ENGINEERING MATERIALS

  Engineering materials, is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. They can be categorized according to the type of bonding between the atoms, that is atomic structure and chemical composition into three main groups : ceramics, metals and polymers. The first type, ceramics, inorganic, nonmetallic solid. They may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous . For example, carbon or silicon, may be considered ceramics. The next type, metals can be elements, compounds, or alloy . Atoms of metals readily lose their outer shell electrons, resulting in a free flowing cloud of electrons within their otherwise solid arrangementt. As a result they are good conductor of both electricity and heat. For instance iron, copper, zinc and nickel. Finally, the last type is polymers. They can be chemical compound or mixture of compounds consisting of repeating structural units created through a process of polymerization, such as star polymers, comb polymers, brush polymers, dendronized polymers, ladders, and dendrimers. Keep in mind that, while these are the three main types based on atomic strusture, scientists can discover new materials, which will have fewer defects and will simultaneously make people's life easier.