An 18-section interactive reference guide covering the full core of materials science and metallurgy — atomic bonding, crystal structures (BCC/FCC/HCP) and crystallographic defects, phase diagrams and the iron-carbon system, stress-strain behavior and mechanical properties, hardness testing and conversion, fracture and the Modified Goodman fatigue criterion, creep, heat treatment of steel, corrosion mechanisms and prevention, metals and alloys, composites/polymers/ceramics, Ashby materials selection, characterization and microscopy, nondestructive testing, metal additive manufacturing and powder metallurgy, welding metallurgy and heat-affected zone effects, and a quick-reference formula sheet.
The handbook follows the structure-processing-property-performance loop that ties materials science together. It starts with atomic bonding and the BCC/FCC/HCP crystal structures that determine ductility and strength (Hall-Petch relationship), moves through the iron-carbon phase diagram and the heat treatments (annealing, quenching, tempering) built on it, then covers mechanical behavior in depth — stress-strain curves, hardness scales and ASTM E140 conversion, fracture mechanics, and the Modified Goodman fatigue criterion. Later sections cover corrosion mechanisms and cathodic protection, the major alloy families (carbon and alloy steel, stainless, cast iron, aluminum, titanium, copper, nickel superalloys), composites and the rule of mixtures, Ashby-method materials selection, characterization techniques (SEM, TEM, XRD), the five core NDT methods, metal additive manufacturing and powder metallurgy, and welding metallurgy and heat-affected zone (HAZ) effects.
Use the Prev / Next buttons at the bottom, or press the arrow keys on your keyboard. Click the ☰ menu button in the top-right corner to open the table of contents and jump directly to any of the 18 sections. The amber progress bar at the top tracks your position through all sections. Scroll the mouse wheel to advance or go back.
This handbook is a companion to the Materials Science & Metallurgy Studio's calculators and articles — it walks through the reasoning behind the Stress/Strain, Factor of Safety, Hardness Conversion, Fatigue & Goodman, Theoretical Density, Corrosion Rate, and Rule of Mixtures calculators, and expands on the studio's knowledge articles on crystal structure, phase diagrams, heat treatment, failure/fatigue, corrosion, metals and alloys, composites, and materials selection. Use the calculators for quick numeric answers, the articles for focused deep dives, and this handbook as the connective reference that ties the whole subject together section by section.
BCC (body-centered cubic — α-iron, chromium, tungsten) has 2 atoms per unit cell, coordination number 8, and an atomic packing factor of 0.68. FCC (face-centered cubic — γ-iron, aluminum, copper, nickel) has 4 atoms per cell, coordination number 12, and APF 0.74, with 12 slip systems that make FCC metals very ductile. HCP (hexagonal close-packed — magnesium, zinc, titanium) also has APF 0.74 but far fewer easily-activated slip systems, making HCP metals generally less ductile and more anisotropic than FCC metals.
The Modified Goodman criterion is σ_a/S_e + σ_m/S_ut = 1/n, where σ_a is alternating stress amplitude, σ_m is mean stress, S_e is the endurance limit, S_ut is ultimate tensile strength, and n is the safety factor. A stress point falling below the Goodman line on a plot of σ_a vs σ_m predicts infinite fatigue life; above it predicts finite life or failure. For fully-reversed loading (σ_m = 0), it simplifies to n = S_e/σ_a.
Quenching rapidly cools austenitized steel (heated above ~727 °C) — typically in water or oil — to form martensite, a hard but brittle body-centered-tetragonal structure formed when carbon is trapped by the rapid cooling. Tempering then reheats the martensite, commonly in the 150–650 °C range, allowing some carbon to diffuse out and converting brittle martensite into tempered martensite, which trades some hardness for a large gain in toughness.
Corrosion requires four elements: an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, and a metallic path connecting them (e.g., Fe → Fe²⁺ + 2e⁻ at the anode). Stainless steel requires at least about 11% chromium to form the thin, self-healing chromium-oxide passive film responsible for its corrosion resistance — damage or chemical depletion of that film (such as sensitization at grain boundaries) restores active corrosion behavior locally.
The Ashby method narrows material choices through four steps: translate (convert requirements into function, constraints, objectives, and free variables), screen (eliminate materials that violate a hard constraint), rank (order survivors by a material index such as E/ρ for a lightweight stiff tie or σ_f^(2/3)/ρ for a lightweight strong beam), and support (check cost, supply, and manufacturability). Ashby charts plot one property against another on log-log axes so a material-index guideline of the correct slope identifies the best-performing family for the design objective.
Disclaimer: This reference guide summarizes publicly available materials science and metallurgy principles for educational purposes only. Always consult the official adopted edition of the applicable standard or specification for design, engineering, and compliance decisions. Standards referenced herein are copyright their respective organizations (ASTM International, ASM International, AISI/SAE, ASME, ASNT, AWS, etc.).