Materials engineering is the study of all materials used by humans, understanding their electromagnetic and thermal properties and applying them in real life. Through its applications in various industries and creative innovations, materials engineering plays a key role in the development of future industries.
When you enter college and meet people around you, you will always be asked what your major is. If the answer is a relatively familiar department such as electrical and electronic engineering or chemical and biological engineering, people say, “I see,” but if the answer is materials engineering, a question mark appears on their face and they ask, “What do you study?” or “Do you study food ingredients or something like that?” At this point, the student cannot think of a good explanation, so he or she stumbles over words that the other person has heard, such as “It studies semiconductors” or “It develops new materials. This is a common experience for materials engineering students.
The reason why it is difficult to clearly explain what materials engineering is is because the scope of ‘materials’ that are the core of research is quite wide. This includes materials such as stone, wood, copper, and iron, which have been used by humans since primitive times, as well as materials such as cell phone displays and semiconductors that we use every day, and the bones, teeth, and skin tissues that make up the human body. In other words, materials engineering is a discipline that studies all materials that exist on Earth.
As the name suggests, materials science and engineering is a discipline that involves both science and engineering, which is a unique characteristic that distinguishes it from other engineering disciplines. Materials have their own unique properties, and the scientific aspect of materials engineering is to study electromagnetic properties such as resistivity and magnetism or thermal properties such as thermal expansion rate using natural science to understand why these properties occur or how they can be modified using alloys or heat treatment. The engineering aspect is to study how much load or temperature the material can withstand, and whether it will break or wear out in the process. One example is the ability of some materials to induce an electrical charge when subjected to changes in temperature, a property known as the pyroelectric effect. The science is the identification of the specific crystalline structure that causes this behavior, and the engineering is the application of this to create infrared sensors that can detect even the faintest infrared radiation from the human body.
As industries become increasingly sophisticated and cutting-edge, it is essential to upgrade existing materials or develop materials with new properties. For the aerospace industry, which is still in its infancy, it is necessary to develop high-strength materials that can withstand cryogenic temperatures as well as near hot planets such as the sun, and that can withstand collisions with meteorites. In addition, with environmental concerns high, it is important to develop environmentally friendly materials that do not cause pollution and are easy to decompose when discarded. In light of these factors, materials science and engineering will continue to evolve in the future, as it is essential for the further development of industry.
The applications of materials engineering are very diverse. It plays a key role in various industries, such as artificial organs and biomaterials in the medical field, highly efficient semiconductors and next-generation batteries in the electronics industry, and solar cells and hydrogen fuel cells in the energy industry. In particular, materials science combined with nanotechnology is emerging as the center of next-generation technologies. Nanomaterials have unique physical and chemical properties that conventional materials do not possess, opening up a wide range of application possibilities. These advances in materials science will make our lives richer and more convenient.
Another fascinating aspect of materials science is its creativity and innovation. The process of creating new materials that have never existed before, and using them to develop new products and technologies, is challenging and exciting. For example, transparent metals, self-healing materials, and ultra-lightweight, high-strength materials used to be the stuff of science fiction, but are now being researched and developed. These creative challenges are part of the appeal of materials science, and many students are drawn to the field.
As mentioned earlier, the scope of materials engineering is vast, as it uses materials as the object of study, so those who major in materials engineering are able to learn about other fields of engineering and basic science, as well as analyze engineering as a whole, making them the “all-around entertainers” that society demands today. If you know someone majoring in materials science, they are on their way to becoming an “all-rounder” who can make your dreams come true, like Iron Man’s suit or Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak, which you have only seen in movies.
Materials engineering students don’t just study theory, they also gain practical skills through various experiments and projects. They gain practical experience by working directly with various materials and processes used in real industry and solving problems. This experience prepares them to play an important role in various industries after graduation. The Department of Materials Science and Engineering also explores new possibilities through interdisciplinary programs. For example, by combining with chemical engineering, physics, and biotechnology, new research areas are opened up and innovative technologies are developed.
As such, materials engineering is one of the core disciplines leading the future, and its importance is growing by the day. Students are developing new materials and technologies to meet the ever-changing industrial environment, and in doing so, they are creating a better future. Students majoring in materials engineering are at the forefront of this challenge and innovation, and their research and efforts will make a huge difference in our daily lives.
