Surface engineering (SE) is a sub-discipline of Materials Science and Materials Engineering which deals with the surface of a solid and its modifications. The primary goal of SE of nanomaterials is to modify the properties of surface to improve its electrical and thermal properties, and to improve the compatibility of nanomaterials with some matrix when they are used as reinforcing fillers in composites for high performance applications.
Selection of nanomaterials for energy harvesting and storage applications is an interdisciplinary course which deals with selection of nanomaterials and key challenges to improve performance of the energy harvesting and storage devices/techniques. In this course we will be covering different energy harvesting and storage techniques and the parameters that are to be considered in selecting the nanomaterials for the same.
In manufacturing, quality control is a process that ensures customers receive products free from defects and meet their requirements. Inspection and measurement is needed during production for quality control because of the inherent variability introduced by the machines, tools, raw materials, and human operators which causes variations in the different quality characteristics (length, diameter, thickness, tensile strength, surface finish etc.) of the product. Inspection and testing is very important in maintaining a certain quality level in the product during production. It helps to control the quality of products by fixing the sources of defects immediately after they are detected. Several non-destructive inspection methods also help to perform in-service inspection to avoid any catastrophic failure and predict the remaining life of the product.
Structural analysis of nanomaterials is an important part of Materials Science and Nanoscience & Nanotechnology which deals with the study of crystal structure of materials and their defects. It is a prerequisite for the understanding of properties of nanomaterials to have a detailed knowledge of the structure from the atomic/molecular (local) level to the crystal structure and to the microstructure (mesoscopic scale and defect structure). The primary goal of structural analysis of nanomaterials is aiming at both investigating the structure-property relationship and discovering new properties, in order to achieve relevant improvements in current state-of-the art materials.