3.22 | Spring 2008 | Graduate

Mechanical Behavior of Materials

Course Description

Here we will learn about the mechanical behavior of structures and materials, from the continuum description of properties to the atomistic and molecular mechanisms that confer those properties to all materials. We will cover elastic and plastic deformation, creep, fracture and fatigue of materials including …
Here we will learn about the mechanical behavior of structures and materials, from the continuum description of properties to the atomistic and molecular mechanisms that confer those properties to all materials. We will cover elastic and plastic deformation, creep, fracture and fatigue of materials including crystalline and amorphous metals, semiconductors, ceramics, and (bio)polymers, and will focus on the design and processing of materials from the atomic to the macroscale to achieve desired mechanical behavior. We will cover special topics in mechanical behavior for material systems of your choice, with reference to current research and publications.
Learning Resource Types
Simulation Videos
Exams with Solutions
Projects
Problem Sets with Solutions
A sharp probe has left a triangular indentation in a surface, shown using scanning electron microscopy.
Examining a material’s response to nanoindentation can lend insight to the microstructural and molecular determinants of its mechanical properties. (Image by Prof. Van Vliet and Dr. Catherine Tweedie.)