Materials science & metallurgy tools — mechanical properties, crystal structures, phase diagrams, heat treatment, fatigue and fracture, corrosion, composites, and materials selection.
Compute engineering stress (σ = F/A), strain (ε = ΔL/L), Young's modulus, and total elongation for an axially loaded member. The starting point for every mechanical-property analysis.
Find the factor of safety from material strength and applied stress, or back out the allowable working stress for a target FoS. Includes guidance on typical safety factors by application.
Calculate the change in length from thermal expansion (ΔL = α·L·ΔT) and the thermal stress that develops when expansion is restrained (σ = E·α·ΔT). Essential for rails, pipes, and bridges.
Convert between Brinell (HB), Rockwell C (HRC), Vickers (HV) hardness and approximate tensile strength for steels, using standard ASTM E140 correlations.
Assess fatigue safety under fluctuating loads with the modified Goodman criterion from mean and alternating stress, endurance limit, and ultimate strength. Flags infinite-life vs failure.
Compute the theoretical density of a crystal from structure (BCC, FCC, HCP), atomic weight, and atomic radius using ρ = nA / (Vc·N_A). The classic crystallography exam problem.
Find the area moment of inertia and section modulus for rectangular and circular sections, then the maximum bending stress σ = M·c/I from an applied moment.
Convert a coupon mass loss into a corrosion rate in mils-per-year (mpy) and mm/year using CR = (K·W)/(ρ·A·t), and classify the rate from outstanding to unacceptable.
Estimate the modulus and density of a fiber-reinforced composite from the volume fractions and properties of the fiber and matrix, with both Voigt (iso-strain) and Reuss (iso-stress) bounds.
Convert the units of stress and modulus (MPa, GPa, ksi, psi) and density (g/cm³, kg/m³, lb/in³) so your strength, stiffness, and weight numbers stay consistent across systems.
Materials science and metallurgy is unusual among engineering disciplines: there is no standalone NCEES PE Materials license. Materials topics instead appear on the FE exam (across the Mechanical, Civil, and Other Disciplines specifications), and professional credibility is built through industry and society certifications — ASM International, NACE/AMPP, ASNT, and the ASQ Certified Quality Engineer. This overview maps what each covers, who administers it, and how they fit a materials career.
FE materials prep: atomic structure and bonding, crystallography, stress–strain and mechanical properties, hardness, phase diagrams and the iron–carbon diagram, heat treatment, material classes, failure, and corrosion — the materials content that appears across the FE specifications.
Metallurgy & Materials Fundamentals prep: atomic structure and bonding, crystal structures and defects, phase diagrams and the iron–carbon diagram, heat treatment, ferrous and non-ferrous alloys, strengthening mechanisms, and the polymer/ceramic/composite material classes — the metallurgy core.
Mechanical Behavior & Materials Testing prep: stress–strain behavior and elastic modulus, yield and tensile strength, hardness testing and conversion, impact and fracture toughness, fatigue (S–N and Goodman), creep, and failure analysis — the ASTM-aligned testing core.