Course syllabus for Materials characterisation and failure analysis

Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-26 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameMaterialkaraktärisering och haverianalys
  • CodeMMK082
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPAEM
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyMechanical Engineering
  • DepartmentINDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
  • GradingTH - Pass with distinction (5), Pass with credit (4), Pass (3), Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 09111
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsYes

Credit distribution

0111 Examination, part A 4 c
Grading: TH
0 c4 c0 c0 c0 c0 c
  • 17 Jan 2025 am J
  • 15 Apr 2025 am J
  • 28 Aug 2025 pm J
0211 Project, part B 3.5 c
Grading: UG
0 c3.5 c0 c0 c0 c0 c

In programmes

Examiner

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Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Basic courses in Materials Science and Engineering.

Aim

The students should gain knowledge about modern analytical techniques and testing methods, with focus on their use to assess material structure and properties. The course is oriented towards the application and use of specific techniques to examine material related problems in technical systems. Problems that are addressed include for example how the appearance and composition of both outer surfaces and internal material structures can be determined, measurement of material properties, choice of testing methods and analytical techniques and how the overall problem can be examined in a systematic way.

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  • Describe the most important methods and techniques used in materials testing and characterisation.
  • Motivate the choice of analytical methods based on the capabilities of the method and the relevance of the results to address a problem in materials engineering.
  • Apply some of these methods in practical analysis and interpret the results to examine potential causes for materials related failures.
  • Apply some of these methods in practical analysis and interpret the results to examine potential causes for materials related failures.

Content

Within the course different techniques are discussed primarily aiming at different material characteristics.
  • The methodology of failure analysis is discussed and fractography is introduce.
  • An overview is given on techniques for mechanical testing, how they can be applied to different material groups and give information related to their mechanical characteristics.
  • Concerning especially metals, information about the structure, composition, defects and residual stresses by using electron microscopy, non-destructive techniques and X-ray diffraction is discussed.
  • Phase transformations and other reactions can be studied with DCS.
  • The surface analysis methods XPS and AES can be used to obtain compositional and chemical information on different materials.

Organisation

The different techniques and procedures are presented and discussed in overview lectures. The students will work in a materials project that includes characterization. The problem should be discussed considering knowledge from previous courses, and from the literature. The students select the analysis methods that are suitable to resolve the problem considering analytical, financial and other feasibility factors. Then they perform the analysis, report and present the result and conclusions.

Literature

ASM handbook and other electronic sources, handouts and lecture notes.

Examination including compulsory elements

Written examination.
Attended laboratory visits.
Active participation in reported, presented and approved project

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.