3 credits
Fall 2026 Distance Learning Lecture Upper Division
This course serves as an overview for materials behavior for students without a materials background, including seniors and entry-level graduate students. Materials are at the foundation for all of engineering, as evident by the latest products that we design, to the airplanes that we fly, to the latest smartphones. In fact, breakthroughs with material research are often accompanied by rapid advancements in technology. Thus, it is paramount for all engineers to have an understanding of the structure and behavior of materials. In this class, we focus on the structure of materials, the microstructure connection to mechanical properties, and, ultimately, failure mechanisms. Materials play an important role in both design and manufacturing, which will be addressed in the context of components and extreme environments. Of specific interest will be defects within materials, defect formation/evolution, and their role in strengthening mechanisms. Material anisotropy, micromechanisms, and elasto-plastic properties at the atomic, single-crystal/constituent, and polycrystal-material levels and their use in explaining the deformation and failure characteristics in metals, polymers, and ceramics; failure mechanisms and toughening in composites; structure and behavior of aerospace materials: metal alloys, ceramic-matrix composites, and fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Particular topics will also include: elastic deformation, dislocation mechanics, plastic deformation and strengthening mechanisms, creep, and failure mechanisms; design criteria; special topics. We will attempt to have minimal overlap with AAE 55400, Fatigue of Structures and Materials. Therefore we will not cover fracture, fatigue, or stress concentrators.
Learning Outcomes1Express vector and tensor equations using indicial notation.
2Express crystallography according to Miller indices and define slip systems in basic crystal structures.
3Calculate and understand the physical basis of elastic anisotropy.
4Understand, calculate, and use basic states of stress and yield criteria.
5Define and understand the physical basis of point, line, and area defects in crystalline materials.
6Calculate the strain fields, stress fields, and energy of dislocations, in addition forces between dislocations.
7Understand dislocation motion as well as interactions between dislocations.
8Resolve shear stress on slip systems during deformation of single crystals and calculate the velocity gradient.
9Apply equilibrium and compatibility constraints to plastic flow of polycrystalline materials.
10Understand origins of twinning, stacking faults, and the shape memory effects.
11Understand physics and calculate strengthening influence of solutes, precipitates, grain boundaries, and strain hardening.
12Understand physical origins of creep, calculate creep using Larson-Miller expressions, and use creep deformation mechanism map.
13Understand origins of residual stress and apply to constrain problems.
14Understand and apply statistical approaches to identify probability of failure and property variations.
15Define and classify polymer structures.
16Understand viscoelasticity and calculate behavior using classical models.
17Distinguish physical mechanisms of polymer deformation, crazing, and fracture.
18Express stiffness and strength of fiber reinforced composite structures.
Prerequisites
Restrictions
made by Purdue students.