Graduate Studies & Enrollment
Prospective Students

Materials Science & Engineering

Program of Study

Programs leading to a degree of master of science and/or doctor of philosophy.

The master of science in materials science and engineering provides students with an opportunity to study the fundamentals of materials science and state-of-the-art applications in materials engineering and materials processing. The program is designed to build a strong foundation in materials science along with industrial applications in engineering, technology and processing. Both full- and part-time study are available.

Program areas for the doctor of philosophy emphasize the processing-structure-property performance relationships in metals, ceramics, polymers and composites. Current projects are addressing these issues in fuel cell materials, biopolymers, aluminum and magnesium casting, the heat-treating of steels and aluminum alloys and metal matrix composites.

Well-equipped laboratories within Washburn Shops and Stoddard Laboratories include such facilities as scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopes, X-ray diffractometer, process simulation equipment, a mechanical testing laboratory including two computer- controlled servohydraulic mechanical testing systems, metalcasting, particulate processing, semisolid processing laboratories, a surface metrology laboratory, a metallographic laboratory, a polymer engineering laboratory with differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and thermo gravimetric analyzer (TGA), a corrosion laboratory, topographic analysis laboratory and machining force dynamometry. A range of materials processing, fastening, joining, welding, machining, casting and heat treating facilities is also available.

Degree Requirements

For the M.S.

For the master of science in materials science and engineering, the student is required to complete a minimum of 30 credit hours. Requirements include the following six core courses: MTE 510, MTE 525, MTE 530, MTE 540, MTE 550, MTE 560, and two MTE or other 4000, 500 or 600 level engineering, science or mathematics electives, and 6 thesis credits. All courses must be approved by the student's advisor and the Materials Graduate Committee.

Satisfactory participation in the materials engineering seminar (MTE 580) is also required for all full-time students. In addition to general college requirements, all courses taken for graduate credit must result in a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Waiver of any of these requirements must be approved by the Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Committee, which will exercise its discretion in handling any extenuating circumstances or problems.

Examples of Typical Program

For the Ph.D.

The number of course credits required for the doctor of philosophy degree, above those for the master of science, is not specified precisely. For planning purposes, the student should consider a total of 21 to 30 course credits. The remainder of the work will be in research and independent study. The total combination of research and coursework required will not be less than 60 credits beyond the master of science degree or not less than 90 credits beyond the bachelor's degree.

Admission to candidacy will be granted only after the student has satisfactorily passed the Materials Engineering Doctoral Qualifying/ Comprehensive Examination (MEDQE). The purpose of this exam is to determine if the student's breadth and depth of understanding of the fundamental areas of materials engineering is adequate to conduct independent research and successfully complete a Ph.D. dissertation.

The MEDQE consists of both written and oral components. The written exam must be successfully completed before the oral exam can be taken. The oral exam is usually given within two weeks of the completion of the written exam. The MEDQE is offered one time each year.

A member of the materials science and engineering faculty will be appointed to be the chairperson of the MEDQE Committee. This person should not be the student's Ph.D. thesis advisor; but that advisor may be a member of the MEDQE Committee. Others on the committee should be the writers of the four sections of the examinations and any other faculty selected by the chairperson. Faculty from other departments at WPI or other colleges/ universities, as well as experts from industry, may be asked to participate in this examination if the materials engineering faculty deems that it is appropriate.

At least one year prior to completion of the Ph.D. dissertation, the student must present a formal seminar to the public describing the proposed dissertation research project. This Ph.D. research proposal will be presented after admission to candidacy.

All materials science and engineering students in the Ph.D. program must satisfactorily complete a minor in a program- related technical area. The minor normally consists of a minimum of three related courses and must be approved by the Graduate Study Committee and the program head.

Materials Science and Engineering Laboratories and Research Centers

Materials Engineering Laboratories

This industry-sponsored laboratory supports particulate processing research by materials science and manufacturing students and faculty. The laboratory is equipped with a variety of powder preparation, processing and characterization equipment, as well as equipment for green body consolidation and sintering. Equipment includes, cold press, various sintering furnaces (capable of up to 1700C in air and controlled atmospheres), a differential thermal analyzer, X-ray sedigraph, and equipment for electrical property and density measurements.

Mechanical Testing Laboratory

Experimental mechanical testing laboratories are available for teaching and research related to mechanical properties and deformation of metals, ceramics, and composite materials. Equipment available includes: two computer-controlled Instron 8502 Servo-Hydraulic Tension-Compression Systems with supporting grips, environmental chambers, and furnaces; an Instron Model 4201 computerized tensile tester for high-accuracy, low-load testing of ceramic materials; an ASCERA hydraulic tensile tester for brittle materials; two high-temperature and three room-temperature stress-rupture systems.

Nanomaterials and Nanomanufacturing Laboratory

This laboratory is well-equipped for advanced research in controlled nanofabrications and nanomanufacturing of carbon nanotubes, magnetized nanotubes, semiconducting, superconducting, magnetic, metallic arrays of nanowires and quantum dots. Nanomaterials fabrication and engineering will be carried out in this laboratory by different means, such as PVD (physical vapor deposition), CVD (chemical vapor deposition), PECVD (plasma enhanced CVD), RIE (reactive ion etching), ICP etching (induced coupled plasma), etc. Material property characterizations will be conducted, including optic, electronic, and magnetic property measurements. Device design, implementation, and test based on the obtained materials with improved quality will also be done in this laboratory.

Optical and Electron Metallography Laboratories

One scanning electron microscopes (SEM), an analytical scanning transmission electron microscope (AEM), optical reflection and transmission microscopes, and supporting sample preparation and photographic equipment are the major facilities available for microstructural analysis. The JSM840 (SEM) is equipped with stage-automated digital image analysis, a light element (Uranium down to Boron) Quantum X-Ray detector with a Kevex Delta system, and a wavelength dispersive X-ray analyzer. The JEOL 100C (AEM) is equipped with a Devex 8000 EDX system. These facilities are used primarily for micro- structural analysis and determination of crystal structures of fine phases present in metals and ceramics.

Polymer Laboratory

This laboratory is used for the synthesis, processing and testing of plastics. The equipment includes: thermal analysis machines Perkin Elmer DSC 4, DSC 7, DTA 1400 and TGA 7; single-screw table-top extruder; injection molding facilities; polymer synthesis apparatus; oil bath furnaces; heat treating ovens; and foam processing and testing devices.

Surface Metrology Laboratory

The Surface Metrology Laboratory is dedicated to the study of surface textures, their creation and their influence of surface behavior or performance. We also study and design the manufacturing processes that create specific surface textures. We study and develop specialized algorithms that are used to support texture-related product and process design, and to advance the understanding of texture-dependent behavior. Our experience extends to analyzing data sets on scales from kilometers (earth's surface) to Angstroms (cleaved mica), although the primary focus is on analyzing measured surfaces or profiles (i.e., topographic data) acquired from surfaces created or modified during manufacture, wear, fracture or corrosion.

The objective of the research on texture analysis is to develop characterization parameters that reduce large data sets, such as those acquired by atomic probe microscopy, scanning profiometry, confocal microscopy, or conventional profilometry.

The purpose of the characterization parameters is to support product and process design, or promote the understanding of adhesion, friction, wear, fracture, corrosion or other texture related phenomena. The characterization parameters should have clear physical interpretations for understanding the mechanisms which control surface behavior and surface creation. The laboratory has also been utilized in specialized image analyses, used, for example, to characterize the internal morphology of cermanic membrane.

X-Ray Diffraction Laboratory

Two fully automated and computerized Xray diffractometers are available for teaching and research: a GE-XRD-5 diffractometer and a Nicolet 12/V polycrystalline diffraction system. In addition, a variety of software has been developed to utilize these instruments effectively. Currently, background modeling, peak searching and curve fitting with deconvolution are in use for quantitative phase analysis and residual stress analysis. A search of the JCPDS Powder Diffraction File is provided with the Nicolet system. A variety of X-ray cameras and goniometers are available along with choice of x-ray tube targets to provide a wide X-ray diffraction capability. Additional support software is shared with the electron microscopy facility to generate diffraction patterns for any crystal system, in any desired orientation.

Metal Processing Institute (MPI)

The Metal Processing Institute (MPI) is an industry-University alliance. Its mission is to design and carry out research projects identified in collaboration with MPI's industrial partners in the field of near and net shape manufacturing. MPI creates knowledge that will help enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the metal processing industry, and develops the industry's human resource base through the education of WPI students and the dissemination of new knowledge. More than 120 private manufacturers participate in the Institute, and their support helps fund fundamental and applied research that addresses technological barriers facing the industry. The MPI researchers also develop and demonstrate best practices and stateof- the-art processing techniques.

MPI offers educational opportunities and corporate resources to both undergraduate and graduate students, specifically:

For further details visit the MPI office on the third floor of Washburn, Room 326, or the MPI Web site.

MPI's research programs are carried out by three distinct research consortia. These are described below:

Advanced Casting Research Center (ACRC)

The laboratory provides experimental facilities for course laboratories and for undergraduate and graduate projects. The laboratory is equipped with extensive melting and casting facilities, computerized data acquisition systems for solidification studies, thermal analysis units, liquid metal filtration apparatus, rheocasting machines, and a variety of heat treating furnaces. The laboratory has strong collaborations with industry, and students work directly with professional engineers from sponsoring companies. Forty-five corporate members participate in and support the ACRC research programs. Student scholarships offered by the Foundry Education Foundation (FEF) are available through the laboratory. The ACRC conducts workshops, seminars and technical symposiums for national and local industries. The laboratory is available throughout the year for project activity and thesis work as well as co-op and summer employment. Project opportunities at international sites are also available through ACRC/MPI.

Center for Heat Treating Excellence (CHTE)

The center is an alliance between the industrial sector and researchers to collaboratively address short-term and long-term needs of the heat treating industry. It is the center's intent to enhance the position of the heat treating industry by applying research to solve industrial problems, and to advance heat treatment technology. The center's objective is to advance the frontiers of thermal processing through fundamental research and development.

Specifically, the center will pursue research to develop innovative processes to:

Over 50 corporate members participate in and support the CHTE research programs. MPI project opportunities, industrial internships, coop opportunities and summer employment are available through CHTE/MPI.

The Morris Boorky Powder Metallurgy Research Center (PMRC)

The center addresses the scientific, engineering and managerial problems of the powder metallurgy industry. By integrating facilities from different disciplines, the center has developed research programs in engineering and management, addressing new technologies as well as methodologies for their implementation, i.e., valve creation and management issues in a small, fragmented industry. The objectives of the PMRC are as follows:

Twenty-one corporate members participate and support the PMRC research programs. Project opportunities, industrial internships, co-op opportunities and summer employment are available through PMRC/ MPI.

Admission Requirements

The program is designed for college graduates with engineering, mathematics or science degrees. Some undergraduate courses may be required to improve the student's background in materials science and engineering. For further information, see Admission Information.

Faculty

R. D. Sisson Jr.
George F. Fuller Professor; Director, Manufacturing and Materials Engineering; Ph.D., Purdue University
Y.K. Rong
John Woodman Higgins Professor; Associate Director, Manufacturing and Materials Engineering; Ph.D., University of Kentucky
D. Apelian
Howmet Professor of Engineering; Director, Metal Processing Institute; Sc.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
I. Bar-On
Professor; Ph.D., Hebrew University of Jerusalem
R. R. Biederman
Professor Emeritus; Ph.D., P.E., University of Connecticut
R. F. Bourgault
Professor Emeritus; M.S., Stevens Institute of Technology
C. A. Brown
Professor; Director, Surface Metrology Lab; Director, Haas Technical Center; Ph.D., P.E., University of Vermont
C. D. Demetry
Associate Professor; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
R. N. Katz
Research Professor; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology
J. Liang
Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Brown University
M. M. Makhlouf
Professor; Director, Aluminum Casting Research Laboratory; Ph.D., WPI
Md. Maniruzzaman
Research Assistant Professor; Ph.D., WPI
Q. Pan
Research Associate Professor, Northwestern Polytechnic University
S. Shivkumar
Professor; Ph.D., Stevens Institute of Technology
K. Zeisler-Mashl
Research Assistant Professor; Ph.D., Michigan Technological University
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Last modified: June 27, 2007 15:55:16