Science and Technology of Materials

Code:

FIS4018

Acronym:

FIS4018

Level:

400

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Physics

Instance: 2025/2026 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	https://moodle.up.pt/course/view.php?id=761
Responsible unit:	Department of Physics and Astronomy
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Nanomaterials Science and Technology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
M:A_ASTR	1	Study plan since academic year 2024/2025	1	-	6	42	162
			2
M:CTN	7	Study plan since academic year 2025/2026	1	-	6	42	162

Teaching language

English

Objectives

The course is designed to provide the fundamental concepts of science and technology of materials.

The aim of the course is to describe the structure, properties, applications and processing of different types of technologically relevant materials. The course also aims to provide understanding of the structure/property relationship controlling the mechanical, electrical, thermodynamic and magnetic behavior of materials.

Learning outcomes and competences

After completing the course, the student should be able to: O1. Apply knowledge of physics and technology to materials systems O2. Identify different types of structures in materials O3. Describe crystal structures and identify phases using X-ray diffraction O4. Describe imperfections in solids and their effect on the behavior of materials O5. Interpret phase diagrams, understand the concept of solid solution and solubility limits and also the design and control of heat treatment procedures O6. Explain diffusion in solids and understand the importance of heat-treatment to improve their properties O7. Explain mechanical, thermal, electrical and magnetic properties of materials O8. Characterize applications and processing of metal alloys O9. Characterize processing/structure/property/performance relationship of different types of materials O10. Solve engineering problems in materials, energy and Emergent Technologies

Working method

B-learning

Program

1. Fundamentals of Materials Science

1.1 Atomic and molecular structure of materials

(Basic principles of atomic structure, quantum mechanics concepts, molecular interactions, and their influence on material properties)

1.2 Chemical bonding and crystallography

(Types of chemical bonds, crystal structures, unit cells, Bravais lattices, and symmetry in crystals)

1.3 Defects in solids: point, line, and planar defects

(Vacancies, interstitials, dislocations, grain boundaries, and their impact on mechanical and electrical properties)

1.4 Thermodynamics of materials

(Gibbs free energy, entropy, enthalpy, and their role in phase stability and material transformations)

1.5 Phase diagrams and phase transformations

(Binary and ternary phase diagrams, eutectic and peritectic reactions, nucleation and growth kinetics)

1.6 Diffusion and kinetics in materials

(Fick’s laws, atomic diffusion mechanisms, and their importance in alloying and material processing)

 

1. Mechanical Properties and Testing

2.1 Elasticity, plasticity, and viscoelasticity

(Fundamental stress-strain relationships, deformation mechanisms, and time-dependent behavior of materials)

2.2 Hardness, toughness, and fatigue

(Methods to measure hardness, fracture mechanics principles, and fatigue failure mechanisms)

2.3 Creep and fracture mechanics

(High-temperature deformation, creep-resistant materials, crack propagation, and failure analysis)

2.4 Mechanical testing methods

(Tensile, compression, impact, standard testing techniques, stress-strain curves, and interpretation of mechanical performance)

 

 

1. Electrical, Optical, and Magnetic Properties

3.1 Conductors, semiconductors, and insulators

(Band theory, charge transport, and applications in electronics)

3.2 Optical properties and photonic materials

(Interaction of light with matter, refractive index, photonic crystals, and optical coatings)

3.3 Magnetic materials and applications

(Ferromagnetism, antiferromagnetism, soft and hard magnetic materials, applications in data storage and sensors)

3.4 Superconductivity and electronic transport

(Fundamental principles, Meissner effect, high-temperature superconductors, and applications)

 

1. Classes of Materials

4.1 Metals and Alloys

(Phase transformations, heat treatment, corrosion, solidification, alloying effects, heat treatment techniques, and mechanisms of corrosion)

4.2 Polymers

(Polymerization, mechanical and thermal properties, types of polymerization, thermoplastics vs thermosets, viscoelastic behavior)

4.3 Ceramics and Glasses

(Crystal structures, sintering, mechanical resistance, processing methods, grain-boundary strengthening, toughening mechanisms)

4.4 Composites

(Fiber-reinforced materials, nanocomposites, types of reinforcements, fabrication techniques, mechanical performance improvements)

4.5 Biomaterials

(Biocompatibility, applications in medicine, material-tissue interactions, biodegradable materials, and medical device applications)

 

1. Processing and Manufacturing of Materials

5.1 Casting, sintering, and powder metallurgy

(Methods for shaping materials, sintering mechanisms, and applications in manufacturing)

5.2 Thin-film deposition (revision)

(PVD, CVD, physical and chemical deposition techniques, film growth mechanisms, and applications)

5.3 Additive manufacturing

(3D printing, layer-by-layer fabrication techniques, material compatibility, and emerging applications)

5.4 Surface treatments and coatings

(Electroplating, anodization, thermal spraying, and their impact on material performance)

 

1. Advanced Materials

6.1 Smart materials

(Shape memory alloys, piezoelectrics, mechanisms of shape memory effect, applications in sensors and actuators)

6.2 Bioinspired materials and biomimetic design

(Natural material structures, self-healing materials, biofunctional coatings)

6.3 4D materials printing

(Time-dependent material transformations, stimuli-responsive polymers, and applications in soft robotics)

 

1. Energy and Environmental Aspects

7.1 Energy storage materials

(Batteries, supercapacitors, electrode materials, charge storage mechanisms, and performance optimization)

7.2 Photovoltaic materials and solar cells

(Semiconductor materials, quantum efficiency, and emerging solar cell technologies)

7.3 Hydrogen storage and fuel cells

(Hydrogen adsorption materials, proton exchange membranes, and efficiency considerations)

7.4 Sustainable materials and life cycle assessment (LCA)

(Environmental impact evaluation, recycling strategies, and eco-friendly materials)

 

1. Computational and Theoretical Approaches

8.1 Density Functional Theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics

(First-principles calculations, atomic-scale simulations, and material property predictions)

8.2 Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for material design

(Numerical modeling of mechanical behavior, stress analysis, and failure prediction)

8.3 Computational materials science and AI applications

(Machine learning for materials discovery, high-throughput screening, and predictive modeling)

 

1. Applications in Industry and Technology

9.1 Aerospace and automotive materials

(Lightweight alloys, thermal protection materials, and high-strength composites)

9.2 Biomedical and wearable technologies

(Flexible electronics, implantable devices, and biocompatible coatings)

9.3 Electronic and photonic devices

(Semiconductor devices, optoelectronics, and emerging quantum materials)

9.4 Smart textiles and flexible electronics

(Conductive fabrics, self-powered textiles, and wearable sensors)

9.5 IoT (Internet of Things)

(Material considerations for sensor networks, energy harvesting solutions, and reliability challenges)

9.6 Quantum Technologies

(Quantum dots, topological materials, and applications in quantum computing and communication)

Mandatory literature

W.D. Callister, Jr. and D.G. Rethwisch; Material Science and Engineering, John Wiley & Sons (Asia), 2014
Richard Tilley, John ; Crystals and crystal structures, Wiley & Sons, Inc, West Sussex, UK, 2006
W. Smith and J. Hashemi; Foundations of Materials Science and Engineering, McGraw-Hill, 2011
Stephen Elliot; The Physics and Chemistry of Solids, John Willey & Sons, 1998
Charles Kittel; Introduction to Solid State Physics, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 7ed., 1996
Teresa M. Seixas; Course Notes in Science and Technology of Materials, 2016

Complementary Bibliography

PTR Prentice Hall, New Jersey; Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Microanalysis, Robert Lee, 1991
Hobart Willard et al; Instrumental Methods of Analysis, Wadsworth Publ. Co., Belmont, 1988
S.J.B. Reed; Electron microprobe analysis, 2nd ed. Cambridge Univer. Press, Cambridge, 1993
L.Feldman and J.Mayer; Fundamentals of Surface and Thin Film Analysis, Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc., New York, 1986
M. Ohring; The Materials Science of Thin Films, Academic Press, San Diego, 1992
John E. Mahan; Physical Vapor Deposition of Thin Films, John Wiley & Sons, Inc, New York, USA, 2000

Teaching methods and learning activities

B-LEARNING.

Subject´s presentation will be held in lectures. Expositive classes, with Power Points, support the learning process with specific examples of science and technology of materials processes. Having presented the theoretical topics, these examples are discussed and analyzed among students, in the class and with instructor guidance, from which a formal numerical analysis is performed involving the application of the learned physical models. This allows the development of analysis skills and the ability to model new materials science and technological situations with the acquired knowledge.

Seminar classes are designed to review general concepts from lectures and to solve problems.

Questions/problem sets will be made available on Moodle_UP platform. Students should, individually, submit their solutions on scheduled dates and give a presentation to discuss their content. The questions/problems will cover lecture’s materials.

Writing of an individual essay based on bibliographic research and having as subject one of the topics covered or related to the course content. The main goal of the written essay task is the application of acquired knowledge, the critical review of current scientific works, published in high impact scientific journals. This process aims at the development of analysis capabilities for new scenarios.

In addition to face to face lectures and seminar classes, didactic contents will be made available on Moodle-UP Platform.

keywords

Technological sciences > Engineering > Materials engineering

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Trabalho escrito	25,00
Exame	50,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	25,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	10,00
Estudo autónomo	50,00
Frequência das aulas	42,00
Trabalho de investigação	30,00
Trabalho escrito	30,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

According to FCUP rules.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final grade (CF) will be determined according to the following weights:

CF = 50%E + 25%TE + 25%PA_A

CF: final grade

E: final exam

TE: written essay

PA_A: Questions/problem sets + Presentation

If the final grade ≥ 10 then the student passes.

Final grade between 0 and 20.

Classification improvement

According to the “Regulamento de Avaliação do Aproveitamento dos Estudantes da FCUP”.

Exam.

The student can only improve the final exam grade (E - see Fórmula de cálculo da classificação final).

Observations

Any omissions and/or questions regarding this form will be resolved by the course’s instructor.

The jury can demand that the student takes an additional written and/or oral examination.