• Chapter 1. Fundamentals about microstructure of materials

      • Introduction to the various families of materials: starting from in-service properties. Origin, typical values of these properties (Young’s modulus, thermal expansion, melting temperature...) .
      • Atomic bonding. Crystal state. Amorphous state (and glass transition). Basics of crystallography.
      •  Microstructure of metal alloys, of ceramics: solid solution, grains, texture, phases.
      • Defects in materials: vacancies, dislocations, interfaces (and interfacial energy), cavities, inclusions...

      Chapter 2. Formation des microstructures : outils thermocinétiques

      • Basics of phase transformations from the material’s point of view.
      • Basics of thermodynamics (thermodynamic potentials, equilibrium phase diagrams)
      • Basics of kinetics: nucleation, growth, Avrami equation, thermal activation.
      • Non-diffusive phase transformations.

      Chapter 3. Processing of materials: a few examples

      • Objective of processing steps for different families of materials.
      • Ferrous alloy metallurgy (steelmaking) : electrical route, ore route. Solidification, crystal growth, solidification-induced microstructures, solidification defects.
      • Cementitious materials.
      • Glass manufacturing: the role of viscosity.

      Chapitre 4. Linking microstructure to mechanical strength - Heat treatments

      • Application to heat treatments of metal alloys; iron-carbon equilibrium diagram, TTT and CCT diagrams of steels, associated microstructures.
      • Case study on precipitation: heat treatments of aluminium alloys.
      • Application 1: automotive steels.
      • Strengthening: solid solution strengthening; grain size strengthening (Hall-Petch equation); strain hardening; precipitation strengthening. Quantification of all of these contributions.
      • Application 2: nickel-base superalloys for aircraft turbine blades.

      Chapitre 5. Polymer processing and microstructures

      • Introduction to polymers: macromolecules. 2D, 3D networks.
      • Configuration (tacticity), conformation
      • Amorphous state. Random coil.
      • Crystal state: crystal structure of polymers.
      • Microstructures : crystal lamellae, spherulite
      • Evolution of modulus with temperature: glassy state, viscoelasticity, rubbery state, viscous flow. Interpretation of dynamic mechanical analysis measurements.
      • Fibres: natural fibres, synthetic fibres : microstructures, properties (stiffness).