Cellular Solids: Structure, Properties and Applications
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this materials science course on cellular solids such as foams and honeycombs, built from polymers, metals, ceramics, glasses, and composites. Lessons cover how these materials are processed and structured, and develop mechanical models to predict their stiffness, strength, and energy absorption. Applications include lightweight structural panels, energy absorption devices, and thermal insulation. A significant portion addresses medical uses: trabecular bone loss in osteoporosis, metal foam coatings for orthopaedic implants, and porous scaffolds for tissue engineering that mimic the extracellular matrix. The course also looks at natural cellular materials and biomimicry, using them as models for engineered design. Graduate students complete additional assignments beyond the undergraduate track. Materials include lecture notes and assignments from MIT's Department of Materials Science and Engineering, free to access with no certificate offered through OCW.