535.731.81 - Engineering Materials: Properties and Selection

Mechanical Engineering
Spring 2024

Description

Become familiar with different classes of engineering materials and their tradeoffs associated with design criteria such as strength, toughness, corrosion resistance, and fabricability, as well as some common test methods for evaluating material properties. This course will concentrate on metal alloys but will also consider polymers and ceramics. Topics specific to metals will include effects of work hardening and heat treatment, corrosion, and elevated temperature properties. Topics specific to polymers will include viscoelasticity, stress relaxation and creep, and phase transitions. Topics specific to ceramics will include flaw-dominated strength, fracture energy, and statistical determination of strength. The course also includes an introduction to the Ashby method of material selection and optimization.

Instructor

Profile photo of Andrew Lennon.

Andrew Lennon

andy.lennon@jhu.edu

Course Structure

The course materials are divided into modules which can be accessed by clicking Modules on the left menu. A module will have several sections including the overview, content, readings, discussions, and assignments. You are encouraged to preview all sections of the module before starting. Each course module runs for a period of seven (7) days, i.e., one week. All modules start on a Tuesday (Day 1) and end on a Monday (Day 7).  Initial discussion forum postings are due by Day 4 of the module (Friday) in order to provide time for follow-up postings and commentary.  Homework assignments are due by the end of the day on Tuesday following the end of the module; the specific due dates are provided with each assignment and are also shown in the course calendar.  All reading assignments are recommended (though not required) and refer to the optional course textbook. You should regularly check the Calendar and Announcements for assignment due dates and course updates.

Course Topics

Module 1Atomic Bonding
Module 2Elasticity, Stress and Strain
Module 3Lattice Structure and Dislocations
Module 4Lattice Effects and Thermal Activation
Module 5Phase Diagrams
Module 6Carbon and Alloy Steels
Module 7Cast Irons, Tool Steels, and Mid-Term Exam
Module 8Ashby Material Selection
Module 9Corrosion and Stainless Steels
Module 10Non-Ferrous Alloys
Module 11Introduction to Polymers
Module 12Polymer Family Characteristics
Module 13Brittle Fracture and Statistically Distributed Strength
Module 14Engineering Ceramics and Final Exam

Course Goals

The primary goal for the course is to provide the student with a “materials intuition” that relates the material microstructure to the macroscopic behavior of that the material as related to strengthening mechanisms, thermal and loading rate effects, fabricability and other design considerations.  A secondary goal is to introduce the student to characteristics of the most common engineering metals, polymers and ceramics for the purpose of analyzing existing structures and designing new components.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs)

Textbooks

Highly Recommended (not required):

Budinski, Kenneth G. and Budinski, Michael K., (2010), Engineering Materials:  Properties and Selection (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Pearson Prentice Hall.

ISBN-10: 0-13-712842-8
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-712842-6

Student Coursework Requirements

It is expected that each module will take approximately 10 hours per week to complete. Here is an approximate breakdown: reading the assigned sections of the optional textbook (~1 hour per week), listening to the audio annotated slide presentations (~2-3 hours per week), a self-check quiz (~30 minutes per week), discussion forum assignments (~3 hours per week), and homework assignments (~3 hours per week, when graded homework is assigned).

This course will consist of four basic student requirements:

  1. Preparation and Participation (Module Discussions) (15% of Final Grade Calculation)
  1. Homework Assignments (25% of Final Grade Calculation)
  1. Team Project (20% of Final Grade Calculation)
  1. Exams (40% of Final Grade Calculation, combined from 20% for Midterm and 20% for Final)

Grading Policy

Final grades will be determined by the following weighting:

Item

% of Grade

Preparation and Participation (Module Discussions)

15%

Assignments

25%

Course Project

20%

Exams (Midterm + Final)

40% (20% + 20%)


Score RangeLetter Grade
100-98= A+
97-94= A
93-90= A−
89-87= B+
86-83= B
82-80= B−
79-77= C+
76-73= C
72-70= C−
69-67= D+
66-63= D
<63= F

Academic Policies

Deadlines for Adding, Dropping and Withdrawing from Courses

Students may add a course up to one week after the start of the term for that particular course. Students may drop courses according to the drop deadlines outlined in the EP academic calendar (https://ep.jhu.edu/student-services/academic-calendar/). Between the 6th week of the class and prior to the final withdrawal deadline, a student may withdraw from a course with a W on their academic record. A record of the course will remain on the academic record with a W appearing in the grade column to indicate that the student registered and withdrew from the course.

Academic Misconduct Policy

All students are required to read, know, and comply with the Johns Hopkins University Krieger School of Arts and Sciences (KSAS) / Whiting School of Engineering (WSE) Procedures for Handling Allegations of Misconduct by Full-Time and Part-Time Graduate Students.

This policy prohibits academic misconduct, including but not limited to the following: cheating or facilitating cheating; plagiarism; reuse of assignments; unauthorized collaboration; alteration of graded assignments; and unfair competition. Course materials (old assignments, texts, or examinations, etc.) should not be shared unless authorized by the course instructor. Any questions related to this policy should be directed to EP’s academic integrity officer at ep-academic-integrity@jhu.edu.

Students with Disabilities - Accommodations and Accessibility

Johns Hopkins University values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to providing welcoming, equitable, and accessible educational experiences for all students. Students with disabilities (including those with psychological conditions, medical conditions and temporary disabilities) can request accommodations for this course by providing an Accommodation Letter issued by Student Disability Services (SDS). Please request accommodations for this course as early as possible to provide time for effective communication and arrangements.

For further information or to start the process of requesting accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at Engineering for Professionals, ep-disability-svcs@jhu.edu.

Student Conduct Code

The fundamental purpose of the JHU regulation of student conduct is to promote and to protect the health, safety, welfare, property, and rights of all members of the University community as well as to promote the orderly operation of the University and to safeguard its property and facilities. As members of the University community, students accept certain responsibilities which support the educational mission and create an environment in which all students are afforded the same opportunity to succeed academically. 

For a full description of the code please visit the following website: https://studentaffairs.jhu.edu/policies-guidelines/student-code/

Classroom Climate

JHU is committed to creating a classroom environment that values the diversity of experiences and perspectives that all students bring. Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. Fostering an inclusive climate is important. Research and experience show that students who interact with peers who are different from themselves learn new things and experience tangible educational outcomes. At no time in this learning process should someone be singled out or treated unequally on the basis of any seen or unseen part of their identity. 
 
If you have concerns in this course about harassment, discrimination, or any unequal treatment, or if you seek accommodations or resources, please reach out to the course instructor directly. Reporting will never impact your course grade. You may also share concerns with your program chair, the Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, or the Office of Institutional Equity. In handling reports, people will protect your privacy as much as possible, but faculty and staff are required to officially report information for some cases (e.g. sexual harassment).

Course Auditing

When a student enrolls in an EP course with “audit” status, the student must reach an understanding with the instructor as to what is required to earn the “audit.” If the student does not meet those expectations, the instructor must notify the EP Registration Team [EP-Registration@exchange.johnshopkins.edu] in order for the student to be retroactively dropped or withdrawn from the course (depending on when the "audit" was requested and in accordance with EP registration deadlines). All lecture content will remain accessible to auditing students, but access to all other course material is left to the discretion of the instructor.