Evolution of views
The history of theoretical material science can be traced back to the Age of Enlightenment, when researchers began using analytical thinking from chemistry, physics, and engineering to understand ancient observations in metallurgy and mineralogy. Here are some key points in the history of theoretical material science:
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Origins in ancient times: Materials science originally emerged from the manufacture of ceramics and its derivative metallurgy, making it one of the oldest forms of engineering and applied science. Humanity had been using metals and alloys for several millennia before the development of material science as a formal discipline.
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Advancements in the 18th and 19th centuries: In the 18th century, French scientist René Antoine de Réaumur conducted important research on the grain structure in metals, while English scientist Grignon observed the columnar structure formed during the solidification of iron. Material science made significant progress in the 19th century with the use of new methods for studying the structure of metals, such as microscopy [5].
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Gibbs' breakthrough in the late 19th century: A major breakthrough in the understanding of materials occurred in the late 19th century when American scientist Josiah Willard Gibbs demonstrated the relationship between thermodynamic properties and atomic structure in various phases of a material.
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Post-World War II era: The systematic study of polymers advanced rapidly in the post-World War II era. This period also saw the emergence of materials science as a new interdisciplinary field, which considered all substances of engineering importance from a unified point of view.
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Development of materials science and engineering: Materials science and engineering evolved in the 1950s as it was recognized that creating, discovering, and designing new materials required a unified approach.
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Recent advancements: Materials science has continued to advance, with researchers now studying exotic forms of condensed matter and developing new physics theories to explain their behavior. This field has also expanded to include the integration of materials into biological systems, the study of fluid flows and ensemble systems, and the characterization of materials using diffraction and wave mechanics.