What are the most innovative technologies that Material Science Engineers work on?

The material science engineering consists of a study of materials which includes metals, plastics/polymers, ceramics, glass, and composites. Today the upcoming technology or the challenges in this fields are the processing, purification, alternative composites. Many traditional materials are nowadays replaced by the upcoming new better materials or replaced with composites. Composites are nothing but the combination of two or more materials. These materials are blended such that they exhibit better performance, properties than their parent materials. For example most of the metals are now replaced by plastic materials. Plastic materials are replaced with the composites. IN automobile industries many auto-components in last decade was made up with metals only but now they are replaced with metal alloys or plastics or composites.
The processing of such new class of materials is the biggest challenge. To overcome with this challenge many researchers came up with new innovative technologies like nanotechnology. In composite processing the nanotechnology is openings new doors for better results. Many conventional ceramic materials are being replaced by polymers. New class of polymers have better thermal stability and strength than ceramics.
Analysis of these materials is also a new field. Analysis of fracture/fault/void in the manufacturing process is also a challenging job. New developments in the fracture study involves x-ray analysis, fluorescent markers are playing vital role.