Advanced Engineering Materials
Nanomaterials:
The concept of nanomaterials began with physicist Richard Feynman's 1959 lecture, "There's Plenty of
Room at the Bottom," which discussed the potential of manipulating matter at the atomic and molecular
scale. The term "nanotechnology" was coined by Norio Taniguchi in 1974 to describe precision
engineering at the nanoscale. The study of materials whose dimension range from a few micrometers to
nano meters is called nanoscience, where the properties of the materials are size specific. Nano is not a
new terminology; it exists from the ancient times. The colored glass imprints present during Roman
Empire is due to nanotechnology. Nanomaterials are obtained by arranging matter by controlling the
dimension from few micrometers to nanometer. The state of matter around this size is referred to as
“Mesoscopic State”.
Density of states in 1D, 2D and 3D structures:
The materials of nano dimension can be visualized as follows.
Bulk material of 3-dimensions as a reduction in one dimension the resulting structure
in2 dimensions is called a film.
If the reduction is in 2 dimensions the resulting structure is in 1 dimension it is quantum wire.
If the reduction is in all the 3 directions the resulting structure is quantum dot. It is also called
nanoparticle or cluster.
Charge carriers are able to move in all directions in a 3-D material, confined to a plane in a film in
only one direction in a quantum wire but in a 0-D structure they will remain confined to a very
small space.
The variation of density of states for a 3-D material is parabolic in shape. Though it applies for all
energy bands let us consider for the conduction band of the material.
For a 2-D structure the density of states denoted as D (E) varies as step function. There is sudden
rises in D (E) at energy values 𝐸1, 𝐸2, etc.
For a quantum wire of 1-D structure, the density of states variation is smooth there are density
peaks at energy values 𝐸1, 𝐸2 ... and decreases rapidly in the range in between.
The density of state is of the order of 109/m eV.
For a 0-D structure, the permitted energy values are just discrete because of confined condition for
the electrons.
Synthesis: Top - down and Bottom–up approach
Top-down approach:
It involves starting with a larger piece of material and reduces its dimensionsuntil a nanomaterials
is obtained from it by breaking thematerial. Top-down lithographic approaches offer arbitrary
geometrical designs and good nanometer-level precision and accuracy. Lithography in general
involves the patterning of a surfacethrough exposure to light, ions or electrons, and then subsequent
etching and deposition of material on to that surface to produce the desired device.
Example: Ball milling, spray pyrolysis, laser ablation, etc
Bottom-up approach:
Bottom up approach refers to the buildup of a material from the bottom: atom by atom, molecule by
molecule or cluster by cluster.
Both approaches play very important role in modern industry and most likely in nano technology as well.
There are advantages and disadvantages in both approaches.
Example: Wet chemical synthesis such as sol-gel, solution combustion, hydrothermal, evaporative
decomposition, reverse micellar, surface modifier, solid state synthesis, etc.
Nanomaterials Properties:
❖ Size-dependent properties: Nanomaterials exhibit unique properties due to their small size, such as
quantum effects and increased surface area to volume ratio.
❖ Optical properties: Many nanomaterials display interesting optical properties, including plasmonic
effects and quantum confinement.
❖ Mechanical properties: Nanomaterials can have enhanced mechanical properties, such as increased
strength and flexibility.
❖ Electrical properties: Some nanomaterials exhibit excellent electrical conductivity or
semiconducting behavior, making them useful for electronics and sensors.
❖ Chemical properties: Nanomaterials may have different chemical reactivity compared to bulk
materials, leading to novel applications in catalysis and chemical sensing.
Applications
❖ Electronics and optoelectronics: Nanomaterials are used in electronic devices like transistors,
LEDs, and solar cells due to their unique electronic properties.
❖ Catalysis: Nanomaterials with high surface areas and tailored structures are used as catalysts for
various chemical reactions.
❖ Biomedical applications: Nanomaterials are used in drug delivery, imaging, and tissue engineering
due to their biocompatibility and unique properties.
❖ Energy storage and conversion: Nanomaterials are used in batteries, fuel cells, and
supercapacitors to improve energy storage and conversion efficiency.
❖ Environmental remediation: Nanomaterials are used for water purification, air filtration, and
environmental sensing due to their high surface area and reactivity.
Shape Memory Alloys
Shape Memory Alloys are metals that regain their original shape after being deformed by
appropriate thermal or magnetic procedure.
Normally when a metal is strained beyond its elastic limit, permanent deformation occurs. The
metal will not return to the original shape. But in shape memory alloys when the material is subjected to
deformation, it will deform and in the same state even the deformation force is removed. It will regain the
original shape when it is heated. This effect is called shape memory effect and it is due to thermoelastic
phase transformation through mechanical deformation.
There are two types of shape memory alloys. Certain alloys exhibit shape memory effect while
heating is called one-way SMA. Some alloys exhibit shape memory effect both on heating and cooling are
called two-way SMA. Examples: NiTi, CuZnAl, CuAlNi
Shape Memory Alloys have two distinct crystal structures or phases. At lower temperature the
crystal structure of shape memory alloy is martensite. In this martensite form the material can be deformed
into any shape. It is a relatively soft phase. At higher temperature, austenite is the crystal structure. It is
the stronger phase of SMA. The austenite and martensite phases are shown in the above figure.
When SMA is heated
it changes to austenite phase from
deformed martensite phase. On cooling it turns back to twinned (deformed) martensite. This is shown in
the above figure.
Characteristics
i) The transformation occurs not only at a single temperature rather they occur over a range of
temperatures.
ii)During cooling process, martensite starts and ends. During heating process austenite starts andends. It is
found that they do not overlap with each other and the transformation process exhibits the form of hysteresis
curve as shown in figure.
Applications
i) It can be used as fire safety valve. When fire occurs, SMA component shape will be changed.
ii) It is used as a blood-clot filter. Here, the SMA material is cooled and sent into the vein. Due to
body temperature it gets the original shape and acts as blood clot filter.
iii) Crystallographically the thermoelastic martensites are reversible.
Application of Nitinol
Nitinol is an alloy of about 56% Nickel and 44% Titanium. It was discovered in Naval Ordinance
Laboratory so that it is called as Nitinol. Nitinol remembers its original shape and springs back up to
temperatures around 500C. It can be strained 8 to 10 times more than spring steel without permanent
deformation. The crystal structure of nitinol is different at cold and hot temperatures. At cold temperatures
it is soft and easy to bend whereas at hot temperatures it is stiff and springy.
Nitinol is used to:
i) Seal holes in the heart
ii) Patch up faulty blood vessels
iii) Attach tendons to bones
iv) Knee replacements
v) Replace damaged discs
