Synthesis Post

The Grand Finale

All good things must come to an end.

How come my fingers are wet and sticky? What was that thing covered in?! These are a couple of questions one might ask themselves when they grab onto a brand new product, like a car part for example. This wet sticky stuff is oil, and coated the car part, why? To stop rusting and keep this part fresh for a long time. This is done because a material scientist said to make the car part out of some form of steel somewhere along the road. I learned just how important material science is, and why it is a great career choice for me in this blog.

Material science is around everyone all day long, it might not be noticeable, but it is. It’s in our loved cell phones, cars, shoes, houses, and everything else we love to have the luxury of owning. At some point, someone had to make decisions about what materials to use in all of these products. Many breakthroughs in material science aren’t even acknowledge very much, and yet these breakthroughs play a huge part in our lives. Throughout this blog project I’ve found multiple news articles that discussed new discoveries that I never would’ve found out about unless I was searching for them.

        Some websites like Science Daily, MIT, and Phys Org were very helpful in my research. I discovered that a group of MIT professionals discovered steel that was bonding itself when pulled apart, and not actually coming apart. This could be used to stop major structures from breaking down before they even start breaking. Another article talked of magnesium being extracted from the ocean, which could be used in future car production to make stronger, lighter, and more efficient cars. I found this quite interesting and more information can be found in my blog. A recent post of mine talked about a new wood based fiberboard that is currently going from prototype to product that would replace a current wood base fiberboard. The new fiberboard is easily recyclable, while the old fiberboard is not recyclable at all and used in the production of much wooden furniture. This would largely cut down on resources used in the production.

        This blog also exposed why this is a good field for me. I always thought it was but didn’t do enough research to really find out. I got to interview my dad about his experience in the metallurgy field, talk about my work experience that I’ve had already in this field, and find out the traits that it takes to do this job. A person must be very persistent in order to be successful in this profession. Many times when you’re trying to figure something out it won’t go as planned, and you have to be able to stay calm. Luckily, I’ve developed these traits as I’ve gotten older, and can only imagine that they will continue to grow as I do.

This field is something that is involved in everyone’s daily lives, and most people don’t even know it. No one that I know wonders, “Hm, I wonder why they chose to make this piece of drywall this way?” Drywall is a lame example, but it gets my point across. For someone like me who wonders how something is made, or what it is made of this is a great profession. It also can be very applicable to anyone who wants to try and improve on products, since at any point in time a material scientist has potential to create a totally new material, even if it is by accident!

"New recyclable MDF could help solve UK waste problem." Phys Org. 1 Nov 2013. Web. 2 Nov. 2013.

Chandler, David. "Cracked Metal Heal Thyself." MIT. MIT, October 9, 2013. Web. 18 October 2013.

"Fuel-Efficient cars, planes cheaper with magnesium drawn from ocean." Phys. Pacific                      Northwest National  Labratory, September 20, 2013. Web. 22 September 2013.

Week of 11/7: Free Post

Week of 11/7: Free Post

Plastics as Strong than Metal?!

I'm sorry to say this, but this will be my last free post for my blog. All that is left after this is an overview about everything I learned from my blog. For the final blog, I decided to look up the top material science news of 2012. At number 2 was an article titled, "Plastics as Strong as Metals." This caught my attention instantly, especially since I want to focus on the metallurgic side of material science.

A researcher from Tel Aviv University is currently working on an environmentally friendly plastics that are stronger than any plastics that we currently have available. Landfills are currently filling up an incredibly fast with non-biodegradable plastics which could be a huge issue. It is projected that by 2020, there will be 200 million tons of plastics consumed each year, so a biodegradable plastic is greatly needed. This new plastic could potentially replace some metal parts that are currently used in everyday products. For example, they could replace some parts in cars where applicable. Plastics take less energy to produce, weigh less, and therefore more cost effective. These parts would require less maintenance and last even longer!

If new plastic like this is produced, it could change the world. It might also have some type of influence on what division of material science I choose to major in. If this actually pulls through, then it could have a devastating effect on the metallurgic manufacturing industry. However, an entire new industry would emerge, and I could have potential to emerge in this new industry.

 Elsevier. "Plastics as Strong as Steel." Materials Today. 11 Jun 2012. Web.           14 Nov. 2013.

Metals. Photograph. Chaparral Technologies, 2009. Fort Worth, TX. Web. 9        Nov 2013.

Week of 11/7: A professional remix

Week of 11/7:  Remix of my Field 

For this weeks post I was asked to find a remix and preform a RAIDS analysis on it done by a professional in my field. After searching the web I didn't find anything done by a professional exactly, but I found a portal on a government website that is full of information on material science. It is on the nist.gov website, which stands for National Institute of Standards and Technology. 

REVISION- This website revises all parts of material science. There are separate tabs for all divisions of material science. For example, there are tabs for biomaterials, ceramics, metals, inorganic materials, polymers and multiple others. Each provides the reader with information on the sub field and many recent news articles that a reader could find interesting. It can make people rethink the complexity of everyday materials.

INVENTION- This website uses many news articles to get their point across. There is also a video playlist section so if the audience doesn't feel like reading they are able to just watch a simple video to explain the subject. The website talks about current programs going on within the government organization that deals with material science.

ARRANGEMENT- It is arranged in a way that will appeal to anyone that is interested in material science. At the top of the page there is a short description about material science. There are a list of subject like I said above, and then many different news articles. The headings use bold colors that contrast well compared to the background so they are easily read. It gives programs, equipment, and current software that is being used in material science. 

DELIVERY- Clearly this is a webpage. But they also use videos and a few pictures to get their message across. It has many links that lead to more information on material science for an interested viewer.

STYLE- The website is a mix of informal and formal. There are some terms that the average person wouldn't understand, but there are also many links with just a few words. It is all separated in a neat fashion for quick navigation. It is a good layout for a website, and may influence how I do my remix on material science.

"Material Science Portal." NIST. U.S. Department of Commerce, 7 Nov 2013.            Web. 8 Nov 2013.

Week of 10/31: Free Post

Week of 10/31: Free Post

The Most Important Moments in Material Science

Hello there readers! For this free post today I thought it'd be interesting to list some of the most important breakthroughs in material science. I found a website that ranks their top 50, so I figured I'd list off the first few for you guys. These breakthroughs led to many of the products we know and love today.

1. Egyptians Smelt Iron- 3500 B.C.

This is a major breakthrough since it is the first metallurgic smelting, and it unlocked the first processing secret of metals.

2. Invention of the Transistor- 1948

This was the start of modern technology. It was the building block of computer chips and computer technology, which is huge.

3. Glass is Invented- 2200 B.C.

This was done by the people of northwestern Iran. It was a huge non-metallurgic discovery which obviously lead to many new discoveries and is still used today.

These were only 3 of the major discoveries in material science. The point of this was to show people that even thousands of years ago, material science was a big deal and leads to many of the innovations humans love to have at their disposal. I believe the world would be a completely different place if it was never for the original material scientists that made these discoveries. 

"Top 50 moments in Material Science History." The Minerals, Metals, and              Materials Society. TMS, 2006. Web. 3 Nov 2013.

Week of 10/31: Importance of Material Science

The Importance of Material Science

Hello fellow scientists! For this week I will be finding a news article that discusses the importance of material science. Just by reading through my blog though, you could find the importance of material science. They contribute to how and what almost everything is made from. They determine what cars are made out of, what individuals parts are made, and how to make everything more cost/environmentally friendly. The world continues to grow more and more advance, and therefore we need more advanced materials to satisfy the needs of us humans. They can solve problems, or stop them from ever happening in the first place. 

The article I found this week talks about recycling in the U.K. It talks of a new product that is recyclable and can take the place of a material known as medium density fiberboard, which is a cheap wood product that is used in the creation of furniture and such. About 1 million tonnes are wasted every year since it cannot be recycled. However, this new material is a wood based material that is made from natural sources, which would allow it to be easily recyclable. This breakthrough was found by Professor Abbott and his team at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Leicester.

It's the discoveries like these that make material science an important field to study. The majority of people will have no idea their new furniture is made from this new material, and yet just by buying it they are helping to preserve the earth's resources. Most of the innovations that are found by material scientists will not be advertised widely, but they are still all very important to sustaining prominent life on this planet. 

"New recyclable MDF could help solve UK waste problem." Phys Org. 1 Nov            2013. Web. 2 Nov. 2013.

Week of 10/24: Free Post

Making Rubber from Dandelion Juice?!?!

I was reading through some material science news articles today when I seen one title that popped out. It said "Making Rubber from Dandelion Juice." I had to check this out, since it seemed pretty funky to me.This means dandelions could be used for something more than turning everything yellow, which would be pretty awesome in my eyes.

According to the article, it would be a rather difficult process, but still possible! Engineers are currently building the first pilot extraction system to actually pull rubber out of this juice to make tires. It officially started in Europe at the beginning of October. Here are the goals of this pilot:

1. To have a production process in 5 years

2. To be more cost effective than conventional rubber extraction

3. To be more durable than rubber trees

These are just a few goals. Another benefit will be that dandelions can be grown quickly and in very large quantities. Since it's a weed, they are lest vulnerable to pests.

I think this could be a very cool development, and from the sound of it it will happen. It currently is going on in Germany, but it could still benefit us Americans. Maybe we could adapt this process one day and make us less dependent on raw material imports.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. "Making rubber from dandelion juice." ScienceDaily, 28 Oct. 2013.            Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

Week of 10/24: Hands on work

Week of 10/24: Hands on Work in My Field

This is one of the furnaces I got to work with

Hello again, for this week I was asked to go and do something "hands on" in my field and then report my experience. Luckily for me, I have already had hands on experience in my field. In the summer I worked for my dad, usually just as a manual laborer, but I also got the opportunity to work with some of the more in depth material around the shop. 

I was allowed to work with furnaces, like the one shown on the right, to see the more in depth processes of heat treating. In case you haven't seen some of my other posts, heat treating is the process of heating and cooling steel to strengthen it, relieve the stress in steel, or to make steel rust resistant. In modern times, the furnaces are almost completely ran by computer. However, I still got to see the recipes put into the computer, and was able to learn about the entire process about how they work. These furnaces work in a unique fashion, that is used only by this heat treating company. I learned all about the mechanics, and the chemistry that goes into it. This type of work has always interested me. 

Whenever I consider studying something else, I cannot think of another field that sparks my interest as much as metallurgy. I find all of the fascinating and love that I was given the opportunity to start work in this field at a young age.  

Week of 10/17: Controversy in Material Science Engineering

Controversy in Material Science

Hybrid Cars, Are They Really Helping?

For this week's blog post I was asked to find a controversy in my field. I decided to choose the topic of hybrid cars and how "efficient" they really are. I found an article on How Stuff Works, a branch of Discovery, that argues both side of the fight, and compares the cost of a hybrid car per mile compared to a Hummer H3 SUV per mile. The result that were concluded were a little surprising to me.

They found research done by CNW that compared these two vehicles for their cost per mile, which took into account everything from tires to the energy required to actually manufacture the car. The shocking part was the Hummer came out to $1.949 per mile while the Toyota Prius came out to $3.25. Part of this was that the Hummer was lasting over 200,000 miles and the Prius was only averaging a little of 100,000 miles. Parts on the Prius are also more expensive to replace, so fixing the car would cost more than a Hummer. According to this information a Hummer could actually be more efficient over it's lifespan than a Prius. 

The batteries have remained being a big issue on these hybrid cars. They do not have a long life, and they use a decent amount of energy to produce. However, there are now recycling programs for these batteries and people can receive up to $200 for an old battery. These cars also get triple, if not more, fuel economy than many SUVs, which causes less greenhouse gas emission.

It's up to you to decide what side you will take, but I believe if hybrid cars can be produced and maintained efficiently then this would be a major break through. We are definitely pushing the limits with the environment and efficiency would be extremely helpful in these tough times.

Clark, Josh. "Are Green Cars Manufactured in a Green Way?." How Stuff            Works. Discovery, 2008. Web. October 18, 2013.

Week of 10/17 Free Post

Week of 10/17 Free Post

News Article "Cracked Metal Heal Thyself"

Hello again, for this weeks blog post I decided to look up a news article off a very credible website, MIT. I was a bit stuck for ideas this week so I figured analyzing an interesting news article couldn't be a bad choice. If you search for "news in material science" on Google, you can find many results. I went with MIT since I know it's a rather credible website. 

I chose an article with the title "Cracked Metal Heal Thyself." This seemed interesting to me. Apparently under certain conditions pulling metal apart actually caused the cracks to fuse together. This shocked MIT students, at first they actually thought it was a mistake! The metal that they seen this happen with was nickel, but supposedly could work with other metals too. They haven't quite cracked why it happens yet but they are working on it. However, they believe that this technology could be used to create self healing material that would stop damage before it has time to spread. This could be extremely useful in something like an oil well deep in the ocean. 

Being someone who is going into the metallurgic side of material science, I thought this was fascinating. The idea of a metal that could heal itself is amazing. This could be possibly be used to stop some disasters before they even happen. Metal fatigue, which is caused my nanocracks forming over time, could possibly be eliminated since the self healing material would repair these nanocracks when they happen!

Chandler, David. "Cracked Metal Heal Thyself." MIT. MIT, October 9, 2013.             Web. October 18, 2013.

Week of 10/10: An Argument

Week of 10/10: Argument in Material Science

For my blog today, I am going to find some source that talks about an argument in material science. I'm going to search through Michigan State's scholarly articles to see if I can find anything, but based on the fact that I haven't been able to find much information through the library so far I will probably end up going online to search for some type of document. 

Since I cannot find many arguments that are currently active in the material science world, I decided to go towards a more broad approach. I decided to look into if the world will ever run out of metals. Now clearly it will run out eventually, but will it run out any time soon? Even within 1000 years or so? 

I found what seems to be a credible website with the answer. It says that metal wise, the earth it plentiful. In 100,000 to a million years it could be a different story, but humans will most likely have the world destroyed by then anyways. The article stated that metals will become less available when the prices rise above what anyone wants to pay, and that will happen long before we run out of the metals.

I think that all of this sounds about right. The earth is incredibly dense, and has many elements. There are also resources buried deep in the earth we haven't even found yet since we haven't been able to explore every part of the world. There are remote places that must be flowing with resources, and we will one day find them if we ever start running very low on our resources.

Worstal, Tim. "When Are We Going To Run Out of Metals?."Forbes. 2011.               Web. October 10, 2013.

Mine. 2012. Photograph. TIME, New York City. Web. October 10, 2013.

Free Post Week of 10/10

Week of 10/10 Free Post

History of Material Science in Michigan

(specifically in the UP)

Howdy! For this weeks free post I decided to do some research on the history of material science, specifically in the UP since most of the readers are Michiganders. I was going to do some type of history on the Big 3, but I thought this could be more interesting since the history of the UP isn't that well known. Hell, a lot of people in Michigan have never even crossed the bridge. I suppose I should say that I am referencing the Mackinaw Bridge. Since I love the outdoors and go to the UP snowmobiling quite often, this sparks a lot of my interest. 

I did some searching, and found that Michigan Tech's website actually had some very good information on this topic. During the late 1800s, the upper peninsula was one of the largest mining areas of the country. This led to the education of material science, in the school that is now Michigan Tech, located in Houghton, MI. There was a large amount of copper extracted from the UP, to use in wire and other miscellaneous items. Also, because of this Calumet, MI was one of the first cities in the world to install trolley cars and streets lights, which is rather impressive to me. The state of Michigan actually opened up Michigan Tech for education on mining and metallurgy to keep up with the demand. However, when the great depression hit the mining industry greatly decreased in demand.

So to wrap it up, Michigan's material science industry started out with mining. I found this interesting since a lot of people might instantly think that it started with the formation of the Big 3, first we needed the minerals necessary to start building products such as automobiles. It also reminds me of all spectacular nature and resources found in the UP.

"Department of Material Science History." Michigan Tech. Web. October 10, 2013.

Webster Iron Mine. Photograph. Great Lakes Echo. Michigan State             Archives. 2012. Web. October 10, 2013.

Free Post Week of 10/3

Week of 10/3 Free Post

Gender Roles in Material Science

For my free post this week, I will be talking about gender roles in material science. I'm curious what the ratio of male to female acquiring this degree. I am going to try and find the information specifically for Michigan State, but if I can't I will use information from multiple other colleges. I also want to research who is more successful in general in this field. I already know men hold the majority, but I am curious about the actual statistics. 

I found this video on women talking about engineering, stating it is more male dominant but also gives a woman's viewpoint.

I couldn't find any specific information about the ratio of men to women in material science, so I had to broaden my search to engineering in general. I also couldn't find information specifically involving MSU, but I did find a website called statistics on women engineering, which seems to be pretty official. According to this information only 20% of undergraduate engineering majors are female, which is a lower number than I thought it would be. Furthermore, 20% of the degrees awarded go to females, and of that 20%, 25% are in material science. 

After researching I found out mostly what I was expecting, the numbers were just lower than I thought they would be. I personally believe that women should be offered the same opportunities if they are putting in the same amount of work. Everyone deserves an equal chance, and I know I've met women that are smarter than men.

Karen, Horting. "Statistics on Women in Engineering." SWE. The Society of Women Engineers, 2008.                  Web. 8 Oct 2013.

Man Vs Woman. 2013. Photograph. LERA. Web. 8 Oct 2013.

Week of 10/3: Ethics in my work field

Week of 10/3: Ethics in Material Science

Hello again everyone and thank you for reading my blog this week. I will be talking about ethics in material science this week. Since material science is a branch of engineering, I am just going to research ethics in engineering in general. Most engineering professions follow the same guidelines so the ethics will also follow. Before doing any research, I'm assuming the ethics will follow the basic guidelines, like be honest and do your job right. However, these are just my assumptions.

When I started to look up ethics in engineering, I found an outdated website, but I believe it made valid points. The ethical guidelines were:

1. Use your knowledge and skill for the enhancement of human welfare

2. Be honest and impartial

3. Strive to increase the prestige of the profession

4. Supporting the professional and technical societies of their disciplines 

I was correct about one of the ethical values, but the other ones also make sense. They basically all follow my own personal beliefs(which can be found in my first post) and #2 does especially. I think of these beliefs as do the best you can, and be honest. 

How my college work will prepare me to work in my field with these ethical guidelines

Having to always do my own work will help me prepare for these ethical guidelines. Since I can't copy off other people, it prepares me to be honest about my work, which I already am anyways. Also trying to do the best I can in my classes will prepare me to do the best work I can in the field. The fourth guideline means that engineers need to open new opportunities for other engineers and help them along, which I can also apply to my college life. I can help first year student in classes that I've already taken and give them a chance to do better in class. 

I believe that these are pretty good ethical guidelines. They can also be applied to everyday living too, which makes them easier to carry out in the workplace. Thanks again for reading!

"Ethics in Engineering." Stony Brooks Material Science and Engineering. National Society of Professional Engineers, April 24, 1998. Web.  October 3,          2013.

Calvin and Hobbes. 2008. Photograph. PACTISS Web. October 3 2013.

Week of 9/26: Free Post

Free Post 9/26: MSU's Material Science Program

This picture I had on my computer fits this blog nicely.

Hello again, for this weeks free post I will be researching Michigan State's material science program in comparison to other schools. I am curious about how it ranks in the state, and how it ranks on a national level. I have a good feeling it is one of the better programs but I am not able to say for sure. 

I found a website, universityportal.net that ranked MSU at 40th in the country. It was only one spot above Michigan Tech University, and was blown out of the water by Michigan's program which ranked number seven. MIT has the best program in the country which isn't a big surprise. In reality I wouldn't be able to get into the best college in the country, plus any degree with Michigan State's name on it will look pretty good. I probably could've gone to Michigan for the better program, but I never had any interest in going to Michigan. I also do not think it would have been worth it to pay more to attain the same degree. Michigan State came out to about $21000 including the dorm, and Michigan was about $26000. 

I believe attending Michigan State for their material science program will fulfill all of my needs. I can attain the degree that's perfect for me, and having a good time while doing it. I can make some lifelong friends which could possibly open up business opportunities. 

"World Science & Engineering University Portal." : Top Engineering School : Materials.              US News Rank, 2008. Web. 28 September 2013

Week of 9/26: Campus Group

Week of 9/26: Material Science Engineering Society

For this week's blog, I was sent on a task to find and investigate an on campus organization that deals with material science. To start off my search I went to the MSU Engineering website. I started looking around for groups and found a material science group. The name of this group is the Material Science and Engineering Society. 

I was asked to partake in a meeting of this organization, but since I knew I wouldn't have time I found an email on the website and asked if I could get the run down of the group from a member. I asked about the beliefs, the motives, and what the group does in general. I received an email back saying I would not be able to personally talk to someone on such short notice, however they still answered my questions I had.

I was informed that a major goal of this group is to help find people jobs after college. Being in this group can also help open up internship opportunities which can be very helpful.This would allow me to get experience in my field before I even graduate.

This also allows us students to work together on school work, so I could do better in my studies. This would be a help since I haven't actually met kids that are pursuing a material science degree yet. It could also open up new chances to make some friends with similar interests as me. I am greatly considering joining this group since it is the only group that is relevant to my degree. I think it could open up some good opportunities and maybe even some new friendships.

Thanks for reading! Have a good day.

"MSE Banner." Photo. n.d. Material Science and Engineering Society. Egr          MSU. Web.  9/28/13.

Week of 9/19: Free Post Big News in Material Science

Week 9/19 Free Post: Material Science Excitement

Hello everyone, for this weeks free post I am going to be talking about a news story I found about material science that I found interesting. I mostly found it interesting because I found it quite astounding that material scientists could be involved in a process like this. The article discusses a new technique that could be used to extract magnesium from the depths of the ocean. 

This magnesium can be used to to make more fuel efficient cars and planes, more stable buildings, and more efficient power generation systems since it is much more lightweight than the traditional steel used currently. The downside is right now it takes 7 times the energy to pull magnesium from the earth as it takes to extract steel. The most energy efficient method is used in Utah, which is done by pulling it out of molten salt. This process still requires temperatures of 900 degrees Celsius, which requires a lot of energy. China uses a different method, which requires significantly more energy and gives off even more carbon emissions.

With the new method, the temperature required will be no more than 300 degrees Celsius and will give off far less carbon emissions. This process will greatly decrease the American dependency on foreign importers of magnesium, and will significantly increase the American magnesium market. This is approximated to be 50% more efficient than the current process used in Utah. 

I found this article quite interesting. It is inside my range of interests and I will be looking for more updates on it when there is more information available. I am curious to see if the scientists will be able to get this process rolling, and to see if they will release more information on how they did it. Thank you very much for reading!


"Fuel-Efficient cars, planes cheaper with magnesium drawn from ocean." Phys. Pacific Northwest National           Labratory, September 20, 2013. Web. September 22, 2013.

PNNL. Magnesium. Magnesium. Phys. September 20, 2013. Web. September 22, 2013.

Week of 9/19: Interviewing a professional

Interviewing a Material Scientist

This is a picture I had of my dad walking by one of the furnaces
in the shop.

Hello everyone, this week for my exciting post I will be interviewing someone in the material science field to figure out what type of writing they do in their job, and to ask them a few questions about their job in general. Now, luckily for me my father happens to be a material scientist, so I am just going to interview him. This should work out pretty good since he will give me 100% honest answers and not hold back whatsoever. He is employed in the heat treating field, which is a manufacturing business. He does a lot of work through GM, and I'm hoping these connections can help me to get employed after college also. 

My questions I am going to ask him are:

What is the biggest type of writing you have to do?

Mainly e-mail. He said he is constantly sending e-mail to keep up with customers and their wants. He also has to write up quotes and metallurgic reports. The reports are typically 2-5 pages long.

Is it mostly formal or informal?

For the most case, formal. Much of the conversation goes on with customers and he needs to look and sound educated. 

How often do you have to do this?

Every day. He has to keep up with all of the e-mail that people send him. He has to do the reports typically 3-4 times a week.

How often are you dealing with the steel yourself?

It's basically an everyday occurrence, and also whenever there is some type of an issue or new work comes in he must run samples in the furnaces to either fix the issue or find the best way to run the new parts.

Week of 9/12 Free Post

Free Post 9/15: Understanding Material Science

Hey again, this week I'm going to do a little research on what material science really is. I figure this would be a good topic for one of my beginning posts. This isn't a very popular degree so there are not many people who really know what material science is all about. Since I'm not educated enough about material science, I can't give people a good response about what it really is. I know it involves studying the properties of materials such a steel, plastic, ceramic, and other materials but that about it. However, I will be focusing on the metallurgic side of material science. I will search the web for information so I can present it to anyone who wants to more about material science. 

After doing some searching on the internet I found a very informative website devoted to chemistry, acs.org. One of the things I learned that I never thought about was that it can be an extremely frustrating field since 99% of the time the experiments do not actually work out, but when it does work out its a fortifying feeling. Let me explain this more. Since material science is the study of the micro structure of materials, it can be frustrating since the experiments involve messing with the chemical properties and things can often go south. Someone who want to pursue a career in this field needs to be very persistent, which luckily I am. Material Scientists mess with the micro structure of materials and therefore are able to mess with the central properties of them. This means new materials, or sub materials can be created in order to make more efficient products. This can be applied to mostly industry, such as manufacturing. Material Scientists will contribute to the creation of products and then helping their customer utilize the product to their maximum capability.   

I would say that I did not exactly get an enormous amount of information about material science, but I got more information of the type on job I will have after college. Furthermore, I learned the struggles and successful parts of the job. I found all this information quite interesting and still have a thirst for more information. I will continue to do more research each week, and bring you guys more information every week. I will also be learning more as I do it, so I am extremely excited about it. 

Molecule Structure. Photograph. n.d. nanotechweb.org. Belle Dume. Web. 9/15/2013.

Pouring Steel. Photograph. n.d. muskegoncc.edu. Web. 9/15/2013

"Material Science." American Chemical Society. ACS, 2013. Web. 9/15/2013

Week of 9/12 Material Science Articles

Material Science Articles

For my blog post this week I look at a news article regarding material science and a journal written by a professional in this field. I am comparing the two based on the style they were written in, what type of audience they were both written for, and the purpose of the two different readings. 

As it turns out, a journal written by a professional in material science is far more complex than any ole news article relating to material science. The new article is definitely written more for anyone who is interested in it, since it uses more simple lingo and not nearly as many specialized words. It  has a pretty basic vocabulary and just has the purpose of delivering the news, which in this specific article was about discovering the thinnest piece of glass (which was only 2 atoms thick). The terms they used could be understood by anyone that has ever taken a science class before and was a lighter read than the professional journal.

The professional journal was intended for someone who is involved in the material science field, or at least someone with an understanding of it. The vocabulary used was far more complex and not nearly as easy to read as the news article. The title of the journal is "Arc Spraying 3Cr13 Molten Drop Impact Stress Numerical Analysis" and that alone shows that it's not a light or fun reading. The intention was to deliver the final result of the experiment and it did just that. However, it is not a good reading piece for someone who does not have any kind of a background in some form of material science or engineering. 

    "Guinness record: World’s thinnest glass is just two atoms thick."ScienceDaily, 12 Sep. 2013. Web. 12 Sep.                2013. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/09/130912095241.htm

C.H. Li. "Arc Spraying 3Cr13 Molten Drop Impact Stress Numerical Analysis." Bentham Open.  Web.

    http://www.benthamscience.com/open/tomsj/openaccess2.htm

Free Post Week of 9/6

     Not Enough Books, Not Enough Kids

        I am astounded by the fact that the enormous selection of text material in the MSU library does not have many books on material science. I searched through the catalogs and through the library to only find a few books on material science, none of which were a basic introductory book. Out of the 10 questions I had, I could only find the answer to one of them and the book was printed in 1970, so hopefully the information is still relevant. I now must search the internet for a source of information that can actually answer my questions.

       I can't say I'm extremely surprised at the lack of information I could find though. There are not many people who have even heard of the degree I'm pursuing, and I have yet to meet any other student that is also involved with this branch of engineering. Although, I imagine as I continue my college career and expand into more complex courses I will meet other in the same field as me. I hope as time goes on I can meet other kids just so we can get together and do classwork together, since currently all the kids in my dorm are in the Lyman Briggs college and I cannot work on any homework with them. I am actually envious of all these kids, and desire to find other students with similar courses as me to work with. My interests will probably be sparked even more if I can find people to work on my preparatory engineering classes with.


      There is an even greater demand for people with this degree than I thought. There are only 21,000 jobs, but since there aren't many people going after this degree companies are searching for people with it. They will always need people to study materials and find ways to be the most efficient and save the most money, so this information is exciting to me. I hope the outlook is still the same when I graduate.


"Material Science and Engineering Overview." Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, 2013. Web. 9/10/2013.
http://www.careercornerstone.org/pdf/matscieng/matscience.pdf

Week of 9/6: 10 Questions About My Profession

After searching for library for books regarding material science, I was not able to find much information. This is definitely not the most popular major, and there isn't as much information readily available as some degrees such as teaching. The only question I was able to answer using a book was question four. I now plan on searching the internet for a good overview of the career to find the answers to my unanswered questions.

1. What major curriculum is studied for this degree?
Material science engineering focuses mainly on physics and chemistry, but not heavily on math, even though 4 year of calculus is still required. More physics and chemistry is used than math in the field.

2. How is what I learned in school applied to this career?
This depends on which type of sub area I plan on studying. I plan on focusing mainly on metallurgic so I will apply information I learned in my material science and chemistry classes in my career.

3. What type of jobs can come about from obtaining a material science degree?
There are a vast variety of jobs available for material science. I could land in manufacturing, research, management, sales or many other. However, since I am from Michigan I will more than likely land a job in manufacturing or automotive.

4. What are the major companies looking for students fresh out of college with this degree?
A few of the major companies are Amcast, BASF Corporation, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Microsoft, Hp, and GE. There are still a great deal of other large companies, and the list can be found here on page 9 and 10.

5. Will I be able to stay in Michigan after I graduate from college?
There is a very good chance I will be able to stay in Michigan since we are a large manufacturing state.

6. What type of technology will I be using in the field and during college?
Since the 1940's, material scientists have used electron microscopes to further process their lab samples to get closer examinations of that materials they are studying. It has been a huge help in studying the properties of materials.

7. Are the jobs I can get going to be within my interests?
The jobs I could be employed for would definitely be inside of my interests. I think this is a very good degree for me to obtain.

8. Is there a lot of room for advancement in this field?
There can be based on my own personal interests and work habits. I can be moved up to management in companies but I will have to work for it and show that I am willing to take the challenge.

9. Will I possibly be able to work for one of the Big 3 after college?
Yes, they are almost always looking for people since there aren't too many kids who are going after this degree right now.

10. How long will I have to wait once I'm out of college to be employed?
I will not have a very long wait. Any of the Big 3 are constantly looking for fresh material scientists, and with family connections with each company, primarily GM, I will have a job out of college quickly.



Valdre, U. Electron Microscopy in Material Science. New York: Academic Press, 1970. Print

"Material Science and Engineering Overview." Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, 2013. Web.                                   9/10/2013.http://www.careercornerstone.org/pdf/matscieng/matscience.pdf

About Anthony Deciechi

About me

         I am a material science major currently studying at Michigan State University. I will be focusing mostly on the metallurgic aspects of material science. With my father being a heat treater, naturally my interest was sparked in this area of study. As a person, I believe in always doing the right thing. I will help out someone in need when I can tell they need help and won't be indifferent with the situation like a lot of people will be. I apply all of my abilities I'm capable of applying to whatever I do, since I strive to be the best that I am able to be.

Interests and Hobbies

• Avid outdoors man, I love to hunt during the fall and fish whenever I need a break from life
• I also enjoy just being in the woods, and being surrounded by nature in general
• During the summer I work with my dad at Woodworth Inc. and also work on the side as a landscaper
• Spending time with my friends and family, and building connections with people I can trust