r/materials

I’m not sure whether this is the right sub to post this in, but I’m kinda in a pickle and would appreciate some advice.

I’m building a hands-free travel bidet with the goal of creating a more accessible option for elderly and disabled users. The design aims to address some of the mobility issues that can make traditional handheld travel bidets difficult to use.

One part of the design is a clip that attaches the bidet to a toilet. However, I’m running into a bit of a hygiene concern: the clip will come into contact with public toilet seats regularly, which obviously isn’t ideal from a sanitary standpoint.

I’ve designed the bidet so that the components can be disassembled and cleaned, but I was also wondering if there’s a material, possibly a type of metal, wood, or another material with naturally antimicrobial properties that could help keep the clip as clean as reasonably possible while being used on the go.

Any advice is really appreciated!

Hi, I’m going to start my first year of chemistry in September, but I’ve recently stumbled upon materials engineering as a bachelors which I find more interesting. I’m thinking about switching, seeing as from what I’ve gathered materials engineering relates closely to chemistry, requiring a molecular understanding of what’s happening underneath.

Is a MSE’s job centered more on lab/R&D/innovation or on heavy industries or factories?

Would it be better to get a chemistry undergrad and then specialize in MSE or something else? Is MSE too niche as an undergrad?

Does it have good job prospects?

Just to add some context, I’m from Spain where MSE is pretty unknown and I’m finding it a bit difficult to come across people talking about their experiences online, so I’d really appreciate it if someone has any useful advice!

Apples later designs eg. iPhone 12 & above, is really annoying to take off without damaging the display, especially later models where the glue require even hotter temperatures, where the temperature risk destroying the pixels. Usually that destruction happens almost instantly without warning.

My thought is to apply a thin layer of thermochromic plastic* over the screen, this would allow me to see the temperatures in real time, without having to faf about with expensive thermal cameras or other solutions.

(*Plastic that changes color depending on temperature, sometimes seen on aquariums as thermometers)

BUT, I have only found low-temperature thermochromic plastic, does anyone know if there exist some such plastic that is decently tuned to the temperatures needed for screen removal?

Or, if some company can custom make a plastic that is tuned to the right temperatures? (bonus points if it's a Swedish company).

Thanks.

Specifically a focus on semiconductors, because my dream is to study MSE and then work at semiconductor industry.

Not necessarily the biggest breakthrough.Somthing underrated?

It could be a relatively small development that has made a huge difference to performance, manufacturing, sustainability or cost.

What's something you've come across recently that made you think:

"That's actually pretty clever."

Would be great to hear some examples from people working across different parts of the materials industry.

Hi everyone !

I just changed my major from mechanical engineering to material science and engineering with a nuclear emphasis and while i am excited ive been a bit shaken up and anxious as i feel like i dont have many opportunities or the job market will be much worse for me. I really want to be excited about my choice to change so if you guys could mabye reassure me about job opportunities and the things you guys do or have accomplished or what you guys work in i would really appreciate it.

I'm a materials researcher and recently built a Windows application to simplify some of the repetitive plotting and analysis work I run into with experimental data.

It currently handles workflows around XRD, FTIR, Raman, UV-Vis and other XY datasets, including preprocessing, peak analysis and publication-oriented plotting.

I've mostly tested it around my own research workflow, so I'm interested in hearing from other researchers:

What is the most annoying or repetitive part of your current characterization-data workflow?

I'm especially interested in things that still require jumping between instrument software, Origin, Excel or custom scripts.

Disclosure: I'm the developer. Not trying to hide the self-promotion aspect — I'm mainly looking for real-world feedback at this stage.

i’ll be doing an accredited science degree at UofT, not engineering. will i be at a disadvantage in the job market with a science, not engineering degree?

can i get into this industry with just a bachelors, or is a postgrad degree necessary?

and any tips on getting jobs or internships?

tysm!

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I completed my high-school now I start my graduation in Materials engineering is it worth it in future.

Im an international student aiming to study at the UK for Materials Sci and Engineering, but idk if i should choose the 3 year program, 4 year for MEng or year in industry or 5 years for both, cause i wont say I’m poor but it would definitely put a strain in my family’s finances.. also regarding job prospects in the UK, what choice would lead to a higher pay? Desperately need advice please 😭

I'm now entering my first year in uni and this question just popped up in my mind. How cooked is our field?

I am currently studying materials engineering with a ECE minor and am trying to work in EE related jobs within the semiconductor, quantum, or tech fields. I know that these are quite broad on their own but I am still pretty early in my studies and don't know exactly where I want to end up. I'm leaning more on the semiconductor side of things but still would like to be open to the other two aforementioned.

I know that the material you learn in Materials Engineering is different from ECE but I still have a passion for some of the material that you can work with in industry and would like to know my options. Would it be advised to go down an MSEE after finishing the prerequisites or maybe there are gateways to what I am interested in without needing to go down that route?

Are there any other people who have similar interests that could share their stories or where they ended up working? Whether that be in tech, semis, quantum, etc..