MEC 1201 Engineering Materials

STAFFING:

SYNOPSIS:

Materials science and engineering has come into its own as a field of endeavour during the past 25 years. The central theme in this development is the concept that the properties and behaviour of a material are closely related to the internal structure of that material. The properties (which may be regarded as the responses of the material to its immediate environment) are functions of : (i) the kinds of atoms present and the type of bonding among them, and (ii) the geometrical arrangement of large numbers of atoms, microstructure and macrostructure. As a result, in order to modify properties, appropriate changes must be made in the internal structure. Also, if processing or service conditions alter the structure, the characteristics of the material are altered. Over the same period noticeable changes have taken place in the teaching of engineering materials to the engineering student. Previously, elementary courses emphasised the mechanical properties of materials with long dull lists of chemical specifications and descriptions of processing. More recently, elementary courses seek to provide a thorough grasp of the structures encountered in the principal families of materials - metals, ceramics and polymers - and then to show how the properties of important engineering materials depend on these structures. This course seeks to provide a background knowledge of the more commonly used engineering materials. This will be achieved by promoting an understanding of the interrelation of structure and properties in the principal families of materials and the mechanisms by which the structural changes may be accomplished.

OBJECTIVES:

On completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. explain the basic atomic structures of metals, ceramics and polymers;
2. outline the influence of both atomic structure and microstructure on the mechanical properties of the materials listed in objective 1;
3. describe the principal forms of mechanical tests and calculate the mechanical properties of engineering materials;
4. interpret the principal mechanisms by which structural change may be accomplished in engineering materials in order to enhance their mechanical properties;
5. analyse the effects of stress state, temperature and corrosion on the more commonly used engineering materials;
6. identify the major forms of corrosion commonly found in engineering materials;
7. examine in depth a selected aspect of engineering materials studies.

TOPICS:

TEXT and MATERIALS required to be PURCHASED or accessed:

ALL textbooks and materials are available for purchase from USQ BOOKSHOP (unless otherwise stated). Orders may be placed via secure internet, free fax 1800642453, phone 07 46312742 (within Australia), or mail. Overseas students should fax +61 7 46311743, or phone +61 7 46312742. For costs, further details, and internet ordering, use the 'Textbook Search' facility at http://bookshop.usq.edu.au click 'Semester', then enter your 'Course Code' (no spaces).

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

STUDENT WORKLOAD REQUIREMENTS:

ASSESSMENT DETAILS:

NOTES:

1.

Student Administration will advise students of the dates of their examinations during the semester.

IMPORTANT ASSESSMENT INFORMATION

1. Attendance requirements:
   There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students' responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
2. Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
   To complete each of the assessment items satisfactorily, students must obtain at least 50% of the marks available (or at least a grade of C-) for each assessment item.
3. Penalties for late submission of required work:
   Because assignment model answers are electronically released promptly after the due date, the penalty for late submission of assignment work will be the loss of all marks awarded for the assignment.
4. Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
   To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must submit all of the (summative) assignments by the due date, achieve at least 40% in each of the assignments and in the examination, and at least 50% of the available weighted marks for the summative assessment items.
5. Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
   The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the weighted aggregate of the marks (or grades) obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
6. Examination information:
   In a Closed Examination, candidates are allowed to bring only writing and drawing instruments into the examination.
7. Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
   Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the examination period at the end of the semester of the next offering of this course.
8. University Regulations:
   Students should read USQ Regulations 5.1 Definitions, 5.6. Assessment, and 5.10 Academic Misconduct for further information and to avoid actions which might contravene University Regulations. These regulations can be found at the URL http://www.usq.edu.au/corporateservices/calendar/part5.htm or in the current USQ Handbook.

ASSESSMENT NOTES