Functional and Smart Materials

Abstract

This article introduces a framework for advanced materials with an emphasis on functional materials. Metals and alloys are the most important structural materials. Alloys and steels cover the majority of metallic materials used in engineering. By adding specific elements into an alloy, various properties of the system can be enhanced. Metals are dominated by metallic bonds, which means that the free electrons are contributed by all of the atoms and they are shared by all of the atoms; thus, the metal atoms are embedded in the sea of free electrons.