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. . . Sees ideas made into products Eduardo Kamenetzky, a senior research scientist at Cytec Industries, explains, "The central concept of materials science is relating the microstructure of a material to the properties you want it to have. By working with the microstructure, you can tailor the central properties of that material." Materials scientists are generally employed by industry or in laboratories where the focus is on developing product-related technologies. But, not all ideas become products and, as a result, possessing the quality of persistence is helpful in this field. "Persistence is important," says Bob Haddon at AT&T Bell Laboratories. "You have to have a high tolerance for frustration because 99% of your experiments do not work." Barry Speronello, an engineering fellow at Englehard Corporation, agrees, "There are a dozen bad ideas for each fair idea, and a dozen fair ideas for each good idea. You sort out which ideas are worth pursuing. Most ideas break down when you look at the economics." But when an idea succeeds, it's very gratifying. This is often what materials scientists say they enjoy most about their work-seeing an idea through from the basic microstructure research to the manufacture and commercialization of a product made of the developed material.
Chemists play a predominant role in materials science because chemistry provides information about the structure and composition of materials as well as the processes to apply and synthesize them. Materials science overlaps to a large extent with polymer science resulting in many new polymeric materials being developed in this century. Materials scientists are employed by companies whose products are made of metals, ceramics, and rubber, for example; they work in the coatings (developing new varieties of paint) and biologics (designing materials that are compatible with human tissues for prosthetics and implants) industries. Other applications of materials science include studies of superconducting materials, graphite materials, integrated-circuit chips, and fuel cells. Materials science is so interdisciplinary that preparation in a number of related areas is important. "It is good to have a specialization," says Darrel Tenney, chief of the Materials Division at NASA's Langley Research Center. "But you also need to be cross-trained in a related discipline. This has been important for many years, but it is becoming critical." Good verbal and written communication skills are required since most materials scientists work in teams with people in other disciplines.
A materials scientist's background is varied. Although a materials science
degree may open many doors, it may be safer for students to avoid early
specialization in their course work. Materials scientists indicate that
students should learn the basic sciences. This broad base is often obtained
through degrees in physics, engineering, or chemistry. Once armed with
a broad base of scientific knowledge, one can focus on more specific skills
that are or will be in demand by industry.
The material Peavey works most closely with is ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer, or EPDM, which is used in roofing materials and in the auto industry for sealing components, rubber gaskets, and hoses. "Once you develop the formulation far a basic rubber polymer, you then have to examine how that polymer will perform as a product," she says. Factors such as molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, and ethylene content all make a difference in how the material can be processed. "Another group in research and development handles polymerization. They make all sorts of variations in the base polymer," she says. "It's my job to assess the effect these variations will have on product performance." Part of this work includes evaluating how the material will process in machinery such as extruders and injection molders as well as in different curing applications like microwave or hot-air ovens. With her knowledge of polymer processing, Peavey is often the customer's resource for advice on how to formulate and process EPDM for a specific application.
"I really like the breadth of activities in which I get to participate. Some chemists work within a very narrow range, but with greater depth than I will ever have. I think I'm well suited for what I do because I like to take as broad a perspective as possible." In his job, Speronello says he can conceive of a concept and work on that concept completely through commercial sales. "I determine the practicality of the concept and work with the manufacturing group to develop a manufacturing process. I work with customers and let them know how the product will enable them to do what they need to do better, faster, and cheaper. This way, I have the opportunity to shepherd my original conception through its useful life." [Photo courtesy of Du Pont]
Bruce Scott, manager of chemistry and materials science at IBM's T. J. Watson Research Center, has spent part of his career studying the chemistry of deposition of very thin films of silicon. As a result of these studies, Scott has improved the chemical process for the fabrication of devices that are at the core of IBM's business. Scott explains that the films are made by allowing monosilane gas to decompose on a substrate, usually also composed of a crystal form of silicon. "We spent a lot of time researching the gas phase and surface reactions that lead to the deposition of films," Scott says. "Traditionally, films are deposited at high temperatures, near 1000 °C, from chlorosilanes. We studied these processes in detail to see if the same films could be formed at a lower temperature. Low-temperature deposition is important because films with sharp electrical characteristics can be made, leading to very high-speed computer circuits. This emphasis led to the development of a new process for the lower-temperature deposition of silicon films. Because we understood the chemistry and how the gas behaves, we were able to develop a completely new process technology that is now being used to manufacture devices. It is a good example of the direct transfer of basic science results to technology."
"There is a real emphasis today on making ceramic parts that are cheaper and easier to manufacture," he says. Zank cites, as an example, parts that have a certain shape or detail that is vital to their function. "These are parts that are not just tubes but that need to have grooves and flanges on them. Being able to build a ceramic part in this kind of detail before it is sintered is the most economical way to make it," he says. To make a ceramic part, a materials scientist blends the polymer with
a ceramic powder, and this blended material is then molded in a die that
incorporates the desired detail. The part shape is then set by heating
it to cross-link the polymer. The part is further heated to smelter the
article at temperatures greater than 1700 °C. Fabricating a ceramic
part in this way has the potential to provide a part that is cheaper than
a part that needs machining in order to incorporate the details.
But Tenney's role is not just to look at the materials needs for today. The most exciting part of his work is to evaluate the advanced technology that may be important in the future. One new area is the field of computational materials. Taking their cue from the mathematical modeling used in the pharmaceutical industry to understand molecules and how they interact with the body, researchers are using computers to guide their research in high-molecular-weight polymers. "We will be making materials by design," he says, "deciding ahead of time what characteristics we want the material to have and then going into the lab to make that material." Tenney says computational skills combined with chemistry promises tremendous opportunity for the future.
The science of electronic materials has been a very successful field, according to Haddon. "Silicon is almost a nightmare for people working on new electronic materials because it is so good." Still, he believes it is an exciting time to explore the potential of materials other than silicon. "Organics have not had a large penetration into the market. They've always been something of a sidelight in the industry. A breakthrough in the science of organics will prove their worth in the marketplace." Haddon says that at Bell Labs, there is good support for basic research. "The hope is that there will be an application for every piece of basic research."
WORKING CONDITIONS PLACES OF EMPLOYMENT PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS EDUCATION AND TRAINING Students are encouraged to give thoughtful consideration to the type of work they want to do and then investigate the level of education that is required. There are about 20 degree programs in materials science in the United States, but most materials scientists recommend training in a more specific discipline, such as inorganic synthesis and organic chemistry, or specific materials science such as ceramic engineering. They advise, however, not specializing too soon. In addition to their scientific training, materials scientists stress the importance of understanding and the ability to apply basic statistical concepts. JOB OUTLOOK SALARY RANGE FOR MORE INFORMATION WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW American Chemical Society, Education Division, 1155 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036; (202) 452-2113.
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