Drawing of the structure of cork as described in Micrographia (1665) by Robert Hooke. Hooke was the first to apply the word "cell" to biological objects. (Image is in the public domain. See Wikimedia Commons.)
Instructor(s)
Lorna Gibson
MIT Course Number
3.054 / 3.36
As Taught In
Spring 2015
Level
Undergraduate / Graduate
Course Description
Course Features
- Video lectures
- Faculty introduction - video
- Captions/transcript
- Special feature - video
- Lecture notes
- Projects and examples
Educator Features
Course Description
This course reviews the processing and structure of cellular materials as they are created from polymers, metals, ceramics, glasses, and composites, develops models for the mechanical behavior of cellular solids, and shows how the unique properties of honeycombs and foams are exploited in applications such as lightweight structural panels, energy absorption devices and thermal insulation. The applications of cellular solids in medicine include increased fracture risk due to trabecular bone loss in patients with osteoporosis, the development of metal foam coatings for orthopaedic implants, and designing porous scaffolds for tissue engineering that mimic the extracellular matrix. Modelling of cellular materials applied to natural materials and biomimicking is explored. Students taking the graduate version of the class are required to complete additional assignments.