Transcript Document
Materials, their Properties & Uses
• Metals • Plastics • Woods • Composites • Heat Treatment
Introduction to Materials •Materials are used to make or build objects. • During the past 200 years there has been an enormous increase in the range of materials available to us. It is therefore important that the correct materials be used for a particular use. •In Selecting the best material you need to look at 4 things: Physical properties, Cost and Time, Shaping and Forming and Availability.
Selecting the best material – A checklist
1 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
Hardness Tensile Strength Compressive Strength Shear Strength Stiffness Toughness Malleable Corrosive Appearance Weight Conductivity S E L E C T I O N
2 WHAT COST?
The materials The extras (fittings etc)
3 SHAPING & FORMING
Cutting out Moulding Casting Joining
4 AVAILABILITY
Are they easy to obtain including fittings.
Properties of Materials • Each material has many properties. It is incorrect, for example to describe a material as just ‘strong’ or ‘weak’ as for example concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension.
Hardness • The ability of a material to resist wear indentation and scratching.
An example of a hardness test that can be carried out in the lab.
Different materials are used and the depth of indentation measured
Toughness • The ability of a material to withstand blows or sudden impact.
Different materials are used, the hammer is swung from the same height each time about a fixed fulcrum. The distance travelled after impact or fracture is used to find toughness
Strength • The ability of a material to withstand forces of tension, compression and torsion Tensile Strength – the ability to withstand pulling forces or
Tension forces
Compressive Strength – the ability to withstand ‘squeezing’ forces or
Compression forces
Torsional Strength – the ability to withstand ‘twisting’ forces or
Torsion forces
Brittleness • A material that is easily fractured by impact is said to be brittle e.g. Glass
The same as the toughness test however those materials that fracture easily are said to be brittle.
Malleability • A material that can be rolled or hammered into shape without rupture. As ring rises the side of Coke can is thinned out
Ductility • A material that can be pulled or stretched into a thin wire or thread.
Elasticity • The ability of a material to return to its original shape after deformation.
Plasticity • The ability of a material to be permanently deformed without fracture..
Conductivity • The ability of a material to allow Heat or electricity to flow through it. Ball Bearing drops from most conductive 1 st .
Density • Is the mass of 1 cubic centimetre (cm 3 ) of a substance. (Mass per unit Volume) Q. Which is heavier a tonne of feathers or a tonne of lead?
Q. Which has the greatest density?
Density = Mass Volume
Fatigue • Occurs when materials have become overworked and fracture or fail.
Stiffness • The ability of a material to resist bending deformation.