2e année | Semestre 4
Option : Matériaux

Surface properties and endurance of materials

Tags : nanostructure, reactivity, surface characterization
Modalités d'évaluation :
written final exam
Descriptif du cours :

What is a surface? What are the specificities of surfaces compared to bulk? Why and how to study these surfaces? In this course we will try to answer these questions. The concepts of surface energy and stress will be introduced and their effects on the structure and properties of the surface will be studied. The initial stages of reactivity will be characterized in the framework of the adsorption theory.
The course will be illustrated by practical examples: growth of an oxide on an alloy, evolution of a metal interface in the presence of sulfur. These examples will highlight the different information that can be obtained using surface characterization techniques. Nanostructured surface fabrication methods will also be presented and the effects of nanostructuring on surface properties will be discussed.
After having seen the relationship microstructure-mechanical properties of metals, we propose here to go further by looking at the mechanisms that lead to the breaking of materials when exposed to mechanical loading or aging in a defined environment. This will allow us to address the issue related to the durability of metallic materials in conditions of use.

Objectifs d'apprentissage :

At the end of the course the student will be able:
– to identify and explain the main technological issues of the study of surfaces,
– to describe the fundamental differences between the properties of a surface and those of the bulk material,
– to determine the structure, characteristics and basic properties of a surface of given orientation,
– to describe the different adsorption mechanisms and give their main characteristics,
– to justify the usefulness of ultra-high vacuum and electronic spectroscopies for surface analysis and to identify the most appropriate techniques to answer a given problem,
– to highlight, by means of examples, the importance of the structure and the surface composition on the mechanisms and the kinetics of reactivity.

Langue(s) : EN

Documents :
documents in english