Materials Science and Engineering: MSE Resources
Materials Science and Engineering at Virginia Tech
Materials Science and Engineering focuses on the properties and structure of materials in order to both create new materials and improve those that exist. MSE faculty and students explore ways to use these materials and the methods for selecting appropriate materials for a wide range of applications. Graduates from Virginia Tech's MSE program work in fields such as fiber optics, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas production, semiconductors, cosmetics, failure analysis, equipment design, quality assurance, technical management, product development, and many more.
Tools for finding MSE articles, papers, and technical reports
- Engineering VillageEngineering Village is the search interface to three engineering databases: Compendex, Inspec, and Knovel. Compendex (1884-present) indexes citations and abstracts from over 5,000 engineering journals, conference papers, books, patents, dissertations, and technical reports. Inspec (1898-present) indexes citations and abstracts from journal articles, conference proceedings, books, and dissertations in engineering and physical sciences. Knovel provides ebooks on engineering and related subjects.
- ASM Handbooks OnlineASM Handbooks Online features the complete content of all ASM Handbook volumes plus two ASM Desk Editions (the Engineered Materials Handbook and the Metals Handbook). The ASM Handbook Online contains peer-reviewed, trusted information in every area of materials engineering and is the industry's best known and most comprehensive source of information on metals and materials technology.
- Material ConneXionMaterial ConneXion provides full-text data on materials used in architecture, interior and industrial design, fashion and apparel, and landscaping. Materials include polymers, ceramics, glass, metals, cements, and natural materials. Processing and sustainability information, physical and usage properties, and manufacturers are listed.
- SciFinder WebSciFinder Web indexes citations and abstracts from Chemical Abstract Services databases and MEDLINE including journal articles, patents, books, conference papers, dissertations, and reports. You can search text-based fields or draw chemical structures. You can perform cited reference searches. 1907-present. Registration is required. Contact Edward Lener, lener@vt.edu, for details.
- SciTech Premium Collection from ProQuestThe SciTech Collections indexes citations, abstracts, and full text from journal articles, books, conference papers, trade publications and more. Some full text provided in HTML and PDF.
- Senvol Additive Manufacturing DatabaseThe Senvol Database is a comprehensive database for industrial additive manufacturing machines and materials.
- ScopusScopus indexes citations of journal articles, conference papers, and books in the sciences, medicine, social sciences, arts, and humanities. You can perform cited reference searches. You can compare authors, institutions, and journals using various metrics. 1800s-present
- Dimensions PlusDimensions Plus indexes more than 100 million publications, ranging from articles published in scholarly journals, books and book chapters, to preprints and conference proceedings. Dimensions Plus is an extensive and fully interlinked database with publications, grants, patents, clinical trials, datasets and policy documents. 1600s to present.
Tools for obtaining an overview of MSE topics
- Knovel LibraryKnovel provides a large collection of ebooks on engineering and related subjects. Each chapter is presented as a separate PDF. The entire collection is full-text searchable, and many results include interactive tables. Includes tables of properties for over 13,000 chemical compounds. Knovel is also searchable through the Engineering Village interface.
- AccessEngineering from McGraw-HillAccessEngineering provides engineering handbooks and textbooks, plus instructional videos.
- O’Reilly Safari Learning Platform: Academic EditionO’Reilly Safari Learning Platform: Academic Edition provides over 38,000 full-text ebooks (HTML) and 30,000 hours of videos in computer science, information technology, and business. You must use your vt.edu email address to access ebooks. Please remember to log out when you're done so others may use the ebooks; use is limited by number of users.
- CRC Handbook of Chemistry and PhysicsSearchable and browsable ebook version of the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. Interactive tables allow live sorting, filtering, and exporting of the data.
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Engineering Librarian

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Interlibrary Loan Services
All current Virginia Tech students, faculty, and staff, regardless of your location, may request through ILLiad for materials:
- not owned by Virginia Tech (books, articles from journals and conference proceedings, book chapters, standards, and technical papers)
- owned by Virginia Tech but are unavailable for use (print books)
- owned by Virginia Tech and available in print (scans of articles from journals and conference proceedings, book chapters, standards, and technical papers)
We ship requests via UPS to users outside the immediate Blacksburg area (Montgomery, Giles and Pulaski counties).
Articles, book chapters, and many technical papers are delivered in PDF format to your ILLiad account. Occasionally, due to copyright restrictions, a paper copy of an article or standard is held for your at the Newman User Services Desk or sent o the mailing address listed on your account.