SECTION 5.

MATERIAL PROPERTIES
 Stress-Strain Diagram
ultimate
tensile
strength 3 necking
 UTS
E
Slope=
Strain
yield Fracture
strength Hardening
y 5
2
Stress (F/A)

Elastic region
Plastic slope=Young’s(elastic) modulus
Region yield strength
Plastic region
ultimate tensile strength
Elastic strain hardening
σ E ε Region fracture
4
σ 1
E
ε E
σy
Strain (  ) (e/Lo)
ε 2  ε1
The ELASTIC Range Means:

- The strain, or elongation over a unit length, will behave linearly (as in
y=mx +b) and thus predictable

- The material will return to its original shape once an applied load is removed

- The stress within the material is less than what is required to create a
plastic behavior (deform or stretch significantly without increasing stress)

Both Gumby AND Pokey, while made of plastic,

behave elastically because they always return
to their original shape...
 Material Properties

There a 5 properties typically used to describe a materials

behavior and capabilities:

1. Strength
2. Hardness
3. Ductility
4. Brittleness
5. Toughness
 1. Strength

The ability to resist deformation and maintain

its shape

- Given in terms of the yield strength, y, or the

ultimate tensile strength, ult
 2. Hardness

The ability to resist indentation, abrasion, and wear

- For metals, this is determined with the
Rockwell Hardness or Brinell tests that
measure indentation/ penetration under a load

STRENGTH and HARDNESS are related! A high-strength material is typically

resistant to wear and abrasion...
A comparison of hardness of some typical materials:
Material Brinell Hardness

Pure Aluminum 15

Pure Copper 35

Mild Steel 120

304 Stainless Steel 250

Hardened Tool Steel 650/700

Hard Chromium Plate 1000

Chromium Carbide 1200

Tungsten Carbide 1400

Titanium Carbide 2400

Diamond 8000

Sand 1000
 3. Ductility

The ability to deform before ultimate failure

- Ductile materials can be pulled or drawn into

pipes, wire, and other structural shapes

- Ductile materials include copper, aluminum,

and brass
 4. Brittleness

The inability to deform before ultimate failure

- The opposite of ductility, brittle materials

deform little before ultimately fracturing

- Brittle materials include glass and cast iron

Brittleness is the LACK of ductility...

 5. Toughness
The ability to absorb energy
- Material Toughness (slow absorption)
- not a readily observable property
- Defined by the area under the stress-
strain curve
- Impact Toughness (rapid absorption)
- Ability to absorb energy of an impact
without fracturing

Toughness and Ductility/brittleness are related!

Brittle things…. ...are not tough!

Charpy Toughness(lb·in)

Ductile
Behavior

Brittle Transition
Behavior Temperature

Temperature (°F)
 Fatigue
The reduction of strength due to the repetitious
loading/ unloading

- Fatigue does not always lead to failure

- Failure can occur if the stress surpasses the
endurance limit of the material
- Steel will not fail if the endurance limit is not passed
- Aluminum will eventually fail regardless of the
endurance limit
Note that the MAXIMUM stress decreases
as the number of loading cycles increases...
 Ways to Effect/ Alter Material Properties

Alloying - Adding other elements to alter the molecular

properties

- Steel: Carbon, chromium, molybdenum

- Aluminum: Copper, manganese, silicon, zinc
 Ways to Effect/ Alter Material Properties

Thermal Treatments - Application of heat over varying time

Annealing: Heating higher than its critical temperature then cooling
slowly
- Improves hardness, strength, and ductility
- Ship’s hulls are annealed

Hardening: Heating higher than its critical temperature then cooling

rapidly
- Improves hardness
- Increases internal stresses, may cause cracking
 Ways to Effect/ Alter Material Properties

Thermal Treatments (cont’d)

Tempering: Steel is heated below the critical temperature and
cooled slowly
- Used with hardening to reduce the internal stresses

Hot-Working: Forming of shapes while material is hot

- Less internal stresses due to annealing (change in
the molecular structure)

Cold-Working: Forming shapes while material is cold

- Causes internal stresses, resulting in a stronger shape
 Corrosion & Corrosion Protection

Corrosion is the destruction of metals due to oxidation or

other chemical reactions

Corrosion Protection:
- Design to eliminate conditions favorable to corrosion
- You, a wire brush, and paint
- Cathodic Protection
- Charging the metal to slow/ stop reaction
with other elements
- Providing a sacrificial metal to give up ions
instead of the structure giving up ions (and
corroding)
 Non-Destructive Testing (NDT)
Testing that allows the inspection of metals for cracks and
abnormalities without destroying the item

External Tests

*Visual Test - (Yes, this means inspection by looking at it)

Dye Penetrant Test

- A chemical absorbs into cracks and fractures
- Another chemical is applied that will react and change
the clear liquid to colored, highlighting flaws

Magnetic Particle Testing (MT)

- The material is covered with iron filings
- A current is passed through the piece
- Filing align with the magnetic field (and flaws)
 Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) (cont’d)

Internal Tests

Radiographic Testing (RT) - X-ray or gamma ray testing with a

photo-reactive plate

*Ultrasonic Testing (UT) Portable testing using ultrasonic waves

through the material (requires interpretation)

Eddy Current Testing Creating a magnetic current within a material

and then using an oscilloscope to identify abnormalities