Strategic Metals and Materials for the 21st Century

Catalog description

This course seeks to create an understanding of the role of mineral-based materials in the modern economy focusing on how such knowledge can and should be used in making strategic choices in an engineering context. The history of the role of materials in emerging technologies from a historical perspective will be briefly explored. The current literature will be used to demonstrate the connectedness of materials availability and the development and sustainability of engineering advances with examples of applications exploiting structural, electronic, optical, magnetic, and energy conversion properties. Processing will be comprehensively reviewed from source through refinement through processing including property development through application of an illustrative set of engineering materials representing commodities, less common metals, and minor metals. The concept of strategic recycling, including design for recycling and waste stream management will be considered. Offered as EMSE 335 and EMSE 435 . Prereq: Senior standing or graduate student.