Introduction to externalities of materials selection, comprising social, political, economic, military, cultural, environmental and other effects.
Introduction to relationship between material cost, abundance and usage. Factors influencing availability such as energy density and recyclability are also discussed.
Introduction to the properties of materials that influence use in structural applications. Discussion of ratio analysis using among other examples steel, aluminum, and titanium.
Discusses manufacturing and processing factors that effect material choice in various applications. Introduction to causes of material failures