Evolution of Model-Based Materials Definitions

Design, development, and manufacture of materials and components are inextricably linked to the methods to define the material and how it will be applied to component design and production, qualification, and certification. The available means of defining engineered materials within materials, process, and structures engineering have significantly changed over the past several decades with the development and application of computational materials modeling tools. Integrated computational materials engineering (ICME) has offered the promise of further alignment and concurrency of materials engineering with product design and structural analysis. Many success stories from ICME initiatives have focused on materials discovery and development; yet, true integration of materials engineering with other engineering disciplines has continued to be largely elusive. Focus on the methods of how materials are defined, communicated, deployed, and controlled has shown a significant opportunity for the goal of more complete integration of materials engineering. Material definitions have been taken for granted and underestimated as a pivotal component of ICME. Traditional, empirical, and static material definitions are evolving to make way for model-based material definitions (MBMDs) that can include evolution of spatiotemporal behavior. Here, we review recent changes in the way; materials are being defined, propose a definition of an MBMD, and describe how MBMDs are becoming formalized and utilized. Specific infrastructural capabilities that are enabling this evolution and future opportunities will also be discussed.