TP de Matériaux

Dear All,

Below is a note about the organization and expected content on the TP reports, which I hope it adds some clarity to what we discussed in class.

As you can see in the front page to be included in each TP report, the following sections must be present:

1. Materials and Methods

• Full description of the experimental set up, including the equipments used (testing machines, microscopes,... ), specimens tested (i.e. sample geometry, compositions, thermomechanical history,...), test parameters (i.e. loading/displacement rates, microscopy conditions, etching time, quenching media,... )
• Procedure followed to extract the results presented later (equations used, methodology for data analysis, ...), assumptions made
• The information in this section should be descriptive enough to enable the reproducibility of the results

2. Results

• Short introduction of the results to be presented before displaying any table, figure
• Numerical measurements must be always accompanied by a measurement error indicating their uncertainty
• Show the results in a logical manner, in the form of figures or tables. Figures can be either graphs or photos
• Graphs should be legible and informative (cointaining legends and axes with variables and units)

3. Discussion

• Explain the results and compare them among the different materials and/or testing variables
• Comment on the differences observed from a materials science standpoint (i.e. referring to microstructural features, strengthening mechanisms, thermomechanical treatments, rate of plastic deformation, fractography,...)
• What do the results show? Are they consistent with the theory, measurements, literature (citations must be present)?
• Any issues encountered or inconsistencies with literature values? What are their potential sources, and their proposed solutions?
• Be critical on the work accomplished and comment on any technical or theoretical limitations which could have impacted the results obtained

4. Conclusions

• Highlight the original contributions of the study, as well as the major results and what they imply.
• Summarize the key methodological aspects and technical consequences of the results 

General comments:
- All figures, tables and plots must be introduced and cited accordingly in the text, before they are presented
- Table captions go above, figure captions go below
- All pages of the report must be numbered
- Format and font should be consistent across the report. Correct orthography and technical language
- The references cited in the text should be listed at the end of the report


Best regards,
David