Division Director's Message

The Department of Materials is one of the most traditional departments in the School of Engineering, with its roots in the Department of Metallurgy founded in 1911 when the Kyushu Imperial University was established. The Department of Materials was established in April 2021 and conducts education and research in materials science and engineering as a member of the School of Engineering Group II. The postgraduate department was also reorganised in view of the six-year integrated education in the Faculty of Engineering. The postgraduate programme provides education and research programmes which deepen the specialisation of undergraduate studies and provide a foundation for producing leaders in the field.

History shows that human civilisation began in the Stone Age and has continued through the Bronze and Iron Ages to the present day. It is no exaggeration to say that mankind has evolved together with materials. Today, in addition to metallic materials such as steel, aluminium, titanium and magnesium, various materials such as ceramic materials, semiconductor materials, magnetic materials and superconducting materials continue to be developed and created, and the arrival of the next era is just around the corner. The Department of Materials conducts education and research in the three pillars of “metallurgical chemistry”, "structural metal materials science", and "functional materials science", which are the foundations for the next generation, with 12 laboratories leading this field of study. At the same time, there is a strong need for future science and technology to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in terms of environmental protection and resource recycling. Low-environmental-impact metal refining technology, weight reduction and recycling of structures, and effective use of natural energy are also important research topics for us.

As described above, we engage in education and research with the goals of "opening up a new society through materials" and "protecting the earth through materials". For more information, see the faculty profiles on the website and the videos on the Materials Channel of the department.

Shinji Munetoh
Division Director and Professor
Department of Materials

About

Department of Materials covers many areas of learning, including the physics and chemistry of extracting various inorganic source materials from metals, semiconductors and ceramics, etc., and combining these materials into a final form, as well as the development of new materials and the analysis and evaluation of material characteristics. The course comprises three areas. (1) Reaction processes to extract and refine physical, chemical or electrochemical matter and materials from source materials that exist in various forms and chemical compounds around the world; (2) Material properties, including mixing or fixing materials in powdered, dissolved or gaseous form, controlling their properties through the application of health or deformation, investigating their various characteristics and microscopic structure, and developing materials with new functions; and (3) Manufacturing processes through which by dissolution, coagulation or plastic deformation, etc., the materials are made into their final form.

The course comprises a curriculum that allows students to acquire knowledge in these broad areas. For example, a wide variety of classes are offered, from those in the areas of nano- and micro-science in order to understand material properties at the electron, atomic, and crystalline levels, to macro processes employed in the actual production of materials. This is a wide-ranging course and the opportunities are many and varied, allowing students to select what area of science interests them most, be it research using the latest ultrahigh resolution electron microscope with the world's highest optical resolution, or materials analysis that employs simulations using measurement devices, etc. More than 70% of students progress to graduate school.

History

1911

The department of Materials Science and Engineering was firstly organized as the Department of Metallurgy in 1911, while as the Kyushu University was founded, which is known as the third oldest department of Metallurgical Science in Japan.

1961

The department of Ferrous Metallurgy was established.

1990

The department of Metallurgy and the department of Ferrous Metallurgy were merged into the department of Materials Science and Engineering.

2005

The Research Center for Steel was founded.

2021

Reorganized into the Department of Materials due to organizational reform of the Faculty of Engineering.