Undergraduate - UnitMTE2541 - Crystal structures, thermodynamics and phase equilibria

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

print version

6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

To find units available for enrolment in the current year, you must make sure you use the indexes and browse unit tool in the current edition of the Handbook.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Engineering
Organisational Unit	Department of Materials Engineering
Offered	Not offered in 2013
Coordinator(s)	Qizhi Chen

Synopsis

Bonding: atomic/molecular arrangement. Crystal systems: directions and planes, stereographic projection; metallic, ionic and ceramic crystals. Defects; vacancies and interstitials; dislocations; stacking faults, twin and grain boundaries. Thermodynamics: condensed systems; entropy, Gibbs free energy; ideal and non-ideal solutions; surface energy and microstructure. Phase equilibria and microstructures: Gibbs phase rule; free energy diagrams; phase diagrams; deviations from ideality, phase separation; ordering; eutectic, eutectoid, peritectic and peritectoid reactions; non-equilibrium microstructures, implications for physical properties.

Outcomes

On successful completion of this course students will:

understand the definitive characteristics of the key classes of materials and their origins in electronic structure, bonding and atomic/molecular arrangement;

have a thorough knowledge of elementary crystallography, including crystal lattices, elements of symmetry, crystal systems and their representation

recognize common prototype structures for metallic, ionic and ceramic crystals, and possess an understanding of the factors influencing the development of these structures

understand the geometry, crystallography and elastic properties of common crystal defects, and their effects on crystal properties

understand the derivation of binary and ternary alloy phase diagrams from the laws of thermodynamics, in particular the free energy concept, including positive and negative deviations from ideality

appreciate the concepts of equilibrium between multiple phases in binary alloy systems and their embodiment in Gibbs' Phase Rule and the concept of chemical potential

understand the microstructures to be expected for various binary material systems exhibiting, in particular, complete solid solubility, the eutectic, eutectoid, peritectic or peritectoid reactions

appreciate aspects of microstructure controlling solid solubility and the role of surfaces and interfaces in controlling microstrucures

possess an elementary grasp of the consequences of nonequilibrium in binary systems

appreciate the influence of microstructures on some physical properties

have become familiar with the resources of a Library for acquiring information of specific interest to a Materials Engineer

have gained basic laboratory skills applied to study the microstructure of materials

have an ability to communicate within a team in carrying out laboratory work

have an ability to keep accurate laboratory records and to prepare a formal report on an experiment.

Assessment

Assignments: 18%
Mid semester test: 7%
Laboratory work: 25%
Written examination: 50%

Students are required to achieve at least 45% in the total continuous assessment component (assignments, tests, mid-semester exams, laboratory reports) and at least 45% in the final examination component and an overall mark of 50% to achieve a pass grade in the unit. Students failing to achieve this requirement will be given a maximum of 45% in the unit.

Chief examiner(s)

Professor George Simon

Contact hours

3 hours lecture/tutorial, 7.5 hours of private study per week and 18 hours laboratory classes per semester

Prohibitions

MSC2011, MTE2501