Dr. Santanu Mandal is the Senior General Manager & Head of the DSIR-approved R&D unit of the Industrial Ceramics Division of CUMI, India and currently leads the R&D program in Technical & Advanced Ceramics, and Composites.

Materials science is the quiet hero behind many technological innovations across industries. Students in pursuit of a career in the field will find a host of possibilities open up for them, especially in strategic sectors like defence & aerospace.

Today, students aspire to become engineers or join the armed forces to be part of nation-building or defending the nation. Pursuing a career in materials science engineering can bring together the best of both worlds.

Materials science is the very foundation of human civilization. From the Stone Age when primitive man began tinkering with and discovering better materials to fashion their implements, we have come a long way indeed. The now-ubiquitous ceramic has greatly evolved from crafting pots in ancient Mesopotamia for cooking, storage and artifacts, to eventually finding usages in advanced structural & functional applications in modern times.

The same can be said for metals, having evolved from the Bronze and Iron Ages to the superalloys and high-entropy alloys of today. Another relatively new class, polymeric materials came into the spotlight for their versatility around 75 to 100 years ago, since the synthesis of Bakelite resin in 1907.

Contemporary materials science is the only discipline that applies to both science & engineering and technology. One can invent materials, use combinations to evolve a better or new class of properties and use this to develop a product/system that delivers a certain desired performance attribute or an impressive combination of them.

Newer materials, greater innovation

Modern-day advanced materials are being used to address a diversified range of performance must-haves, especially in India’s strategic sectors such as aerospace, defence, and space - from wear resistance, corrosion resistance, electrical insulation to super-conductors, thermal insulation to high thermal conduction, and dielectric, vacuum electronic devices, to solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and solid oxide electrolyzers to generate hydrogen and achieve carbon neutrality in an industrialized economy.

As a career choice, students have an opportunity to create real impact. By welcoming advancements in science and technology through research & innovation, they can contribute significantly towards economic growth and societal progress.

Career avenues to explore

Material science consists of three classes of materials namely - metals and alloys, ceramics and composites, and plastics and rubbers (i.e. polymeric materials). A student keen on a career in this sphere requires a strong base in both science and engineering. The primary avenue is to opt for broad-based bachelor’s and master’s degree courses in Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering.

Students can pursue research in a diversified field of materials science based on their preference and scope of application. They can branch out and go deeper into Aerospace Engineering, Polymers & Bio Systems Engineering, Corrosion Science, and even Materials Science & Nanotechnology. These courses are offered by leading research-oriented institutions such as the IITs and NITs, and other reputed universities across India.

Why explore materials science careers in aerospace & defence

Research-led innovation has become imperative with the Indian government’s ambition of achieving self-reliance in defence and aerospace as well as in space sector through indigenization. It also enables to manufacture defence-critical, import-dependent materials such as Al2O3 – TiO2, Yttria-stabilized Zirconia, the primary materials for thermal barrier coatings that protect critical aircraft engine components. New-age materials like ‘wonder material’ graphene and phase change materials or passive cooling materials showcase immense potential.

The focus is now on developing superior performance materials for advanced protection and certification. This can be enabled by a dynamic next generation of materials science students, pivotal for the next level of growth of leading players in the field. The larger goal is to engineer best-in-class materials for India and from India for the world.

Engineering for the future

The defence & aerospace sectors are increasingly witnessing the use of smart materials and self-healing composites that can auto-repair damage. Imagine the potential of a smart structure integrated with smart materials such as sensors and actuators which can, by deploying a control algorithm, sense changes and accordingly guide the actuators to respond in a certain way.

Rapid strides in the fields of AI/ML and IoT are not only driving change in manufacturing but also expanding the scope of materials science. For instance, additive manufacturing in aerospace can involve using the best material combinations in the most precise manner to cost effectively design lighter and more structurally sound aerostructures. Integrated Computational Materials Engineering is an emerging field of study with immense potential for the future.

Therefore, career possibilities arising from materials science engineering are exponential. Staying abreast of the latest developments in the field and tapping it early will help students stay at the forefront of advancements and carve out a robust career track.