Materials technology
How metals, ceramics, polymers and composites are chosen, made and improved so parts are durable, light, well insulated and fit for harsh environments.
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Articles by level
This list is not complete and has no required order. Pick the articles you need at the level that suits you.
Starter
4 articlesViewed 0/4
StarterWhich Families Do Engineering Materials Belong To?
Meet the four engineering material families, metals, polymers, ceramics and composites, their typical properties and how to spot them in everyday objects.
5 min read
StarterHow Does Internal Structure Determine Material Properties?
See how internal structure, from atoms to grains and fibres, shapes hardness and ductility, through dislocations, wood grain and steel cooled fast or slow.
4 min read
StarterWhy Can the Right Material Reduce Energy Use?
See why lightweight materials help vehicles save fuel, why insulation cuts heat loss, and what can shrink those benefits in real use.
4 min read
StarterHow Does Heat Travel Through Materials?
Learn how conduction, convection and radiation differ, why metal conducts heat while foam insulates, and what an R-value says about slowing heat flow.
4 min read
Basic
4 articlesViewed 0/4
BasicHow Do Strength, Hardness and Ductility Differ?
Tell strength, hardness and ductility apart through yield strength, tensile strength and elastic and plastic deformation to read mechanical properties.
5 min read
BasicWhat Do Tensile and Hardness Tests Measure?
See how a tensile test records force and extension, why results become stress and strain, and what a hardness test derives from the dent of an indenter.
5 min read
BasicHow Do Ashby Charts Help Compare Materials?
Understand how an Ashby chart puts many materials on two properties, why it uses log scales and how sliding an index line picks a material.
5 min read
BasicHow Does Material Selection Go from Needs to Options?
Follow material selection from functional requirement, fixed and free variables to a performance index and a shortlist that still needs checking.
5 min read
Intermediate
1 articlesViewed 0/1
IntermediateHow Does Heat Treatment Change a Metal's Properties?
Learn how heating and cooling change steel structure, how martensite and hardenability affect hardness, and why distortion and cracking matter.
5 min read
Advanced
1 articlesViewed 0/1
AdvancedSeparate Material Properties from Part Performance
Tell geometry-independent material properties from part performance, which depends on function, shape and installation, using modulus and R-value.
5 min read
