Dear Colleague,

You will get an answer of a mathematician. Materials science is about principles: it studies general principles by applying experiments, mathematical theories and simulations (often call in silico experiments), On the other hand, materials engineering is more or less using the same methods but it designs materials to have some predefined properties. Engineering is like to be a 'tailoring' and the 'cloth' is provided by fundamental research from materials science. From it, you see a basic division of those two subjects and you can see that they are mutually entangled.

Hopefully, it helps :-)

Jiri

Dear Azzam: 

I believe material science involves the discovery and design of novel materials based on chemistry , physics and math, while materials engineers focus on improving the properties of already known materials and their compositions.

kind regards

Dear Azzam,

There is another way how to understand the difference. Material science is all that is necessary to develop a software, e.g., simple dynamic recrystallization model used for simulations, see the below provided video and software links. Material engineering is to use experiment or a software and look for conditions: GB velocities, temperatures, strain rates of deformation that produce or avoid some desired or unwanted behavior, respectively.

Jiri :-)

The video link:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317013011_Self-Organization_Video_Sequence_Depicting_Numerical_Experiments_with_Cellular_Automaton_Model_of_Dynamic_Recrystallization_with_source-code_link

The software link:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/316989956_Cellular_Automaton_Simulation_of_Dynamic_Recrystallization_Introduction_into_Self-Organization_and_Emergence

Code Cellular Automaton Simulation of Dynamic Recrystallization: ...

Research Self-Organization: Video Sequence Depicting Numerical Experi...

JiriKroc thank you for your answer 

Thank you Gloria 

Dear Azzam, 

Adding to the stated comments, from my point of view, materials science studies the fundamentals of materials from angstrom to macro scale, studying features such as atoms, lattice structure, multi-dimensional defects, grains, phases, surface etc. in terms of various properties and physical/mechanical interactions. Whereas, materials engineering, as the name shows, is to engineer a material for a specific target. Tailoring composition, materials characteristics and process design in order to obtain a part with superior performance in certain application and environment. However, these terms are not mutually exclusive since they have lots of aspects in common.

Best regards,

Masoud

Thank you masoud for your answer

Comparing Materials Science to Materials Engineering

The training needed to become a materials scientist or a materials engineer is comparable and these professionals earn similar salaries. Materials scientists may focus more on research and tests in order to determine how to improve products. Materials engineers do research as well, but they are concerned with all aspects of production including costs, the production process, and production quality.

Job TitleEducational RequirementsMedian Salary (2016)*Job Outlook (2014-2024)*Materials ScientistBachelor's Degree$99,4303%Materials EngineerBachelor's Degree$99,3101%

Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Responsibilities of Materials Scientist vs Materials Engineer

Materials scientists and materials engineers work typical office hours and their work involves analyzing data and performing tests on materials. Materials scientists tend to be more involved with research and developing new ways to combine materials to improve how they function. For example, they might determine how to make plastics more durable. These professionals work more in an office or lab environment, while materials engineers may work more in factories or industrial settings. Materials engineers focus on products, the production process, and may be involved in recommending changes to their design. They may also assess production costs and create budgets, which is typically a duty outside the scope of materials scientists.

Materials Science

Materials scientists must possess strong research capabilities and expert knowledge in chemical compositions in order to develop new products using computers and lab instruments. Their work involves studying various products and their chemical properties, and can enhance or invent new materials based on their research, analysis, and test results. Products they work on range from pharmaceuticals to cleaning products. They can start their career by earning a bachelor's degree in chemistry or a similar discipline. Advancement is possible in this field. In order to move into research and senior positions it's necessary to gain practical experience and a graduate degree is required.

Job responsibilities of a materials scientist include:

• Identify products that need to be tested
• Determine the best way to test products
• Assess product safety
• Oversee technicians and other staff involved in the research
• Recommend ways to improve product materials
• Operate laboratory equipment
• Collaborate with other scientists

Materials Engineering

Materials engineers primarily work in manufacturing, and they may be involved with the production of everything from aircraft parts to sports equipment. Their focus is on the components used to produce items, and they may determine different materials that can be used to improve the product or reduce production costs. They use computers to study materials at their chemical and atomic levels to solve engineering problems in a number of fields, such as chemical or nuclear. In order to become a materials engineer it's necessary to earn a bachelor's degree in this field. Some materials engineers may opt to complete graduate studies, which can increase their job opportunities since they will be qualified to pursue research positions.

Job responsibilities of a materials engineer include:

• Assess the manufacturing process
• Identify areas for improvement in product manufacturing
• Alter or create materials to use in production
• Study faulty products to identify issues
• Prepare written assessments of production costs and processes
• Make product budgets

Materials engineering deals with understanding the properties of certain metal for specific applications.

A person studying material science may study about polymers, ceramics, metals, alloys, composite materials etc. This field has gained importance only in the last couple of centuries when we were able to understand the atomic properties, thermodynamic properties, molecular structures of different materials in a better way, due to the advancement of technology. However one can argue that material science has been a...

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