Materials Science

Additional information concerning these courses can be found at http://www.matsci.caltech.edu/courses.html.

MS 78 abc. Senior Thesis. 9 units; first, second, third terms. Prerequisite: instructor’s permission. Supervised research experience, open only to senior-class materials science majors. Requirements will be set by the faculty supervisor, but will include written and oral reports based upon actual research results. Only the first term may be taken pass/fail. Instructor: Staff.

MS 90. Materials Science Laboratory. 9 units (1-6-2); third term. An introductory laboratory in relationships between the structure and properties of materials. Experiments involve materials processing and characterization by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and optical microscopy. Students will learn techniques for measuring mechanical and electrical properties of materials, as well as how to optimize these properties through microstructural and chemical control. Independent projects may be performed depending on the student’s interests and abilities. Instructor: Staff.

MS 100. Advanced Work in Materials Science. The staff in materials science will arrange special courses or problems to meet the needs of students working toward the M.S. degree or of qualified undergraduate students. Graded pass/fail for research and reading. Instructor: Staff.

MS 105. Phase Transformations. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Prerequisites: APh 105 b or ChE/Ch 164, or instructor’s permission. Thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transformations. Phase diagrams for decomposition and ordering. Nucleation, spinodal decomposition, microstructural morphologies. Role of strain energy in solid-solid phase transformations. Thermomechanical processing of selected materials. Instructor: Staff.

MS 110 abc. Materials Research Lectures. 1 unit (1-0-0); first, second, third terms. A seminar course designed to introduce advanced undergraduates and graduate students to modern research in materials science. Instructor: Staff.

MS 115 ab. Fundamentals of Materials Science. 9 units (3-0-6); first, second terms. Prerequisite: Ph 2. An introduction to the structure and properties of materials and the processing routes utilized to optimize properties. All major classes of materials are covered, including metals, ceramics, electronic materials, composites, and polymers. In the first term, emphasis is on the relationships between chemical bonding, crystal structure, thermodynamics, phase equilibria, microstructure, and properties. In the second term, generic processing and manufacturing methods are presented for each class of materials with particular focus on the influence of these processes on mechanical properties. Emphasis is placed on the basic materials science behind each processing method, covering such topics as thermodynamics, diffusion, kinetics of phase transformations, and microstructure development. Instructors: Fultz, staff.

MS 125. Advanced Transmission Electron Microscopy. 9 units (1-6-2); third term. Prerequisite: MS 132. Diffraction contrast analysis of crystalline defects. Phase contrast imaging. Physical optics approach to dynamical electron diffraction and imaging. Microbeam methods for diffraction and imaging. Chemical analysis by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and electron energy loss spectrometry. Instructor: Ahn.

MS 130. Diffraction and Structure. 9 units (3-0-6); second term. Prerequisite: graduate standing or instructor’s permission. Content is identical to MS 132 but without the laboratory exercises. Instructor: Fultz.

MS 131. Structure and Bonding in Materials. 9 units (3-0-6); first term. Prerequisite: graduate standing or introductory quantum mechanics. Atomic structure, hybridization, molecular orbital theory, dependence of chemical bonding on atom configurations. Covalency, ionicity, electronegativity. Madelung energy. Effects of translational periodicity on electron states in solids. Band structures of group IV semiconductors; transition metals and ferromagnetism. Structural features of materials such as point defects, dislocations, disclinations, and surfaces. Structures of defects calculated with the embedded atom method. Instructor: Goddard.

MS 132. Diffraction and Structure of Materials. 12 units (3-3-6); second term. Prerequisite: MS 131 or instructor’s permission. Principles of electron and X-ray diffraction, with applications for characterizing materials. Topics include scattering and absorption of electrons and X rays by atoms. The transmission electron microscope (TEM) and the X-ray diffractometer. Kinematical theory of diffraction: effects of strain, size, disorder, and temperature. Crystal defects and their characterization. A weekly laboratory will complement the lectures. Instructors: Fultz and Ahn.

MS 133. Kinetic Processes in Materials. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Prerequisites: APh 105 b or ChE/Ch 164, or instructor’s permission. Kinetic master equation, uncorrelated and correlated random walk, diffusion. Mechanisms of diffusion and atom transport in solids, liquids, and gases. Coarsening of microstructures. Nonequilibrium processing of materials. Instructors: Fultz and Kornfield.

MS 142. Application of Diffraction Techniques in Materials Science. 9 units (2-3-4); third term. Prerequisites: MS 132 or instructor’s permission. Applications of X-ray and neutron diffraction methods to the structural characterization of materials. Emphasis is on the analysis of polycrystalline materials but some discussion of single crystal methods is also presented. Techniques include quantitative phase analysis, crystalline size measurement, lattice parameter refinement, internal stress measurement, quantification of preferred orientation (texture) in materials, Rietveld refinement, and determination of structural features from small angle scattering. Homework assignments will focus on analysis of diffraction data. Samples of interest to students for their thesis research may be examined where appropriate. Not offered 2005–06.

MS 143. Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion. 9 units (3-0-6); first term. Electrochemical thermodynamics and kinetics, with emphasis on processes in electrode materials and electrolytes used in batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors. Electroanalytical characterization techniques. Electrode materials for energy storage: mixed (ion and electron) conductors, intercalation materials. Theoretical and practical energy density, rate capability and energy vs. power characteristics. Factors affecting electrode performance, diagnostic techniques, and failure mechanisms. Applications include batteries (primary, secondary, and advanced), fuel cells (ceramic, molten salts, and polymer electro-lytes systems), supercapacitors (aqueous, organic, and solid-state systems). Safety and environmental issues. Not offered 2005–06.

MS 200. Advanced Work in Materials Science. The staff in materials science will arrange special courses or problems to meet the needs of advanced graduate students.

Ae/AM/MS/ME 213. Mechanics and Materials Aspects of Fracture. 9 units (3-0-6). For course description, see Aeronautics.

ME/MS 260 abc. Micromechanics. 15 units (3-0-12). For course description, see Mechanical Engineering.

MS 300. Thesis Research.