Materials Science and Engineering

Program Information
Program and Course Offerings

Candidates may be accepted for graduate work leading to the M.Sc. degree in Materials Science, and to the M.A.Sc. degree in Materials Engineering on a regular or part-time basis, or for the Ph.D. degree in Materials Science, or Materials Engineering.

Enquiries: 905 525-9140 Ext. 24295
Website: http://materials.mcmaster.ca

Faculty / Fall 2015

Distinguished University Professors

G.R. Purdy, M.Sc. (Alberta), Ph.D. (McMaster), D.H.C. (Grenoble), F.C.I.M., F.A.S.M., F.T.M.S., F.R.S.C., P.Eng. / Emeritus
D.S. Wilkinson, M.A.Sc. (Toronto), Ph.D. (Cambridge), F.C.I.M., F.A.Cer.S., F.R.S.C. P.Eng.

Professors

G. Botton, B.Eng., Ph.D. (École Polytechnique)
K.S. Coley, B.Sc. (Strathclyde), Ph.D., D.I.C. (Imperial College)
J. J. Hoyt, B.Sc. (Cornell), M.Sc., Ph.D. (Berkeley)
A. Kitai, B.Eng. (McMaster), Ph.D. (Cornell), P.Eng. / Joint appointment with Engineering Physics
D.V. Malakhov, B.Sc. (Moscow), Ph.D. (Novosibirsk)
M. Niewczas, M.Sci., M.Sc., Ph.D. (Krakow)
A. Petric, M.A.Sc. (Toronto), Ph.D. (École Polytechnique), P.Eng.
G. Xu, M.Sc., Ph.D. (Pittsburgh), D.E.S. (Columbia)
I. Zhitomirsky, M.Sc. (Kalinin), Ph.D. (Moscow)

Associate Professors

J. Kish, B.Eng., Ph.D. (McMaster)
H. Zurob, B.Eng., Ph.D. (McMaster)

Assistant Professor

N. Dogan, B.Sc. (Yildiz Technical), Ph.D. (Swinburne University of Technology)
K. Grandfield, B.Eng., M.A.Sc. (McMaster), Ph.D. (Uppsala)
O. Rubel, M. Eng., Ph.D (Zaporozhye State Technical University)

Associates Members

J. McDermid (Mechanical Engineering)
A. Hitchcock (Chemistry)
M. Jain (Mechanical Engineering)

The general requirements of the School of Graduate Studies must be met by all candidates. Additional departmental requirements are described in the following paragraphs.

All of the graduate degree programs in this Department involve course work, comprehensive examinations and research leading to a thesis.

All graduate students must attend seminars arranged by the Department, including the external seminar program, as well as the student seminar series organized as part of MATLS 701 and MATLS 702 .

Research in Materials Science and Engineering

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering provides opportunities for research in a broad range of fundamental and applied topics including materials processing and recycling, nano-technology and nanoscale materials science, electronic materials and structural materials. Detailed descriptions of research activities can be found in the web pages for each faculty member and are briefly listed below: atom probe tomography (G. Botton); microstructure and interfaces in nanoscale functional materials, electronic structure and spectroscopy of complex oxides and alloys, electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy techniques (G. Botton); kinetics and thermodynamics of high-temperature reactions in materials processing and service, physical chemistry of iron and steel making (K. Coley); modelling and experimental techniques to help the steel industry optimize their production (N. Dogan); biomaterials development and characterization with a focus on the dependence of bone growth on surface properties for applications in orthopaedics and dentistry and the production of novel nanobiomaterials for tissue engineering and drug delivery (K. Grandfield); phase transformations, molecular dynamics and Monte Carlo simulations (J.J. Hoyt); transport phenomena in process metallurgy, computational fluid mechanics, steel making (G. Irons); corrosion and environmental degradation of materials (J. Kish); materials for solid-state devices (A. Kitai); thermodynamics, ceramics, phase diagrams, fuel cells, solid electrolytes, energy conversion (A. Petric); crystallographic and kinetic aspects of phase transformations (G. Purdy); computational thermodynamics, measurement, analysis and modelling of texture, thermo-mechanical treatment of aluminum alloys, experimental and numerical simulation of solidification processes (D. Malakhov); crystallographic and kinetic aspects of phase transformations and electron miscroscopy in materials, magnetic and electrical properties of materials and nanomaterials, molecular dynamic and finite element modelling of the molecular structure of metals (M. Niewczas); casting, physical metallurgy of steels and cast iron (S. Subramanian); microanalysis and mechanical property measurements applied to studies of mechanisms of strengthening, creep and fracture in metals and ceramics (D. Wilkinson); organic electronics, polymer fuel cells, nanostructures (G. Xu); electrodeposition of ceramics, metals, polymers and composites, nanostructured materials, nanofibres, photonic crystals, quantum dots, ferroelectric and magnetic materials, biomaterials, fuel cells (I. Zhitomirsky); microstructure evolution and its effect on mechanical properties of metals (H. Zurob).

The McMaster Automotive Research Centre is involved with several institutes that provide opportunities of interaction with industry and interdisciplinary research, including the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, the Steel Research Centre, the Centre for Automotive Materials and the McMaster Institute for Materials Research.

Facilities for Research

In addition to the special types of equipment required in the above fields of study, the research facilities available to the Department include state of the art transmission and scanning electron microscopes as part of the National Centre for Electron Miscroscopy, a main shop employing several full-time instrument-makers, a student shop, a plasma melting facility, consumable and non-consumable electrode arc-melting furnaces, X-ray diffraction facilities, a supply of liquid helium, X-ray fluorescence and neutron activation analysis equipment, optical emission spectrometer, dielectric and mechanical relaxation, a wet-chemical analysis laboratory, levitation melting apparatus, laboratory rolling mill, computer-controlled mechanical testing machines, creep test facilities for metals and ceramics, hot isostatic press, vacuum hot press, interference microscope, hot-stage microscope, high frequency ultrasonic non-destructive evaluation system for ceramic specimens, and ion accelerator, 50 kg vacuum and a 100 kg air induction melting and casting facility, physical property measurement system for measurements of magnetic and electrical properties of materials. Additional information is located on the department website.

Programs

Master

Doctoral

Course Offerings

Materials Science and Engineering Courses