Assignment #5 IE 337

Glasses, Ceramics and Powder Processing Materials & Manufacturing Processes

Multiple Choice: 7.1 Which one of the following is the most common element in the earth's crust: (a) aluminum, (b) calcium, (c) iron, (d) oxygen, or (e) silicon? Answer. (d). 7.2 Glass products are based primarily on which one of the following minerals: (a) alumina, (b) corundum, (c) feldspar, (d) kaolinite, or (e) silica? Answer. (e). 7.3 Which of the following contains significant amounts of aluminum oxide (three correct answers): (a) alumina, (b) bauxite, (c) corundum, (d) feldspar, (e) kaolinite, (f) quartz, (g) sandstone, and (h) silica? Answer. (a), (b), and (c). 7.8 Glass ceramics are polycrystalline ceramic structures that have been transformed into the glassy state: (a) true, or (b) false? Answer. (b). Glass ceramics are glasses that have been transformed into a mostly crystalline form through heat treatment. 7.9 Which one of the following materials is closest to diamond in hardness: (a) aluminum oxide, (b) carbon dioxide, (c) cubic boron nitride, (d) silicon dioxide, or (e) tungsten carbide? Answer. (c). 7.11 Properties and characteristics of the glass-ceramics include which of the following (two best answers): (a) efficiency in processing, (b) electrical conductor, (c) high thermal expansion, or (d) strong, relative to other ceramics? Answer. (a) and (d). 12.1 Which one of the following terms refers to the glassy state of a material? (a) crystalline, (b) devitrified, (c) polycrystalline, (d) vitiated, or (e) vitreous. Answer. (e). 12.3 The charge in glassworking is which one of the following: (a) the duration of the melting cycle, (b) the electric energy required to melt the glass, (c) the name given to the melting furnace, or (d) the starting materials in melting?

Answer. (d). 12.4 Typical glass melting temperatures are in which of the following ranges: (a) 400C to 500C, (b) 900C to 1000C, (c) 1500C to 1600C, or (d) 2000C to 2200C? Answer. (c). 12.5 Casting is a glassworking process used for (a) high production, (b) low production, or (c) medium production? Answer. (b). Casting is used in glassworking for large components like giant telescope lenses in small lot sizes. It is a slow process for these large products. 12.6 Which one of the following processes or processing steps is not applicable in glassworking: (a) annealing, (b) pressing, (c) quenching, (d) sintering, and (e) spinning? Answer. (d). Sintering is used to cause bonding of particulate materials such as metal and ceramic powders. 16.1 The particle size that can pass through a screen is obtained by taking the reciprocal of the mesh count of the screen: (a) true or (b) false? Answer. (b). The given description neglects consideration of the screen wire thickness. 16.2 For a given weight of metallic powders, the total surface area of the powders is increased by which of the following (two best answers): (a) larger particle size, (b) smaller particle size, (c) higher shape factor, and (d) smaller shape factor? Answer. (b) and (c). 16.3 As particle size increases, interparticle friction (a) decreases, (b) increases, or (c) remains the same? Answer. (a). 16.4 Which of the following powder shapes would tend to have the lowest interparticle friction: (a) acicular, (b) cubic, (c) flakey, (d) spherical, and (e) rounded? Answer. (d). 16.5 Which of the following statements is correct in the context of metallic powders (three correct answers): (a) porosity + packing factor = 1.0, (b) packing factor = 1/porosity, (c) packing factor = 1.0 - porosity, (d) packing factor = - porosity, (e) packing factor = bulk density/true density?

Answer. (a), (c), and (e). 16.8 In cold isostatic pressing, the mold is most typically made of which one of the following: (a) rubber, (b) sheetmetal, (c) textile, (d) thermosetting polymer, or (e) tool steel? Answer. (a). 16.10 Which of the following design features would be difficult or impossible to achieve by conventional pressing and sintering (three best answers): (a) outside rounded corners, (b) side holes, (c) threaded holes, (d) vertical stepped holes, and (e) vertical wall thickness of 1/8 inch (3 mm)? Answer. (a), (b), and (c). 17.5 The term green piece in ceramics refers to a part that has been shaped but not yet fired: (a) true or (b) false? Answer. (a). 17.7 Which one of the following processes for the new ceramic materials accomplishes shaping and sintering simultaneously: (a) doctor-blade process, (b) freeze drying, (c) hot pressing, (d) injection molding, or (e) isostatic pressing? Answer. (c). 17.9 Which of the following terms describes what a cemented carbide is (one best answer): (a) ceramic, (b) cermet, (c) composite, (d) metal, (e) new ceramic, or (f) traditional ceramic? Answer. (b). Review Questions: 16.1 Name some of the reasons for the commercial importance of powder metallurgy technology. (Four reasons are expected.) Answer. PM is important because: (1) parts can be made to net or near net shape, (2) parts can be made with a controlled level of porosity, (3) certain metals difficult to process by other methods can be processed by PM, and (4) PM allows the formulation of unusual alloys not easily obtained by traditional alloying methods. 16.2 What are some of the disadvantages of PM methods? (Five disadvantages are expected.)

Answer. Disadvantages include: (1) high tooling costs, (2) metal powders are expensive, (3) difficulties in storing and handling, (4) certain limitations on part geometry imposed by the uniaxial press methods, and (5) variations in density in a PM component can be troublesome. 16.8 What are the principal methods used to produce metallic powders (Give three.)? Answer. The powder production methods are: (1) atomization - the conversion of molten metal into droplets which solidify into powders; (2) chemical reduction - reducing metallic oxides by use of reducing agents which combine with the oxygen to free the metals in the form of powders; and (3) electrolysis - use of an electrolytic cell to deposit particles of the metal onto the cathode in the cell. 16.9 What are the three basic steps in the conventional powder metallurgy shaping process? Answer. The steps are (1) blending and/or mixing, (2) pressing, and (3) sintering. 16.14 What are the three steps in the sintering cycle in PM? Answer. The three steps in the cycle are (1) preheat, in which lubricants and binders are burned off, (2) sintering, and (3) cool down.