Introductory description

The focus of this module is on enabling students to undertake a systematic materials selection process, taking account of the required performance, constraints, objectives, manufacturing processes, cost and environmental implications for engineering components. Selecting the wrong material can be as bad as any other poor decision when designing engineering products or systems. Poor materials choices can lead to non-competitive or environmentally damaging products and, in the worst cases, catastrophic failures.
Materials selection involves: the translation of functional requirements into materials performance objectives; the screening of materials that do not meet these objectives; the development of performance indices to rank candidate materials; and refining down to a single optimal material taking manufacturing, cost and environmental factors into account.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

• Introduction to engineering materials and materials selection.
• A series of case studies that introduce students to the basics of materials selection (translation, screening, ranking) based on fundamental mechanical and electrical properties (such as stiffness, strength, resistivity, permeability, permittivity, etc.) supported by laboratories in which these properties will be measured for a range of engineering materials.
• More advanced case studies that incorporate cost, manufacturing and sustainability factors to refine materials selection processes down to a single optimal material.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Qualitatively describe the main stages of a systematic materials selection process, how it links with the Engineering Design Process, and the importance and global context of optimising materials selection for a variety of engineering applications with consideration of economic and environmental drivers C7(D) M7(D).
• Describe the characteristic properties of different major families of engineering materials such as metals, ceramics, polymers and hybrids; link these to fundamental differences in their underlying microstructure; and give examples of engineering applications in which they are used C13(D) M13(D).
• Develop and demonstrate a practical knowledge and ability to measure fundamental mechanical and electrical properties of engineering materials, and appreciate the link between experimental data and engineering design data found in data sheets and CAE tools C13 (D) M13(D).
• With the aid of a common CAE tool (such as Edupack), combine fundamental theory and performance requirements to carry out the initial stages (translation, screening and ranking) of a materials selection process and produce a shortlist of candidate materials for a given engineering application C4 (D) M4(D).
• With the aid of a common CAE tool (such as Edupack), develop and apply knowledge of manufacturing processes, cost, and simple measures of environmental impact (such as embodied energy) to refine a materials selection process down to a single optimal material for a given engineering application C4 (D) M4(D).

Indicative reading list

• Ashby for Materials Selection
• Swift and Booker for Process Selection
• Callister for Materials Science

View reading list on Talis Aspire

Subject specific skills

• Plan and conduct a materials selection process using a CAE tool.
• Knowledge and understanding of the underpinning science of materials behaviour and the link between structure and properties.
• Ability to apply relevant laboratory skills to safely evaluate materials properties via destructive means, understand the value of the data being generated, and analyse that data to extract materials property values.
• Communicate effectively with technical and non-technical audiences -Interpreting phase diagrams, isothermal transformation diagrams, stress-strain curves.

Transferable skills

• Numeracy: apply mathematical and computational methods to communicate parameters, model and optimise solutions within the context of a materials selection activity.
• Apply laboratory skills, data gathering & evaluation, and the effective use of materials testing facilities.
• Communicate (written and oral; to technical and non-technical audiences) and work with others.
• Plan self-learning and improve performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD.
• Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, including time management.
• Overcome difficulties by employing skills, knowledge and understanding in a flexible manner.
• Be professional in their outlook, be capable of team working, be effective communicators, and be able to exercise responsibility and sound management approaches.