MIME2204
Engineering Materials
Semester No. 1/Academic Year: 2018-19
Dr.P.SENTHIL
Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering
MIE Section
Office:ME212
Engineering Materials
“Material” means “object composed of matter”.
Matter is composition of small physical particles called atoms
“Engineering” means application of scientific knowledge
in the development of useful products to human beings
“Engineering Materials” means that the materials used
for engineering applications
CHAPTERS
CHAPTER 1: CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS
CHAPTER 2: PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS
CHAPTER 3: STRUCTURE OF MATERIALS
CHAPTER 4: SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR DESIGN
CHAPTER 5: STANDARDS, SPECIFICATIONS AND CODES
CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS
METALS
Metals can be classified into two types:
Pure Metals
Alloys
Pure Metals may not be suitable for many Engineering
applications.
Alloys are mixture of two or more metals. Alloys with
suitable alloying elements have better properties than
pure metals.
Properties/Characteristics of Metals
High melting points
High density
High strength
Ductility - They can be easily made into wires
Malleability- They can be easily made into sheets
Formability-They can be easily made into different
shapes
Good conductivity for heat and electricity
FERROUS METALS/ALLOYS
STEELS
Steel is Ferrous alloy with less than 2% carbon
(1) Plain Carbon Steel
An alloy of iron and carbon, however it also contains
lesser amount of other elements like silicon, manganese,
sulphur, phosphorus, nickel ,etc
Depending upon the carbon content, it can be classified
into three types.
Low-carbon steels
Medium-carbon steels
High-carbon steels
Low-carbon steel has carbon content less than 0.3% and
also known as mild steel
Relatively soft and weak
Can be formed to different shapes easily
Can be welded easily
Cannot be hardened appreciably by heat treatment
Applications: structural shapes (I-beams, channel, and
angle iron) used in buildings, bridges, automobile body, etc
Applications: structural shapes (I-beams, channel, and
angle iron) used in buildings, bridges, automobile body, etc
Medium-Carbon Steels have carbon content between
0.3% and 0.8%.
High strength
High hardness
Applications: railway wheels, railway tracks, gears,
crankshafts, and other machine parts.
High-Carbon Steels have carbon content greater than
0.8%.
hardest and strongest among the carbon steels
least ductile (i.e., more brittle) among the carbon steels
Applications: knives, razors, hacksaw blades, springs, high-
strength wire Cutting tools and dies.
(2) Alloy Steel
Steel with suitable alloying elements in addition to
carbon.
Alloying elements could be any one or a combination of
other metals like chromium, nickel, molybdenum,
vanadium, tungsten, cobalt, boron, and copper
Examples: High Speed Steel (HSS) and Stainless Steel
High Speed Steel
Composition: 18% tungsten, 4% Chromium, 1% Vanadium,
0.7% carbon and the rest is Iron.
Suitable for cutting tools because of high hardness, high
strength, high toughness and low cost
Stainless Steel is an alloy of iron, carbon, chromium, and other
elements that resist corrosion from many environments.
Chromium remains as a predominant element for corrosion
resistant. It is also known as corrosion-resistant steel.
CAST IRON
Cast Iron is Ferrous alloy with greater than 2% carbon
Also contains small amounts of silicon, sulphur,
manganese, phosphorus, etc.
(i) Gray Cast Iron
Graphitic microstructure
Gray color due to graphite
• excellent compressive strength
• good torsional strength
• shear strength
Applications: engine cylinder, break drum, cam shaft,
pipes, rolling mills etc.
(ii) White Cast Iron
white or silvery appearance
very hard and brittle
high abrasion resistance
high tensile strength
low compressive strength
Applications: rolls, wear plates, and pump linings, etc
(iii) Malleable Cast Iron
significant ductility and malleability
good castability, shock-resistance, and machinability
Applications: brake-shoes, pedals, levers, wheel-hubs,
axle-housings, connecting rods, transmission gears, and
door hinges
(iv) Spheroidal Graphite Cast Iron
Also known as Ductile iron, nodular
cast iron, spheroidal graphite iron
and SG iron
more impact and fatigue resistance
due to its nodular graphite
inclusions
Applications: Ductile iron pipe used
for water and sewer lines.
NON-FERROUS METALS
Contain a metal other than iron as their main
constituent
Examples: Copper, Aluminum, Lead, Magnesium,
Nickel, Tin, Titanium, Zinc, etc.
Light-weight
High thermal and electrical conductivity
Excellent corrosion resistance
Non-toxic
Soft and ductile for ease of fabrication
ALUMINUM
Light-weight (one-third the weight of steel)
High thermal and electrical conductivity
Excellent corrosion resistance
Non-toxic
Soft and ductile
Low specific gravity
High strength-to-weight ratio
Applications: parts of airplane, cooking utensils, electric
wires, window frames, glazing bars, corrugated sheets,
foils, posts, furniture, precision surveying instruments,
surgical instruments, automobile frames, engines, etc.
COPPER
Light-weight (one-third the weight of steel)
Very high electrical conductivity
Very high thermal conductivity
Excellent resistance to corrosion
Very soft, ductile and malleable
The important copper alloys are:
Brass (copper-zinc alloy)
Bronze (copper-tin alloy)
Gun-metal (copper-tin-zinc alloy)
Applications: used for manufacturing power cables,
motor winding, car radiators, printed circuit boards,
cooking utensils etc.
POLYMERS
Compounds of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen or other non
metallic molecules joined together in long chains.
Formed by polymerization reaction
Properties of Polymers
Good insulators of heat and electricity
Have moderate strength
Corrosion resistant
Light in weight
Ductile and malleable
Have low melting points
Types of Polymers
Thermoplastics
Thermosetting Plastics
Elastomers
(i) Thermoplastics
Can be easily softened and reshaped again and again by
heating.
Examples: Polyethylene, Nylon, PVC etc.
Applications: cable covers, polyethylene carry bags,
PVC pipes, bottles, gears, etc.
Applications of Thermoplastics
(ii) Thermosetting Plastics
Cannot be softened and reshaped by re-heating once set
into shape by heating and curing.
Examples: Polyester, Bakelite etc.
Applications: Furniture, Switches, electric plugs etc.
(iii) Elastomers
Highly elastic in nature
Stretched upto twice their original length and on
releasing the force they regain their original shape and
size.
Example: Rubber
Applications: Automobile tyres and tubes
CERAMICS
Ceramics are metallic and non-metallic oxides, carbides
or nitrides
Very hard compared to other engineering materials
Brittle materials
Heat resistant materials / Refractory Materials
Very high melting points
Corrosion resistant
Insulators of heat and electricity
Examples: Aluminum Oxide (Alumina), Silicon
Nitride, Tungsten Carbide, Glass, Cement, Sand.
Types of Ceramics
(i) Domestic Ceramics
Clay: Aluminum silicate can be mixed with water and
then the water will be dried off and then heated to high
temperature.
Cement: Calcium Oxide, silica and alumina. It becomes
very hard when treated with water.
(ii) Engineering Ceramics
Oxides: Alumina has high thermal and electrical
resistance used as a cutting tool and high
quality thermal and electrical insulation
Carbides: Tungsten and Titanium carbides are very
hard materials used for cutting tools
Nitrides: Silicon nitrides and Boron nitrides used in
engine parts and cutting tools
(iii) Natural Ceramics
Available in the nature as a result of biological or
geological processes. Two types of Natural ceramics are
as under:
Carbonaceous materials: Chalk, Lime stone and marble
Silicaceous materials : Granite and Basalt
COMPOSITES
Composed primarily of matrix i.e. a continuous phase,
which is protected with reinforcement (secondary phase),
i.e. a discontinuous phase
Classification of Composites
Advantages of Composites
higher strength, toughness, stiffness, but also a higher
resistance to creep, corrosion, wear or fatigue
compared to conventional materials
Disadvantages of Composites
difficult in workability and relatively higher price
Application of Composites
aircraft, military aircraft, missiles, helicopters, space
hardware, automobile and trucks, electrical and
electronics, marine applications, etc
SEMICONDUCTORS
The electronic components like, diodes, transistors,
capacitors etc. are made by using semiconducting
materials
Examples: Silicon and Germanium
ADVANCED MATERIALS
Materials used in "High-Tec" applications, usually
designed for maximum performance, and normally
expensive.
Examples:
Titanium alloys for supersonic airplanes
Magnetic alloys for computer disks
Special ceramics for the heat shield of the space
shuttle
