What is Materials Engineering?

Materials engineering involves understanding the relationship between the properties of a material, its composition, its microscopic structures, and how it was processed. This knowledge is put to use to develop and improve products and manufacturing processes.

Materials engineering education includes the study of the following:

• Microscopic structures within materials
• Atomic and molecular motion, and the interactions and reactions between atoms and molecules within materials
• Materials properties
• Effects of microscopic structures and composition on materials properties
• Effects of the manufacturing processes on the microscopic structure and materials properties
• Methods for characterizing microscopic structures and materials properties
• Mechanisms by which materials degrade

The properties of a material depend on its microscopic structures and on its composition. Degradation mechanisms of materials include corrosion, mechanical yielding, fatigue, wear, and electrical breakdown.

Materials engineers work with engineers from other disciplines (e.g., mechanical, electrical, biomedical, and aerospace) to understand the performance and reliability requirements of a product. With this information, a materials engineer can help identify the materials that meet the performance and reliability requirements, in addition to the cost, manufacturing, and availability requirements.

Materials engineers apply their knowledge and experience toward many aspects of product design, development, and manufacturing. They work as design, product reliability, manufacturing, manufacturing and supplier quality, and failure analysis engineers.