24-651 Material Selection for Mechanical Engineers

12 units, Carnegie Mellon University

This course provides a methodology for selecting materials for a given application. It aims to provide an overview of the different classes of materials (metal, ceramic, glass, polymer, elastomer or hybrid) and their properties including modulus, strength, ductility, toughness, thermal conductivity, and resistance to corrosion in various environments. Students will also learn how materials are processed and shaped (e.g., injection molding, casting, forging, extrusion, etc.), and will explore the origins of the properties, which vary by orders of magnitude. Topics include: Materials selection by stiffness, strength, fracture toughness and fatigue. Shape factors and materials processing. Binary phase and time temperature transformation diagrams, microstructure. Polymer types and structures. Alloying and strengthening of metals, types of steels. Corrosion, oxidation, tribology and thermal properties.

Prerequisites: 24-262 and 09-105

Offered: Fall 2026, Fall 2025

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