Materials and their applications Flashcards
Mechanical and physical properties of materials
Define mechanical properties
Properties that determine how a material reacts to an external force.
Define compressive strength
The ability to withstand being crushed or shortened by pushing forces (compression).
- Mechanical
Define tensile strength
The ability to resist stretching or pulling forces (tension).
- Mechanical
Define bending strength
The ability to resist forces that may bend the material.
- Mechanical
Define shear strength
The ability to resist sliding forces on a parallel plane.
- Mechanical
Define torsional strength
The ability to withstand twisting forces from applied torque or tension.
- Mechanical
Define hardness
The ability to resist abrasive wear such as scratching, surface indentation or cutting.
- Mechanical
Define toughness
The ability to absorb impact force without fracture.
- Mechanical
Define plasticity
The ability to be permanently deformed (shaped) and retain the deformed shape.
- Mechanical
- Plastic deformation
Define ductility
The ability to be drawn out under tension, reducing the cross-sectional area without cracking.
- Mechanical
- Sustain significant plastic deformation (the point at which the material is permanently distorted) before fracture.
Define malleability
The ability to withstand deformation by compression without cracking; malleability increases with a rise in temperature.
- Mechanical
- E.g. clay can be shaped into something without breaking and becomes easier to shape when it is hotter as it becomes softer
Define elasticity
The ability to be deformed and then return to the original shape when the force is removed.
- Mechanical
- E.g. rubber
Define physical properties
Properties associated with the actual structure of the material.
Define density
The mass of the material in a standard volume of space
- Physical
Define fusibility
The ability of the material to be fused or converted from a solid to a liquid or molten state, usually by heat
- Physical
- Good fusibility is an essential property for a metal being cast
Define magnetism
The natural force between objects that causes the material to attract iron or steels
- Physical
Define corrosion/degradation resistance
The ability of the material to withstand environmental attack and decay
- Physical
Outline the electrical properties
Electrical conductor: allows the flow of electrical current through the material. A good conductor gives very little resistance to the flow of charge
Electrical insulator: does not allow the flow of electricity through the material
