the importance of materials science and engineering

The Science and Engineering of Materials by Donald R. Askeland, Third Edition, continues the general theme of the earlier editions in providing an understanding of the relationship between structure, processing, and properties of materials. This text is intended for use by students of engineering rather than materials, at first degree level who have completed prerequisites in chemistry, physics, and mathematics. The author assumes these stu dents will have had little or no exposure to engineering sciences such as statics, dynamics, and mechanics. The material presented here admittedly cannot and should not be covered in a one-semester course. By selecting the appropriate topics, however, the instructor can emphasise metals, provide a general overview of materials, concentrate on mechani cal behaviour, or focus on physical properties. Additionally, the text provides the student with a useful reference for accompanying courses in manufacturing, design, or materials selection. In an introductory, survey text such as this, complex and comprehensive design problems cannot be realistically introduced because materials design and selection rely on many factors that come later in the student’s curriculum. To introduce the student to elements of design, however, more than 100 examples dealing with materials selection and design considerations are included in this edition.