1. materials (metals and material properties) Flashcards
What are the two main types of metals?
Ferrous and non-ferrous metals
What are the characteristics of ferrous metals?
- contain iron
- magnetic
- metals that corrode quickly if not treated with a suitable surface finish
What are the characteristics of non-ferrous metals?
- do not contain iron
- much more corrosion resistant than ferrous metals
- they are generally more expensive then ferrous metals
What are ferrous metals?
any metal that contains iron and will rust
What are non-ferrous metals?
metals that do not contain iron and will not rust
What are examples of ferrous metals?
- mild steel
- carbon steel
- cast iron
- wrought iron
What are examples of non-ferrous metals?
- aluminium
- copper
- tin
- zinc
What are examples of alloys?
- brass
- bronze
- duralumin
- pewter
What are the properties of aluminium?
- light weight
- light grey in colour
- can be polished to a mirror like appearance
- rust resistant
What are the properties of mild steel?
- heavy
- dark grey in colour
- rusts very quickly in exposed
What are the properties of stainless steel?
- heavy
- shiny appearance
- very resistant to wear/rust
What are the properties of cast iron?
- re-melted pig iron with some quantities of other metals
- strong in compression
- brittle
What are the properties of copper?
- reddish brown metal
- soft
- excellent conductor of heat and electricity
What are the properties of brass?
- yellow metal
- hard
- alloy
What is a composite material?
A mix of 2 different types of material to get the best qualities from each
What are 2 examples of composite materials?
- carbon fibre
- GRP fibreglass
What are the properties of carbon fibre?
- expensive in comparison to other materials
- very good strength to weight ratio
What are the uses of carbon fibre?
- manufacture of high end sports cars
- sports equipment
What does GRP stand for?
glass reinforced plastic
What are the properties of GRP?
- lightweight
- good thermal insulation properties
- high strength to weight ratio
What is GRP composed of?
- strands of glass which are woven to form a flexible fabric
- the fabric is normally placed in a mould and polyester resin is added
What are the 6 material properties?
- strength
- elasticity
- ductility
- malleability
- hardness
- toughness
What is the strength of a material?
the ability of a material to stand up to forces being applied without it bending, breaking, shattering or deforming in any way
What is the elasticity of a material?
the ability of a material to absorb force and flex in different directions, returning to its original position
What is the ductility of a material?
the ability of a material to change shape, deform, usually by stretching along its length
What is the malleability of a material?
the ability of a material to be reshaped in all directions without cracking
What is the hardness of a material?
the ability of a material to resist scratching, wear and tear and indentation
What is the toughness of a material?
a characteristic of a material that does not break or shatter when recieving a blow or under a sudden shock
What are alloys?
metals made from a mix of 2 metals
What is brass made of?
copper and zinc
