ME2151

principles of
mechanical engineering
materials

Assoc Prof Christina Lim

coslimc@nus.edu.sg
E1-05-29
6516 8082

Supplementary reading:

CONTENTS

Donald R Askeland, Pradeep P Fulay and Wendelin J

Wright, The Science and Engineering of Materials, 6th
Edition, Cengage Learning, 2011.
(TA403 Ask 2010; Central Library RBR)

CHAPTER 1

MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING

CHAPTER 2

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

CHAPTER 3

ATOMIC STRUCTURE

CHAPTER 4

CRYSTAL STRUCTURES

CHAPTER 5

CRYSTAL DEFECTS AND

DIFFUSION

CHAPTER 6

Alternative readings:
Most books classified under TA403, such as:
William D Callister Jr. and David G Reithwisch, Materials
Science and Engineering, 8th Edition, John Wiley and Sons,
2011 (TA403 Cal 2011, Central Library RBR)

DISLOCATIONS,
DEFORMATION AND
STRENGTHENING IN METALS

William F. Smith and Javad Hashemi, Foundations of

CHAPTER 7

FRACTURE AND FATIGUE

2005 (TA403 Smi 2009; Central Library RBR)

CHAPTER 8

CORROSION

James F. Shackelford, Introduction to Materials Science for

CHAPTER 9

PHASE DIAGRAMS

CHAPTER 10 PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS

Materials Science and Engineering, 5th Edition, Mc-Graw Hill,

Engineers, 7th Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2009

(TA403 Sha 2009; Central Library)

CHAPTER 1
MATERIALS
AND ENGINEERING
1.1

MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING

1.1.1

Properties

1.1.2

Structure

1.1.3

Processing

1.1.4

Performance

1.2

CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS

1.3

MATERIALS SELECTION AND DESIGN

1-1

1.1 MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING

1.1.1

Properties

Most material problems in engineering involve selecting or

designing materials with the appropriate properties for an
application.

There are two broad classes of properties:

Mechanical properties (Fig. 1.1-1): hardness, strength, stiffness,
ductility, toughness, fatigue / creep / wear behaviour.
Physical properties: electrical, magnetic, optical, thermal,
chemical behaviour, density (weight).
Material

properties

may

be

affected

by

environments (e.g. very low/high temperatures

extreme

Fig. 1.1-1 Some mechanical properties.

(Fig. 1.1-2)

and pressures, corrosive atmospheres, radiation, etc.) or

degrade over time in normal service (corrosion and wear).
Material properties must always be considered in the
context of the service environment.
Properties desired in service may be different from
properties desired during manufacturing.
Fig. 1.1-2 Effects of temperature on properties.
1-2

1-3

1.1.2

Structure

It is important to realize that the structure of a material has

a profound influence on its properties.
Structure may be considered at 3 levels, depending on its
scale (Fig. 1.1-3):
Atomic scale structure refers to the types of atoms/
elements (i.e. the composition), the arrangement of
electrons within individual atoms, interaction between
atoms (i.e. atomic bonding), and the way atoms/molecules
pack together (i.e. crystal structure in metals/ceramics)
Microscopic

scale

structure,

also

known

as

microstructure, refers to the arrangement of large groups

of atoms. Microstructure may be seen using a microscope.
By altering the microstructure, the same material may be
made to exhibit considerably different properties.
Macroscopic scale structure, or macrostructure refers to
features that may be seen under low magnification or with
the naked eye, such as pores, voids, cracks, surface finish,
as well as shape and size.

Fig. 1.1-3 Length scale of structures in metals and the properties which they determine.
Each interval on the length scale is a factor of 1000.

1-4

1-5

1.1.3

Processing

Processing/synthesis methods

(Fig.

1.1-4)

and conditions

greatly affect material structures, and hence, properties.

By selecting different processing routes, often involving
temperature, the microstructure of a material may be
tailored to yield diverse properties for varied applications.
Example: the same steel may be made soft and tough, or hard
and brittle, simply by cooling it very slowly or very quickly
from high temperatures (Fig. 1.1-5).
The development of new processing techniques expand
the usefulness of traditional materials. Example: carbon has
limited application as graphite or diamond until recently,

Fig. 1.1-4 Common processes.

(d)

when new processes now produce carbon fibres, carboncarbon composites and carbon nanotubes

600

(Fig. 1.1-5 & Table 1.1-1).

New synthesis methods also create new classes of materials

for new or existing applications. Example: the ability to
control the diffusion of dopant atoms into silicon gave rise to
microelectronics; or the chemical synthesis of synthetic
polymers (plastics), and composites, which have extensively
replaced metal, wood and other natural materials.

Hardness (BHN)

500
400

30 m

(c)
(b)

(a)

4 m

300
200
100
0.01

30 m

0.1

30 m

1
10
100
Cooling Rate (C/s)

1000

Fig. 1.1-5 Cooling the same steel at different rates will produce
different microstructures and hardness.
1-6

1-7

1.1.4

Performance

The engineering performance of a material depends on its

properties, which is determined by the structure, which in
turn, may be controlled by the processing method (Fig. 1.1-7).
(a) Diamond

(b) Graphite

To achieve successful and widespread adoption, the

material must also perform its given task in an economical,
environmentally and socially acceptable manner.

(d) Carbon nanotube

(c) Fullerene C60
Fig. 1.1-6 Different structures of carbon: (a) diamond, (b) graphite,
(c) fullerene C60, and (d) carbon nanotube.

Fig. 1.1-7 Interrelationships between structure, properties,

processing and performance.

1-8

1-9

1.2 CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS

Fig. 1.2-1 Classification of materials

according to properties and structure.

1-10

1-11

10 000

Ceramics

StrengthDensity

Material selection cannot be separated from the choice of

Metals and polymers: yield strength

Ceramics and glasses: MOR
Elastomers: tensile tear strength
Composites: tensile failure

1000

Strength, y or el (MPa)

manufacturing process required to make the end product.

Si3N4

Composites
CFRP

Polymers and
elastomers

100

Natural
materials
10

Woods, ll

SiC
Al alloys

Al2O3

Ti alloys
Metals
Steels
Ni alloys
Tungsten
alloys

Mg alloys

Tungsten
carbide

GFRP
PEEK
PET
PA
PC
PMMA

Copper
alloys

PP
PE

Rigid polymer
foams

Woods,

1.3 MATERIALS SELECTION AND DESIGN

Zinc alloys

Lead alloys

Foams

Butyl
rubber

Concrete
Silicone
elastomers

Cork

0.1
Flexible polymer
foams

MFA, 07

0.01

0.01

0.1

10

Density, (Mg/m3)

Fig 1.3-3 Graphical tool for materials selection.

Fig 1.3-1 The interaction between design

requirements, material, shape and process.
The selection of material and process run
parallel to all stages in design.

Fig 1.3-2 The strategy for material

selection: translation, screening,
ranking and documentation. All
these steps may be implemented in
software, alloying large populations
of materials to be investigated.

Fig 1.3-4 Strategy for selecting materials in environmentally-responsible design.

1-12

1-13