Written
exam in
Material Science and Material Selection
K4 and M4
Wednesday, June 6th 2018
The examinee brings: All written aids are allowed except internet access. Computer
and tablet with notes and slides may be used, but without
internet access.
The examinees must bring paper for drafts and hand-ins
themselves.
Hand-in Hand-ins must contain name, student number and page
numbers.
Hand-in on the supplied USB key is allowed
The assignment may be submitted on a USB key if so desired
The papers must clearly state which problems and calculations
are on the USB key
Hand-in on the USB key must be either as PDF or MS Word or
MS Excel files.
The assignment The assignment consists of 6 problems on 5 pages incl. the
cover page and 1 enclosure.
At each problem the weighting of that problem in the overall
set is indicated. In case that sub-problems are not weighted
equally this will also be indicated.
Problem 1 (15 % - 5/10)
A sample is observed to often break at a point where the cross-sectional area changes. In this case
the sample is cylindrical with an initial diameter of 10 mm and is reduced in diameter to 5 mm
with a fillet radius of 0.5 mm.
a) Calculate the stress concentration factor using the diagram in enclosure 1.
Inspection of the material has found that fractures has a maximum curvature at the crack tip of
0.01 µm with fracture lengths up to 1.7 µm, both values measured at the edge of the material as
internal measurements did not provide any results. It is also known that the plane strain fracture
toughness is 24 !"#√! and the dimensionless Y parameter may be considered to have a value of
0.8.
b) Calculate the maximum allowable tensile stress that may be applied to the sample without
crack propagation.
Problem 2 (15% - 5/5/5)
a) Explain the concept of galvanic corrosion
Consider two electrodes, one made of cobalt, the other made of cupper connected in an
electrochemical cell.
b) Show the half-cell reactions as well as the overall reaction for this galvanic couple. Indicate
which material is being oxidized and which is being reduced.
The electrochemical cell is modified slightly, with an Cu2+ solution with a concentration of 0.5 M
and a Co2+ solution with a concentration of 2 M while temperature is increased of 80oC from the
original 25 oC.
c) Calculate the potential of this new cell. Is the reaction still spontaneous in the same
direction as previously?
Problem 3 (20% - 15/5)
Considering the Iron/Carbon alloy.
a) For each of pearlite, bainite, martensite and spherodite explain the following
a. How to obtain the microstructure
b. Describe the microstructure
c. Relate the microstructure to the mechanical properties.
b) Using engineering stress and strain, sketch in the stress-strain diagram the expected
behavior of pearlite, bainite and martensite.
Problem 4 (20 % - 4/4/4/4/4)
a) How does the molecular structure of a monomer influence the properties of a resulting
polymer? Include in the explanation the effect of branches or cross-linking of the polymers.
b) How does tacticity and copolymerization influence the possibility of crystallization of
polymers?
c) For a semi crystalline PP and PE co-polymer the following molecular weight data has been
found. Calculate the number average molecular weight (!! )?
Molecular weight (g/mol) Xi
0-5000 0
5000-10000 0.005
10000-15000 0.07
15000-20000 0.09
20000-25000 0.17
25000-30000 0.23
30000-35000 0.24
35000-40000 0.14
40000-45000 0.04
45000-50000 0.015
d) Determine the percentage content of PP and PE en the copolymer described under c) if the
degree of polymerization is assumed to be 700?
e) Determine the effect of the number average molecular weights on the tensile strength
assuming the tensile strength at infinite molecular weight is 37 MPa and A is 3.6x104.
Problem 5 (15 – 5/5/5%)
a) Determine the Miller indices for the plan in the unit cell below.
b) Determine the planer density for the plan given in problem a) assuming it is Chromium
with BCC structure and an atomic radius of 0.1249 nm.
c) Draw the XRD spectrum containing the first 3 planes (110, 200, 211) for Cr? Assume first
order diffraction and X-ray wavelength of 0.154 nm.
Problem 6 (15% - 5/5/5)
a) For a composite material composed of glass fiber and polyester determine the critical fiber
length?
!!∗ / MPa d / μm τc / MPa Specific gravity E / GPa
Glass fiber 3300 10 3 2.1 45
b) Show graphically the influence of the fiber length on the tensile strength for discontinuous
and aligned glass fiber reinforced polyester? Assume vf = 0.6 and σ´m = 35 MPa.
c) Determine the tensile strength for the same composite now assuming the fibers are
continues and aligned? Compare with the result obtained in b).
Enclosure 1
