本教材共分8部分，32个单元，每个单元由一篇课文和一篇阅读材料组成。阅读材料提供与课文相应的背景知识或是课文的续篇；根据课文与阅读材料的内容，配有相应的练习题和注释。全书包括了材料科学与工程概论、金属材料(包括合金)、陶瓷材料、纳米材料、高分子材料、复合材料和生物医学材料，以及材料与环境等內容。本教材内容丰富、新颖，知识面宽。书末附录简要介绍了专业英语的构词规则和科技英语翻译技巧等。教材中的PART l由葛建芳、闫萍编写。PART 2由陈飞、曾冬梅、杨英歌、冯文然、秦华编写，。PART 3由方必军和周丽敏编写，PART 4和附录二由李翠金编写，PART 5由黄军左和付文编写，PART 6和附录一由郭清兵编写，PART 7由韩红梅、张国福编写，PART 8由蒲侠和肖文清编写；全部內容在互相交换审阅后，由李凤扛、王立岩和邹雪梅对全稿进行了认真仔细的校对。向红平同学负责全文初稿的编辑整理工作。教材编写过程中得到石油化工高等院校专业教材协作组及相关院校的大力支持和帮助，在此一并表示谢意。

PART 1 INTRODUCTION TO
MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING
Unit 1 Materials Science and Engineering
Unit 2 Classification of Materials
Unit 3 Properties of Materials
Unit 4 Materials Science and Engineering: What does the Future Hold?
PART 2 METALLIC MATERIALS AND ALLOYS
Unit 5 An Introduction to Metallic Materials
Unit 6 Metal Manufacturing Methods
Unit 7 Structure of Metallic Materials
Unit 8 Metal-Matrix Composites
PART 3 CERAMICS
Unit 9 Introduction to Ceramics
Unit 10 Ceramic Structures--Crystalline and Noncrystalline
Unit 11 Ceramic Processing Methods
Unit 12 Advanced Ceramic Materials--Functional Ceramics
PART 4 NANOMATERIALS
Unit 13 Introduction to Nanostructured Materials
Unit 14 Preparation of Nanomaterials
Unit 15 Recent Scientific Advances
Unit 16 The Future of Nanostructure Science and Technology
PART 5 POLYMERS
Unit 17 A Brief Review in the Development of Synthetic Polymers
Unit 18 Polymer Synthesis: Polyethylene Synthesis
Unit 19 Polymer Synthesis: Nylon Synthesis
Unit 20 Processing and Properties of Polymer Materials
PART 6 POLYMERIC COMPOSITES
Unit 21 Introduction to Polymeric Composite Materials
Unit 22 Composition, Structure and Morphology of Polymeric Composites
Unit 23 Manufacture of Polymer Composites
Unit 24 Epoxy Resin Composites
PART 7 BIOMATERIAL
Unit 25 Introduction to Biomaterials and Biomaterials Science
Unit 26 Biocompatibility
Unit 27 Polymers as Biomaterials
Unit 28 Future of Biomaterials
PART 8 MATERIALS AND ENVIRONMENT
Unit 29 Industrial Wastewater Treatment
Unit 30 Biodegradable Polymer Materials
Unit 31 Environmental Friendly Inorganic Materials
Unit 32 A Perspective in the Future: Challenges and Opportunities
附录一 科技英语构词法
附录二 科技英语语法及翻译简介
附录三 聚合物英缩写、全名、中文名对照表
附录四 练习题参考答案