Module Listing for Master of Science (MSc) Update: 02/06/2014 The workload for the modules is displayed in an A-B-C-D-E format A - Lecture hours per week B - Tutorial hours per week C - Lab hours per week D - project/assignment hours per week E - hours of preparatory work per week (*Not all modules listed are necessarily available in any one year and the curriculum is subject to changes.) CORE Modules MST5001 Structure and Properties of Materials Workload: 3-0-0-3-4 This module equips students with the basic knowledge of structures and properties of engineering materials. The topics covered include atomic bonding and condensed phases; crystal structures, crystallography and crystal imperfections; the thermodynamics of alloys, phase equilibrium and phase diagrams; thermally activated processes, diffusion, kinetics of phase transformation, non-equilibrium phases; mechanical properties and strengthening mechanisms, fracture of materials, corrosion and oxidation resistance, other properties. MST5002 Materials Characterization Workload: 3-0-0-4-3
This is a core module that teaches important modern laboratory methods and practices for the characterization of physical and chemical microstructure, as well as physical and mechanical properties of materials. Techniques covered include: metallography, principles and applications of various forms of microscopy (optical, scanning electron, scanning tunneling, atomic force) and spectroscopy (energy-dispersive x-ray, x-ray diffraction), image analysis, data interpretation, mechanical testing, thermal analysis, non-destructive testing. ELECTIVE Modules BN5201 Advanced Biomaterials CN5161 Polymer Processing Engineering CN5162 Advanced Polymeric Materials CN5251 Membrane Science And Technology CE5604 Advanced Concrete Technology EE5207 Tribology and Mechanics of Magnetic Storage Systems EE5208 Applied Engineering Magnetics EE5508 Semiconductor Fundamentals EE5431R Fundamentals of Nanoelectronics EE5516 Plasma Processes and Interconnects ME5101 Applied Stress Analysis ME5102 Applied Plasticity
ME5161 Optical Techniques in Experimental Stress Analysis ME5502 Engineering Plastics And Composite Materials ME5506 Corrosion Of Materials ME5513 Fracture And Fatigue Of Materials ME5515 Friction And Wear Of Materials ME5603 Metal Forming Technology ME6102 Topics in Applied Mechanics ME6103 Optical Measurement and Quality Inspection ME6104 Fracture Mechanics and Applications ME6501 Research Topics in Materials Science ME6502 Topics in Materials Science ME6503 Theory of Transformations in Metals ME6504 Defects And Dislocations In Solids ME6505 Engineering Materials in Medicine ME6508 Atomistic Simulations of Materials ME6604 Modelling of Machining Processes MLE5102 Mechanical Behaviours of Materials Workload: 3-0-0-3.5-3.5
The mechanical behaviour of materials, with the emphasis on the dependence of the behaviour on the structures of the materials. The elastic properties of single and polycrystalline materials. Rubber elasticity, polymer elasticity, and viscoelasticity. Tensile test and hardness test. Nano-indentation. Dislocations and twining. Yielding in crystalline solids. Applications of the dislocation theory to material strengthening mechanisms. Overview of the mechanical behaviours of thin films, nanomaterials, and cells. MLE5104 Physical properties of Materials Workload: 3-0-0-3.5-3.5 Physical properties of metals, ceramics, polymers and their hybrids are covered. These include overview of electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, magnetic properties, ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, and optical properties of different classes of materials. The correlations of length-scale, structure, microstructures, and interfaces of materials with their properties are emphasized. MLE5201 Principles, Technology and Properties of Thin Films Thin-film growth techniques, plating, vaporization, sputtering, chemical vapour deposition, molecular beam epitaxy, hot-wall epitaxy and laser ablation, gas transport and pumping, vacuum and related theories and technology for thin film growth, pumps and systems, condensation, nucleation, phase stability and basic modes of thin film growth, zone models for evaporated and sputtered coatings, factors on properties of thin films, columnar structure and epitaxial growth, thin film reactions, optical and electrical properties. Learning objectives: Various technologies and principles for thin solid film
growth, electrical and optical properties of thin films. Target students: Graduate students of Materials Science and related disciplines. MLE5202 Structural and Electronic Ceramics Fundamentals of ceramic processing, sintering theories, microstructural control of structural and electronic ceramics; defect chemistry for structural and electronic ceramics; important structural ceramics - alumina, zirconia, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, sialons; functional properties of ceramic materials; important electronic ceramics - ferroelectric, piezoelectric, relaxors, PTC, NTC, and varistors. Learning objectives: Examine and understand the fundamental of ceramic processing, sintering theories, control of microstructures for structural and electronic ceramics; defect chemistry, important structural and electronic ceramics. Target students: Graduate Students of Materials Science and related disciplines. MLE5203 Electrochemical Techniques in Environmental Engineering Environmental control: electrochemical sensing techniques, gas and vapour phase sensors, electrochemical treatments in waste disposal. Solar power: semiconductor electrochemistry, photoelectrochemistry, wet and solid state solar cells, light emitting diodes and detectors, conducting polymers, battery systems, fuel cells, biomedical control: electrochemical bio-sensors, batteries for implants and hearing aids. Learning objectives: Solid/solution interface in terms of Fermi levels and redox potentials; requirements in generating photocurrents; way materials selection and design influences battery performance; interactions between gases and solid surfaces and how these can be used to design practical sensors. Target students: Graduate students of Materials Science
and related disciplines. MLE5204 Advanced Processing of Metallic Materials Processing techniques and methods: melt-spinning, laser surface melting, powder metallurgy, atomization and consolidation methods, spray forming and mechanical alloying, structure and properties: extension of solid solubility including thermodynamic and kinetic considerations, formation of non-equilibrium, quasicrystalline and noncrystalline phases, refinement of microstructure, mechanical properties, latest developments and applications of advanced materials such as quasicrystal, bulk metallic glasses, magnesium-based alloys and hard magnetic materials in the field. Learning objectives: Introduction to non-conventional processing techniques for metallic materials for advanced applications; examine effects of processing techniques on their structure and properties. Target students: Graduate students of Materials Science and related disciplines. MLE5208 Mechanical Properties of Solid Films Methods for analyzing stresses in elastically dissimilar films deposited on structures and their applications in modern industries, stress concentrations on a wavy film surface, the criteria for the formation of threading dislocations in heteroepitaxial thin films and in layered structures, surface shapes and growth modes, the morphological stability of a stressed flat films against roughening and its application in the self-assembly of nanostructures. Learning objectives: Apply basic knowledge of the mechanical properties of materials to thin film-substrate films. Target students: Graduate students of Materials
Science and related disciplines. MLE5210 Modelling and simulation of Materials Workload: 3-0-1-2.5-3.5 Introduction to modelling of materials structures and properties; Units of materials quantities and nondimensionalization; Continuum modelling and deterministic representation of materials processes: boundary value problems; Discrete modelling and probabilistic representation of materials processes: statistic mechanics; Monte Carlo simulations: partition functions, sampling and random number generations, algorithms and implementations; Molecular dynamics simulations: atomic potentials, numerical algorithms and implementations; Case studies: connections between materials structures and properties. MLE6101 Thermodynamics and Kinetics of Materials Workload: 3-0-0-3.5-3.5 This module teaches thermodynamics and kinetics of different engineering materials including metals, ceramics and polymers. The major topics cover: Equilibrium and nonequilibrium. Introduction to statistical thermodynamics Transition state theory and field effects. Solution theory. Phase diagrams. Diffusion mechanisms. Nucleation in condensed phases. Surface energy. Crystal growth. Defects in crystals. Phase transformation theories. Formation of nanostructures: nano-dots, nano-wells, nano-wires and nano-tubes. MLE6103 Structures of Materials
Workload: 3-0-0-3.5-3.5 Periodic trends in atomic properties, bonding generalization based on periodic trends, generalization about crystal structures based on periodicity. Structural concepts: crystal lattice, reciprocal lattice, diffraction, crystal structures, lattice dynamics, and energy band structure. Examples of effects of structure on physical and chemical properties are discussed. Module descriptions (except MST and MLE modules) are available at offering department websites and subjected to changes at the respective department's own discretion The department reserves the right to decide which modules are to be offered at respective semesters