on properties.
Be able to describe and interpret the mechanical behavior and properties of metal alloys, ceramics and polymers. Understand the role of temperature and composition on mechanical behavior.
Be familiar with applications and processing approaches for basic metal alloys, ceramics and polymer systems.

7. Additional Topics (to be addressed with time permitting)

Revised: 04/29/2008