Materials science and engineering is a branch of engineering which relates the behavior of materials to their atomic structure or microstructure. The discipline is concerned with how individual atoms and molecules join together to form crystals or arrays and how these crystals or arrays are organized into arrangements, which have unique properties.
Materials Science is an interdisciplinary subject, spanning the physics and chemistry of matter, engineering applications, and industrial manufacturing processes. It is at the core of nanotechnology, the production of machines and devices at molecular levels, which is likely to drive the next technological revolution. Such devices include those to enable quantum information processing; the key technology for a new generation of computers.
Today we have diverse materials available to us with complex structures and remarkable properties. Despite the abundant availability of materials and metals, its development and use across the varied fields of engineering has been limited by its specific properties, as it is very important to determine which material or metal can be used in the design of any particular device to achieve maximum resourcefulness. This branch of metallurgy and materials engineering reaches down into the microscopic world of electrons as well as atoms, thus tying the condensed state of matter to the macroscopic world of material function and societal needs.
In addition to the exciting challenge of developing new materials and understanding their properties, metallurgy and materials engineering is concerned with optimizing the use of raw materials and energy by controlling and developing more efficient fabrication processes.
Modern society is heavily dependent on advanced materials such as lightweight composites for transport applications, optical fibres for telecommunications and silicon microchips for the information revolution.
Materials scientists and engineers discover new ways by which materials can be processed to create composite materials or materials with unique electrical, magnetic, mechanical, optical, or thermal properties. One can call the material scientists or engineers as architects of atomic and molecular structures. Materials scientists study the relationships between the structure and properties of a material and how it is made. They also develop new materials to meet engineering specifications, and devise processes for manufacturing them. There are rapidly expanding links with medical sciences through the development of bone replacement materials, novel sensors, diagnostics and drug delivery systems.
The Metallurgy and Materials Engineer is involved in the extraction of metals, the study of their physical properties, the production of alloys, the fabrication and shaping of metals.
A materials and metallurgy engineer finds place in almost all the industries, be it the automobile, health, computers, electronics and electrical, communication or consumer products. Some of the possible career choices for these engineers are: development engineer, process engineer, product engineer, project engineer, materials engineer and manufacturing engineer. Teaching and research are also good options for these people.
Graduates with the knowledge and skills to carry out imaginative research on new materials or processes, or to design materials for specific applications are in great demand by industry and government. Industrial careers range across the mining, atomic energy, petrochemical and steel industries. Metallurgical graduates are found in car and aircraft manufacture, defense and many light engineering industries. Clearly, many of the posts involve, or can lead to, a career in management.
HAL, BHEL, Suzlon, Reliance, Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum, TATA, Intel, Samsung etc are a few companies to name among the others where these engineers are employed.
They can proceed with further studies in the following:
a) Manufacturing engineering.
b) Post graduate and PhD programs in metallurgy and material sciences.
c) Industry specific specialization.
d) Management course.
e) Research and development in the field of metals and material sciences.
In the public sector a fresh engineer can earn anywhere between Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 15,000 per month plus allowances. A grade 1 engineer’s approximate cost to the company falls somewhere near to Rs. 5, 00,000 per annum. The private sector offers fresh graduates between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 25,000 per month plus perks and allowances. Higher education in specialized fields gives a boost to the remuneration package in this industry.
|
