Structure and Bonding in Crystalline Materials: Contemporary Examples




Structure and Bonding in Crystalline Materials

This page collects some of the contemporary examples I have discussed when teaching this to undergraduates. For those of you seeking ABET accreditation for an MSE degree, your program outcomes probably state something to the effect that your program should develop in students a recognition of the need for lifelong scholarship and a knowledge of contemporary issues in the application of materials. I have used the items below for discussions in class and homework exercises.

(1) In the summer of 2004, the first non-government manned spacecraft (SpaceShipOne) traveled to more than 60 miles above the surface of the earth as part of a competition for the Ansari Xprize. SpaceShipOne was built of composite materials by a company called Scaled Composites.
(a) Visit the company web site (Scaled Composites) and find out what composite is used for the primary structure of this space ship.
(b) Describe what you know about the structure and composition of the two phases in this composite.
(c) What features of this material make it suitable for this application.

(2) Read the following article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette: scientists use computation to figure out element combinations for a new kind of steel
(a) Define the crystalline and amorphous.
(b) How are the properties of amorphous steel different from crystalline steel?

(3) Read the following article on CNN: M&M's obsession leads to physics discovery
(a) Find the Archival Journal Article on this topic
(b) What is the ratio of the most efficient packing of oblate spheres to the most efficient packing of spheres?

(4) Read the following article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette: Silicone ware passes test drive in the kitchen
What types of materials can be replaced by these new products?


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