HIT’s Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) discipline spreads across all three campuses. According to the Essential Science Indicators (ESI) database, HIT’s Materials Science ranks in the top 1‰ globally.

MSE scientists approach a diverse range of technical areas. For example, CAE member Liancheng Zhao studies the applications of optoelectronic materials in the field of information technology, such as telecommunications. In addition, Zhao and his colleagues used basic studies of the linear and nonlinear hyperelasticity in nickel-titanium (NiTi)-based alloys to develop applications for such items as spacecraft, satellites, and medical treatments.

In advanced ceramics and metal-matrix composites, CAE member Yu Zhou and his team explore basic and applied topics, including phase transformation and toughening mechanisms, amorphous and metastable ceramics, multifunctional heat-resistant ceramic-matrix composites, and highperformance metal-matrix composites. Zhou and his colleagues realized successfully the transfer of their research findings into practical applications in the aerospace industry.

MSE scientists also develop key technologies and equipment for manufacturing products with complex structures and advanced materials. Shijian Yuan and his team, for instance, invented and developed advanced hydroforming technology that provides high-performance and reliable manufacturing of complex thin-walled components. Aerospace, aviation, and automotive industries use this hydroforming technology in many ways, including making fuel tanks and jet nozzles. In fact, aspects of this work at HIT earned the 2016 National Technological Invention Award.

Other MSE work at HIT earns awards, as well. For example, the work by Jicai Feng and his team on welding dissimilar materials won the 2019 National Natural Science Award.