Materials Selection

Question 1

what are the factors to consider when selecting an appropriate material for something?

Answer 1

• mechanical properties (strength, stiffness, ductility, fracture toughness, fatigue, creep)
• physical properties (density, melting point, thermal/electrical conductivity)
• other properties such as cost, corrosion, formability

Question 2

what are the four main parts of the method of selecting an appropriate material?

Answer 2

• translation: express design requirements as constraints and objectives
• screening: eliminate materials that cannot do the job
• ranking: find materials that best do the work using performance indices
• research supporting info: handbooks, expert systems, web etc.

Question 3

what are some ways we can graphically represent the different materials and their properties and what part of the method does this help with?

Answer 3

using material selection charts and material property charts - this forms part of the screening process which helps to eliminate unsuitable materials