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Research Areas
The three areas of research emphasized in the Materials Science
program are electronic
and optical materials, polymer
materials, and biomaterials.
These three areas are not discrete, however, as research projects in
electronic polymers, nonlinear optics of polypeptides on surfaces,
liquid crystals, and wear in polyethylene artificial joints
demonstrate. Individual faculty members may have research interests
in more than one of the primary areas, and may collaborate with
others to address all three.
The research projects that are profiled here are examples of the
interdisciplinary research opportunities that exist at UNC in
connection with the Materials Science program.
Materials Science
To the age-old question: "which comes first, the chicken or the
egg?", a materials scientist would likely respond: "neither". In
material science there is a synergism between what exists and what
needs to exist. Materials are sometimes, but not always, designed
with a particular application in mind. Indeed many new materials,
such as nylon, the first polymer, were discovered simply by chance.
The fate of such discoveries depends on whether there are obvious
immediate applications. More important still, is the mind-set of the
inventor.
The scientific world is broadly divided into basic or fundamental
research, and applied research. For scientists involved in basic
research, the goal is most often to determine why certain kinds of
materials have a particular set of properties. Sometimes predictions
of materials properties are made even before the materials
themselves are synthesized. In this sense, the material itself is
secondary, and while the discovery of new materials is sometimes a
by-product of this effort, it is seldom the sole objective. In such
instances it is easy to see why many new materials remain unused for
years.
On the other hand, applied research involves fashioning materials
for real-life applications. It involves knowing the conditions under
which a material will be used and identifying candidate materials
for this purpose. There is always a real need for better materials -
the issue is how much better and at what cost. An applied scientist,
with a particular application in mind, will scour lists of known
materials looking for one that meets his needs. If existing
materials are unsuitable, the applied and basic scientist must work
together to develop new materials. This synergism between what is
available and what needs to be developed reflects the important and
complementary roles of the basic and applied sciences in Materials
Science. Neither one takes precedent over the other. Rather, they
work hand-in-hand to fulfill our ever-growing need for new
materials. |
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