Table 1.

Property Spectrum of Engineering Materials

MATERIAL
CHEMICAL

METALS

PLASTICS

o
o
CERAMICS o
o
o

COMPOSI
TES

Composition
Microstructure
Phases
Grain size
Corrosion
resistance
Inclusion
Composition
Fillers
Crystallinity
Molecular weight
Flammability
Spatial
configuration
Chemical
resistance
Composition
Porosity
Grain size
Crystalline
structure
Corrosion
resistance

Composition
Matrix/reinforcem
ent bond
Volume fraction of
reinforcement
Reinforcement
nature
Corrosion
resistance

MATERIAL PROPERTIES
PHYSICAL
MECHANICAL

Melting
point
Thermal
Magnetic
Electrical
Optical
Acoustic
Gravimetri
c
Color

DIMENSIONA
L
o Tensile/compressi Available:
ve properties
Shapes
o Toughness
Sizes
o Ductility
Surface
o Fatigue
texture
o Hardness
Manufacturin
o Creep resistance
g
o Shear strength
tolerances
Tensile/compres oManufacturin
g
sive properties
Heat distortion
tolerances
pV limit
oStability
toughness
oAvailable
sizes

Tensile/compressi
ve properties
Fracture
toughness
Hardness

Hardness
Creep
resistance

Available:
Shapes
Sizes
Surface
texture
Manufactur
ing
tolerances
Available:
oShapes
oSizes
oManufacturin
g
tolerances
oStability

The spectrum of material properties and how they apply to various material
systems (physical properties apply equally to all systems).
1. Chemical properties
- are material characteristics that relate to the structure of a material and
its formation from the elements.
1

2. Physical properties
pertain to the interaction of these materials with various forms of energy
and with other forms of matter
3. Mechanical properties
- are material characteristics that are displayed when a force is applied to
the material relative to the elastic or inelastic behavior of the material
- Indicate the suitability of a material for use in mechanical application:
carry load, absorb shock, resist wear, etc.
4. Dimensional properties
- refer to the shapes, sizes, manufacturing tolerances and finish
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
melting point point at which the material liquefies in heating or solidifies on
cooling
density, mass of a material per unit volume
= m/V
specific gravity, (sp.gr.) ratio of the mass or weight of solid or liquid to the
mass or weight of an equal volume of water
= m x/mw
thermal conductivity, k rate of heat flow/unit time in a homogeneous
material/unit area (std.cond)/unit temperature gradient in a direction
perpendicular to the area.
Q = kA[t/x]
Where: Q = quantity of heat flowing thru a material, BTU(watt)
Q
t = th tc = temperature differential
A = area thru which the heat will flow = width*length
x = thickness
thot oK
k = thermal conductivity, BTU-ft/hr/ft 2/oF [watt/mwidth

tcold
thermal expansion, (linear coefficient)
- the rate at which the material elongates when heated
- the rate is expressed as unit increase in length/unit increase in
temperature
= /t*L
Specific heat, c
- The ratio of the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a unit
mass of a substance 1o(oC or oF) to the heat required to raise the same
mass of water 1o
Q=
Poissons ratio,
mct
- Absolute value of the ratio of the transverse strain to the corresponding
axial strain in a body subjected to uniaxial stress
= d/L = c/t

c = d/di

t = L/Li

where: c = compressive strain

t = tensile strain

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
Tensile strength ratio of the maximum load in tension to the original crosssection of test material
SU = FMAX/Ai
Yield strength the stress at which a material exhibits a specified deviation from
proportionality of stress and strain
Compressive strength maximum compressive stress that a material is capable
of withstanding
Flexural strength the outer fiber stress developed when a material is loaded as
a simply supported beam and deflected to a certain value of strain
Shear strength the stress required to fracture a material in a cross-sectional
plane that is parallel to the force applied.
Ss 40% St
Percent elongation the increase in the gage length measured after the
specimen fractures within the gage length
% e = Lf - Li
Li
Ductility
- is the degree to which a material will deform before the ultimate fracture and
the opposite of brittleness.
Ductile > 5%
Brittle 5%
Percent reduction the difference between the original area to the final area
measured after the fracture of the test specimen.
%R =( Ai Af)/Ai
Modulus of Elasticity a measure of rigidity/stiffness of a material; ratio of stress
to strain in a material
E=
Hardness, H resistance of a
material to plastic deformation
S/
usually indentation;
measured according to the
hardness teat undergone: Knoop, Brinell, Rockwell, Shore
H code: ASTM, ANSI(American Standards Institute) and ISO
Endurance Limit the maximum stress which a material can theoretically endure
an infinite number of stress cycle
Creep time dependent permanent strain under stress

Creep strength the constant nominal stress that will cause a specified quantity
of creep in a given time at constant temperature expressed in units of % in a
period of time(hours)
Stress rupture strength the nominal stress at fracture in a tension test at
constant load and constant temperature (usually elevated); complements creep
and shows the stress at which a part will fail under sustained load and at
elevated temperature
Impact strength amount of energy required to fracture a given volume of
material