MEMT 411/511 Advanced/Modern Materials Course Syllabus

Spring 2015
Location and Time: 325 Bogard Hall, 10:00 to 11:50 T,Th
Instructor: Henry E. Cardenas, Ph.D.
Email: Cardenas@latech.edu
Office hours: 1:30 3:30 pm, M ,W,Th, F, 255 BH, 257-4600
Course Description
Advanced materials engages a wide range of topics dealing with the frontiers of material
science and processing. Some of these materials are not yet in wide commercial use.
This course covers shape memory alloys, electrorhealogical fluids, peizolectric devices
and other smart materials. In addition diffusion, thermal processing, and welding are also
presented. The content relates the microstructure to the behavior of materials.
Foundational material on semiconductors and related electrical behavior such as memory
storage and processing is also included. A major section of the course also engages
aqueous electrokinetic processing of metals and ceramics, especially concrete.
Autonomic healing of composite materials is also covered.
Course Prerequisites
MEEN 361 Advanced Mechanics of Materials
MEMT 201 Engineering Materials
Course Text
No text is assigned for this course. On occasion, hand outs with additional information
may be provided on an as needed basis to supplement the lecture material.
Course Policies
Attendance is required and each student is responsible for the lecture, reading material,
and homework for each class. Missed exams or other work cannot be made up without
an acceptable written excuse in advance (except for medical emergency). Missed lectures
will not be repeated. Homework will not be accepted after the end of class.
Academic misconduct is discussed in the University Bulletin and in the Student
Handbook. Students are expected to cultivate personal and professional ethics. All
individual work submitted for grading is required to be the original work of the students
whose names appear on the work. It is expected that each report will have proper and
complete references to all important concepts abstracted from the work of other persons.
Students found to be cheating may receive a failing grade (F). Students found to be
facilitating the cheating of others will receive the same punishment as those who cheated.

Copying answers to test and quiz questions is cheating. Copying someone elses work is
cheating. Copying sections of someone elses report is cheating. (The preceding is not
an all-inclusive list.)
Course grading
All grading is straight scale in this course.
A 90%
B 80%
C 70%
D 60%
E - < 60%
Grades will be based on 2 equally weighted exams. For 511, your grade is based on a
composite score which is 85% Exam grade and 15% term paper.
Adjustment your instructor reserves the right to adjust any composite score by up to +/3% for attitude and exceptional late-term performance.
Exams
Two equally weighted exams will evaluate comprehension of fundamental concepts.
Students will be required to re-order, combine, interpolate, and extrapolate the
information presented in class and handouts for an exam, not just regurgitate the
information.
The exams will be in two parts. The first part will consist of true/false statements and
multiple-choice questions. The second part will consist of one or more multiple parts,
essay questions that require you to show work. You will be given 70 minutes to complete
each exam. All portions of hand outs, homework (if any), and lectures may appear on an
exam. A 3 x 5, 2-sided, note card is allowed for each exam.
Exams will be returned approximately 1 week after they are given in order to assign
credit where appropriate.
Mid Term:
Final:

April 16th
May 14th

Homework
In general, no homework will be assigned. Should midterm results indicate a need for
home work then a weekly assignment may be developed to assist in processing course
content. Homework would be assigned each class period and collected weekly.
Term Paper
A term paper covering some aspect of advanced materials is required for those students
enrolled in MEMT 511. The paper must be 8-10 pages, double-spaced, have 1-inch page
margins and a 12 point font. A title and paragraph describing the paper must be
submitted for approval no later than Thursday, March 26th. A title page, outline, and list
of references are due on Tuesday April 14th. The paragraph and outline are each worth
5% of the grade earned for the paper. The paper must cite and describe at least 10
refereed journal references. The paper will be due on Monday, May 18th. Late papers or
sub-components will be deducted 20% per day late.
Suggestions to Students
Find friend or group with whom to study. It helps.
Condense your raw class notes into review sheets.
Start the term paper (if applicable) early.
Keep all graded work until quarter end to make sure your scores are recorded correctly.