Materials science has undergone a revolutionary transformation in the past two decades. It is an interdisciplinary field that has grown out of chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering departments. In this book, Gonzalez-Vinas and Mancini provide an introduction to the field, one that emphasizes a qualitative understanding of the subject, rather than an intensely mathematical one. The book covers the topics usually treated in a first course on materials science, such as crystalline solids and defects. It describes the electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of matter; the unique properties of dielectric and magnetic materials; the phenomenon of superconductivity; polymers; and optical and amorphous materials. More modern subjects, such as fullerenes, liquid crystals, and surface phenomena are also covered, and problems are included at the end of each chapter. An Introduction to Materials Science is addressed to both undergraduate students with basic skills in chemistry and physics, and those who simply want to know more about the topics on which the book focuses.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures xi List of Tables xv Preface xvii Chapter 1. What Is a Material? 1 1.1 Classifications 3 1.2 Fundamental Properties of Different Kinds of Materials 4 Chapter 2. Crystalline Solids 6 2.1 Order, Translational Invariance, and Anisotropy 9 2.2 Bravais Lattice, Wigner-Seitz Cell, Reciprocal Lattice, and First Brillouin Zone 10 2.3 Crystalline Structures: Types of Crystals and Their Properties 13 2.4 Schrodinger Equation, Periodic Potentials and Bloch's Theorem, and Energy Bands 17 2.5 Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors 20 2.6 Characterization of Crystal Structures 26 Problems 28 Chapter 3. Imperfections 31 3.1 Defects: Types of Defects and Vibrations 31 3.2 Point Defects: Frenkel and Schottky Defects 31 3.3 Dislocations and Disclinations 35 3.4 Planar Defects and Grain Size 37 3.5 Defect Detection 38 3.6 Amorphous Materials 38 Problems 39 Chapter 4. Electrical Properties 40 4.1 Electrical Conductivity and Temperature 40 4.2 Thermoelectric and Galvanomagnetic Effects 41 4.3 Semiconductor Electronic Devices 44 Problems 49 Chapter 5. Mechanical and Thermal Properties 50 5.1 Mechanical Properties 50 5.2 Phonons 52 5.3 Thermal Properties 53 Problems 55 Chapter 6. Magnetic Materials and Dielectrics 56 6.1 Diamagnetism and Paramagnetism 57 6.2 Ferromagnetism, Ferrimagnetism, and Antiferromagnetism 60 6.3 Magnetic Resonances 64 6.4 Applications 64 6.5 Dielectrics 65 Problems 68 Chapter 7. Superconductivity 70 7.1 Introduction and Applications 70 7.2 Type I and Type II Superconductors 72 7.3 Josephson Effect 76 Problems 80 Chapter 8. Optical Materials 81 8.1 The Interaction of Radiation with Matter 81 8.2 Optical Parameters 83 8.3 Propagation of Light in Solids 85 8.4 Absorption and Emission of Radiation in Solids 88 8.5 Lasers 94 8.6 Effects of the Crystalline Structure on the Refractive Index 99 Problems 100 Chapter 9. Noncrystalline Materials 102 9.1 Quasicrystals 103 9.2 Glasses and Glassy Materials 113 9.3 Metallic Glasses 117 9.4 Amorphous Ferromagnets 117 9.5 Amorphous Semiconductors 118 9.6 Low-Energy Excitations in Amorphous Solids 119 Problems 119 Chapter 10. Polymeric Materials 121 10.1 Molecular Structure 123 10.2 Macromolecular Architecture 130 10.3 Crystalline, Semicrystalline, and Amorphous Polymeric Materials 134 10.4 Distribution of Molecular Weights and Sizes 137 10.5 Polymerization Procedures 141 10.6 Properties of Polymeric Materials 144 10.7 Design Polymers 153 Problems 156 Chapter 11. Surface Science 158 11.1 Electronic Structure of Surfaces 158 11.2 Nanocrystalline Surface Formation 161 Problems 162 Chapter 12. New Materials 164 12.1 Fullerenes 164 12.2 Liquid Crystals 165 12.3 Biocompatible Materials 167 Appendix A. Physical Constants 171 Bibliography 173 Index 175