Course detail
Introduction to the Materials Physics
FSI-WUF Acad. year: 2027/2028 Summer semester
The Introduction to Materials Physics (WUF) course provides materials engineering students with a comprehensive physical foundation for understanding the internal structure of solids, their properties, and the processes occurring within them. It demonstrates how material behaviour arises from atomic and electronic structure, interatomic interactions, and microstructure, and how these relationships can be explained using fundamental physical laws.
The course integrates concepts from physics, chemistry, and materials science, providing a theoretical foundation for subsequent specialised courses in materials engineering. Emphasis is placed on understanding the physical origins of observed phenomena and developing the ability to view materials as interconnected physical systems rather than merely as collections of empirically described properties.
Language of instruction
Czech
Number of ECTS credits
5
Supervisor
Entry knowledge
The course builds on basic knowledge of physics, general chemistry, mathematics, and materials science acquired during previous studies. Students are expected to have a basic understanding of atomic structure, chemical bonding, the properties of matter, and fundamental physical laws. Familiarity with crystal structures and the main classes of engineering materials is also beneficial. The necessary thermodynamic and other physical concepts are progressively developed throughout the semester and linked to specific processes occurring in materials.
Rules for evaluation and completion of the course
To obtain the course credit, students are required to attend all practical classes (100% attendance), submit all laboratory reports at an appropriate technical and presentation standard, and successfully pass two tests during the semester. Attendance at practical classes is mandatory, and any absence must be properly justified. In the case of an excused absence, the corresponding topic will be covered through an individual assignment.
The final examination consists of written and oral parts. The written examination assesses students' knowledge of the topics announced at the beginning of the semester. During the oral examination, students are expected to demonstrate their knowledge of specific topics and their ability to identify relationships and draw logical conclusions.
The final grade is based on the assessment of laboratory work and the results of both the written and oral examinations.
Aims
Upon completing the course, students will be able to explain how atomic and electronic structure, interatomic bonding, and crystal lattice defects influence the properties of solids. They will understand fundamental thermodynamic and kinetic principles and be able to apply them to interpreting phase stability, diffusion processes, solidification, and phase transformations.
Students will be able to explain the physical mechanisms governing the mechanical behaviour and failure of materials, as well as the origins of their thermal, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties. They will gain a basic understanding of corrosion and other degradation processes and become familiar with the principles of computational materials modelling and its applications in studying and predicting material properties.
The acquired knowledge will enable students to analyse materials-related problems more independently, interpret the relationships between material structure, processing, and properties, and apply physical principles in their further studies in materials engineering.
Study aids
Study materials include lecture presentations, supporting materials for laboratory classes, and recommended textbooks and reference literature. Electronic study materials are made available to students through the university's e-learning platform.
The study programmes with the given course
Programme B-ZSI-P: Fundamentals of Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor's
specialization MTI: Materials Engineering, compulsory
Type of course unit
Lecture
39 hours, optionally
Syllabus
Structure of Matter. Atomic and electronic structure, the periodic table, interatomic bonding and its influence on the properties of solids.
Internal Structure of Materials. Crystalline and amorphous solids, crystal structures of metals, ceramics, and polymers. Point, line, and planar defects and their significance.
Thermodynamics of Pure Substances. Laws of thermodynamics, internal energy, entropy, and thermodynamic potentials. Phase equilibrium, stability, and phase transformations in pure substances.
Thermodynamics of Solutions and Chemical Compounds. Gibbs energy of mixing, chemical potential, and thermodynamic activity. Phase stability and equilibrium phase diagrams of multicomponent systems.
Kinetics of Phase Transformations. Thermodynamic driving forces and activation barriers, nucleation and growth of new phases. Diffusion mechanisms, Fick's laws, and kinetics of microstructural changes.
Solidification of Metals and Alloys. Solidification of pure metals and alloys, dendritic growth, segregation, and formation of polycrystalline structures. Precipitation and microstructural evolution in the solid state.
Solid-State Phase Transformations. Diffusional, partially diffusional, and diffusionless transformations. Decomposition of solid solutions, eutectoid, bainitic, and martensitic transformations.
Mechanical Properties and Failure of Materials. Elastic and plastic deformation, dislocations, and strengthening mechanisms. Physical mechanisms of fracture, fundamentals of fracture mechanics, fatigue and creep failure.
Thermal, Electrical, Magnetic, and Optical Properties of Materials. Physical mechanisms underlying these properties, electronic and vibrational states of solids, transport processes.
Corrosion and Degradation of Materials. Thermodynamic and kinetic fundamentals of corrosion, electrochemical mechanisms, types of corrosion damage, and corrosion protection methods.
Computational Materials Design and Modelling. Fundamental principles of computational materials modelling at different length scales.
Laboratory exercise
26 hours, compulsory
Syllabus
Atomic Structure. Electronic structure and chemical bonding.
Crystallography. Crystal lattice defects and X-ray diffraction.
Thermodynamics of Pure Substances. Determination of the temperature dependence of enthalpy, entropy, and Gibbs energy.
Thermodynamics of Solutions. Determination of thermodynamic activity using the carrier gas method.
Enthalpy Diagrams. Construction and interpretation of enthalpy diagrams for basic equilibrium phase diagrams.
Enthalpy Diagrams of the Fe–Fe₃C System. Application of enthalpy diagrams to the iron–cementite system.
Diffusion. Fick's first and second laws.
Diffusion. Carbon diffusivity during carburizing.
Quantitative Microstructural Analysis. Determination of grain size and application of the Hall–Petch relationship.
Transformations of Undercooled Austenite. Formation of proeutectoid ferrite.
Transformations of Undercooled Austenite. Construction of TTT and CCT diagrams.
Plastic Deformation. Determination of the strain-hardening exponent.
Structure and Properties of Polymers.