Objectives and competences

Students will be taught about the structure and properties of the basic types of materials, encountered in the practice by mechanical engineers. They will learn about: • professional terms in the field of materials science and technology, • the basic processes taking place in the liquid and solid state, which enable formation of different microstructures and properties of materials, • the basic materials technologies for manufacturing, shaping and treatment, • mechanical testing, • the effect of surroundings on materials and basic methods for protection against effects of the surroundings. • the effect of materials on the environment and society. The application of sustainability by the selection, manufacturing and use of materials. The students will gain knowledge and skill, which are fundamental for other courses (mechanical properties and their testing methods), as well as for their professional work (familiarity with different types of materials, especially steels and their heat treatment)

Content (Syllabus outline)

• Materials: division and basic properties. Material life cycle. Effect of materials on the environment and society. 6R concept for material handling. Selection of sustainable materials and technologies. • Structure of engineering materials: Atoms and chemical bonds, crystal and amorphous structure, crystal defects, microstructure, type of phases, single-phase microstructure, multi-phase microstructure, the relationship between microstructure and properties. Structure of polymers, ceramics and composites. • Diffusion in materials: steady-state diffusion, nonsteady-state diffusion, diffusion mechanisms. • Thermodynamics of engineering materials: thermodynamic laws, thermodynamic equilibrium, functions of states, phase equilibrium, phase diagrams, solidification, and phase transformations in solid state. • Fe – Fe3C phase diagram: Heat treatment, hardening and tempering, normalizing, homogenization, tempering, stress-relief annealing... • Materials technology: Casting, sintering, additive manufacturing, forming, surface engineering (CVD, PVD, ion implantation, electrochemical deposition of thin layers, metallization of polymers, laser treatments of surfaces). Sustainability of manufacturing technologies. • Wear, corrosion and corrosion prevention. • Mechanical behavior of engineering materials and mechanical testing: elastic and plastic deformation, tensile test, compression test, bend test, impact testing, hardness test, fatigue, creep, fracture... Tutorials give practical knowledge in the field of materialography, mechanical testing, heat treatment and materials technology. Practical materials and procedures are shown, with explanations about recycling and reuse.

Learning and teaching methods

• Lectures, • Homework, • e-exams • Tutorial and lab work

Intended learning outcomes - knowledge and understanding

• compare different types of tensile diagrams and determine tensile properties and ductility • predict, which type of a solid solution may form by combining selected elements • predict microstructure and hardness of steel after selected heat treatment • draw a phase diagram that enables precipitation hardening • select a mechanical test that allows you to predict behaviour of a material under selected circumstances • analyse a binary phase diagram • evaluate the results of a mechanical test • calculate phase equilibrium at selected temperature and composition • predict, what can happen by a material exposed to corrosion environment and/or wear • justify, why is the hardness of steel after quenching much higher than after slow cooling. • justify the effect of a material and a technology on the environment

Intended learning outcomes - transferable/key skills and other attributes

Readings

• F. Zupanič, I. Anžel: Gradiva, Fakulteta za strojništvo, UM, 2007. • I. Anžel, M. Brunčko: Konstrukcijski materiali, UM, 2020 • ANŽEL, Ivan, ZUPANIČ, Franc, BRUNČKO, Mihael. Sodobni inženirski materiali. 1. izd. Maribor: Univerza v Mariboru, Univerzitetna založba: Fakulteta za strojništvo, 2025. 1 spletni vir (1 datoteka PDF (IV, 254 str.)), ilustr. ISBN 978-961-286-955-7. https://press.um.si/index.php/ump/catalog/book/958, Digitalna knjižnica Univerze v Mariboru – DKUM, DOI: 10.18690/um.fs.1.2025. [COBISS.SI-ID 225301507] • Krautov strojniški priročnik – 17. Slovenska izdaja, Littera picta, Ljubljana, 2019. • F. Zupanič, G. Lojen: Toplotna obdelava kovin, Fakulteta za strojništvo, UM, 2011 • F. Zupanič, G. Lojen: Materiali I, Fakulteta za strojništvo, UM, 2010

Prerequisits

None.