Both materials scientists and materials engineers share many things in common:
There are some differences between the materials scientists and material engineers such as the focus of their work and the environment in which they work.
For materials scientists, their focus may be more on research and testing. They may be developing new ways to combine materials to improve its function or for a new application. Therefor they tend to work in laboratories and offices.
Lin Wang, material scientist and doctorial student, and his fellow researchers were inspired by nature and discovered an enhanced water-repellent surfaces on insects with an enhanced ability to repel droplets. They have developed a bio-inspired coating that could be applied to personal protective equipment (PPE) to better resist virus-laden particles, such as COVID-19, among other applications.
Materials engineers do research as well, but their focus is on products and are concerned with all aspects of production including costs, the production process, and production quality. They may also assess production costs, pricing, and create budgets, which is typically a duty outside the scope of materials scientists. Material engineers tend to work more in factories or industrial settings.
