Module 4
ENGINEERING MATERIALS
& JOINING PROCESSES
Prashanth Kumar S
Assistant professor
Dept. of Mechanical
Engineering
WHAT IS METALS
Metals are substances that form naturally below the
surface of the Earth. Most metals are lustrous or shiny.
Metals are inorganic, which means they are made of
substances that were never alive.
Metal is very strong and durable and therefore is used to
make many things. These are used for making
automobiles, satellites, cooking utensils, etc.
WHAT IS ENGINEERING MATERIALS
Engineering materials refer to a group of materials used in the
construction of man-made structures and components. The main
function of engineering materials is to withstand the applied load
without failure (breaking and excessive deflection). Carbon steel,
Aluminum, Cast Iron, Stainless Steel, Copper alloys, Plastics,
Composites, Nickel alloys, DSS, etc are examples of engineering
materials.
CLASSIFICATION OF ENGINEERING
MATERIALS
INTRODUCTION TO FERROUS METALS
Ferrous metals are pure iron or an alloy which typically
consists of iron. The term ‘ferrous’ has been derived from the
Latin term ‘ferrum’ meaning iron.
Ferrous metals contain little amounts of other metals or
components added, to render it the requisite properties.
These metals are magnetic and offer only slight resistance to
corrosion.
The preference for ferrous metals is quite strong, thus also
making scrap metals highly merchantable. Most recycling
companies pay fairly for scrap metals.
TYPES OF FERROUS METALS AND FEATURES
Stainless Steel - Stainless steels have good corrosion
resistance, mostly due to the addition of chromium as an
alloying ingredient.
Cast Iron - Cast iron is a ferrous alloy containing high levels
of carbon, generally greater than 2%. The carbon present in
the cast iron can take the form of graphite or carbide. Cast
irons have a low melting temperature which makes them
well suited to casting.
Mild Steel - Ductile, tough, high tensile strength. Due to low
carbon content, it cannot be toughened and tempered. It
should only be case hardened.
High Carbon Steel - The hardest of the carbon steels. Tough
and malleable but less ductile.
Other available types of ferrous alloys and ferrous material
APPLICATIONS OF FERROUS METALS
Ferrous metals are used in a variety of applications. Listed
below are its some major uses:
Crushing machinery
Nuts, bolts girders and plates
Car cylinder blocks and gear wheels
Machine tool parts, machine handle and engine parts
Vices, brake drums, and plumbing fittings
Gears and shafts
Cutting equipment’s for lathes
Kitchen draining boards and cutlery
Aircraft and pipes
Chisels, files and lathe tools
Garden tools, hammers, drills, dies and taps
Metal ropes, springs and wire
NON-FERROUS METALS AND THEIR USES
Non-ferrous metals include every metal and alloy which do
not contain iron.
Non-ferrous metals are rarer, more valuable and resistant
to corrosion than ferrous metals, being lightweight, non-
magnetic, and having significant thermal conductivity.
Examples of a few common non-ferrous metals will include
Precious metals like gold, silver and platinum Copper and its
alloys such as brass and bronze Nickel, Platinum, Titanium,
Palladium, Tin, Lead, Zinc.
APPLICATIONS OF NON-FERROUS METALS
Non-Ferrous metals are used in a variety of applications. Listed
below are its some major uses:
Used in low-pressure plumbing
Used in shipbuilding
Used in aviation structures
Used in electronic wiring and circuitry
Used in electronic devices
Used in Automobile
Used in Aircraft
Used in Marine
SILICA
Crystalline silica is a common mineral found in the earth's crust.
Materials like sand, stone, concrete, and mortar contain crystalline
silica.
Properties of Silica
The properties of silica include both chemical and physical
properties such as hardness, colour, melting and boiling point, and
reactivity. Silica under normal conditions of temperature and
pressure is a solid, crystallized mineral.
Applications : It is also used to make products such as glass,
pottery, ceramics, bricks, and artificial stone.
Ceramics
The word "ceramic" is derived from the Greek word
keramikos meaning pottery “Ceramics can be defined as
inorganic, non-metallic materials that are typically produced
using clay and other minerals from the earth or chemically
processed powders.
Ceramics may be crystalline in nature and are compounds
of metallic and non-metallic elements such as aluminium
and oxygen (alumina), silicone and nitrogen (silicon nitride)
and silicon and carbon (silicon carbide).
Applications : spark plugs, fiber optics, artificial joints, space
shuttle tiles, cooktops, race car brakes, micro positioners,
chemical sensors, self lubricating bearings, body of armor.
GLASS
Glass may also be defined as a hard, brittle, transparent or
translucent material mainly compound of silica, combined with
varying proportions of oxides of sodium, potassium, calcium,
magnesia, iron and other minerals.
The term "glass" as ordinarily used refers to material which is
made by the fusion of mixture of silica, basic oxides and a few
other compounds that react either with silica or with the basic
oxides.
Applications :
• bottles and jars for food, beverages, cosmetics, perfumery,
and pharmaceuticals. ...
• drinking glasses, plates, cups, bowls. ...
• windows, facades, insulation, reinforcement structures. ...
GRAPHITE
Graphite is a crystalline form of the element carbon. It
consists of stacked layers of graphene.
Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of
carbon under standard conditions. Synthetic and natural
graphite
Applications : used in pencils, lubricants, and electrodes.
Applications are Writing Materials, Lubricants, Refractory,
Nuclear Reactors, Batteries, and Graphene Sheets.
DIAMOND
Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms
arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic.
Diamond has the highest hardness and thermal conductivity of
any natural material, properties that are used in major
industrial applications such as cutting and polishing tools.
They are also the reason that diamond anvil cells can subject
materials to pressures found deep in the Earth.
Applications are Jewellery, Industrial diamonds, automotive
industry, Windows, Medicine Engraving, Audio equipment,
Beauty products.
POLYMER
A polymer is a substance or material consisting of very
large molecules called macromolecules, composed of
many repeating subunits.
Due to their broad spectrum of properties, both synthetic
and natural polymers play essential and ubiquitous roles
in everyday life.
Applications are Clothing, floor coverings, garbage
disposal bags, Automobile parts, windshields for fighter
planes, pipes, tanks, packing materials, insulation, wood
substitutes, adhesives, matrix for composites, and
elastomers are all polymer applications used in the
SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS
Shape memory alloys are those materials, even after being
deformed, have the ability to remember and return to their
original shape and size, upon appropriate heat treatment.
Deformation is normally carried out at relatively low
temperature, whereas, shape memory effect happens due to
heating. Among materials that are capable of recovering
significant amounts of deformation, the best known are
Nickel-Titanium (NITINOL) alloys; and some Copper based
alloys (CuZn-Al and Cu-Al-Ni).
Applications : They are used as wires and tubes in
applications with hot fluids flowing through them, used in
bridge structures, inserted into the golf clubs.
JOINING PROCESSES
Joining processes are manufacturing processes by which t
wo or more materials can be permanently or temporarily j
oined or assembled
together
SOLDERING
Soldering is a method of uniting two thin metal pieces
using a dissimilar metal or alloy by the application of heat.
The alloy of lead and tin is called solder (Filler material)
During the soldering, the base metal of the two pieces to
be joined is not melted
The melting temp of the soft solder will be between 150̊ C
to 350̊ C
Method of soldering:
(i) Cleaning of joining surfaces
(ii) Application of flux
(iii)Tinning of surface to be soldered
(iv)Heating
Advantages of soldering:
1. Low cost and easy to use
2. Soldered joints are easy to repair or do rework
3. The soldered joint can last for many years
4. Low energy is required to solder
5. An experienced person can exercise a high degree of control over
the soldering process
Disadvantages of soldering:
1. Not suitable for heavy sections
2. Temperature is limited
3. Strength is limited.
Applications of Soldering
Soldering is used in plumbing, electronics, and metalwork from
BRAZING
Brazing is the method of joining two similar or dissimilar metals using
a special fusible alloy
During the brazing, the base metal of the two pieces to be joined is
not melted
Filler material used is Spelter
The melting temp of the spelter will be between 300̊ C to 600̊ C
Method of brazing:
1. Cleaning the surface of the parts.
2. Application of flux at the place of joint.
3. Common borax and mixture of borax and boric acid is used as flux.
4. The joint and the filler material are heated by gas welding torch
above the melting temperature of the filler material.
5. It flows into the joint space and a solid joint is formed after cooling.
Advantages of brazing:
1. It is easy to learn.
2. It is possible to join virtually any dissimilar metals.
3. The bond line is very neat aesthetically.
4. Joint strength is strong enough for most non-heavy-duty type
of application.
Disadvantages of brazing:
1. Brazed joints can be damaged under high temp.
2. Brazed joint requires a high degree of cleanliness.
3. The joint colour is often different from that of the base metal.
Applications of brazing
• Aerospace for jet engines and turbine blades as well as for
satellites.
• Appliances, such as refrigerators and ice machines.
• Automobile manufacturing and repairing. Brazing works well for
joining small auto parts. It is also used for vehicle air conditioning
systems, radiator coils, and fuel lines.
• Construction industry. This includes almost everything, ranging
from tools for cutting concrete and stone to carbide machine parts.
• Electrical industry, including fuses, motors, and packaging.
• HVAC systems. This includes rooftop units for industrial cooling to
residential heating and air conditioning systems.
• Making fine jewelry.
WELDING
Welding may be defined as the metallurgical joining of two metal pieces
together to produce essentially a single piece of metal.
Principle of welding:
A welding is a metallurgical process in which the junction of the two parts to be
joined are heated and then fused together with or without the application of
pressure to produce a continuity of the homogenous material of the same
composition and characteristics of the part which are being joined.
Types of welding:
Welding are classified in to two type
• Pressure welding
• Fusion welding
In Pressure welding the parts to be joined are heated only up to the plastic
state and then fused together by applying the external pressure.
Ex: Forge welding, resistance welding
In Fusion welding which also known as non-pressure is welding, joints of the
two parts are heated to the molten state and allowed to solidify.
ARC WELDING
GAS WELDING
TYPES OF OXY-ACETYLENE
FLAMES