Classification of Materials

Shivan I. Abdullah
Mechanical Engineering Dept.
September 2021
 Classification of Materials
Materials science & engineering (MSE):- A field concerned with
inventing new materials and improving previously known materials
by developing a deeper understanding of the microstructure -
composition.

There are different ways of classifying materials. One way is to describe

five groups.

• Metals and alloys

• Ceramics, glasses, and glass-ceramics
• Polymer (plastics)
• Semiconductors
• Composite materials
Metals & Alloys:- These include steel , aluminum , magnesium , zinc , cast iron ,
titanium , copper , &nickel.

• Metals:-An element that has metallic bonding and generally good ductility ,
strength , and electrical conductivity.

• Alloy:- A metallic material that is obtained by chemical combination of

different elements (e.g. , steel is made from iron and carbon).Typically , alloy
have better mechanical properties than pure metals.

Ceramics:- A group of crystalline inorganic materials characterized by good

strength , especially in compression, and high melting temperatures . Many
ceramics have very good electrical thermal insulation behavior.
Polymers:- A group of material normally obtained by joining organic
molecules into giant molecular chains or networks . Polymer are
characterized by low strength , low melting temperature , and poor
electrical conductivity.
Semiconductors:- Silicon, germanium –based semiconductors such
as those used in computers and electronics are part of broader class
of materials known as electronic materials . The electrical
conductivity of semiconductors materials is between that of ceramic
insulators and metallic conductors.
Composites:- A group of materials formed from mixtures of metals,
ceramic , or polymer in such a manner that unusual combination of
properties are obtained (e.g., fiberglass).
 Metal & Alloys Materials
• Ferrous Alloys: Alloys containing more than
50wt.%Fe
– Classification of Steels
– Designation of Steels
• Nonferrous Alloys: Alloys containing less than
50wt.%Fe
– Aluminum
– Copper
 Classification of Ferrous Alloys
Metals & Alloys

Ferrous Nonferrous

Steels Cast Irons

Low Alloy Gray Ductile White Malleable

iron iron iron iron
High Alloy
Low-carbon Medium-carbon High-carbon

High
Plain strength, Plain Heat Stainless
treatable Plain Tool
low alloy
 Classification of Ferrous Alloys
• Based on carbon content
– Pure iron (< 0.008wt% C)
From the phase diagram, it
is composed almost
exclusively of the ferrite
phase at room
temperature.

– Steels (0.008 ~ 2.14wt% C)

In most steels the microstructure consists of both a and Fe3C
phases.
Carbon concentrations in commercial steels rarely exceed 1.0
wt%.
– Cast irons (2.14 ~ 6.70wt% C)
Commercial cast irons normally contain less than 4.5wt% C
 Ferrous Alloys — Steels
• The carbon content is normally less than 1.0 wt%.
• Plain carbon steels: containing only residual
concentrations of impurities other than carbon and a
little manganese

About 90% of all steel made is carbon steel.

• Alloy steels: more alloying elements are intentionally

added in specific concentrations.

• Stainless steels
 Classification of Steels
According to Their Carbon Contents

• Low-carbon steels
– Less than 0.25 wt%C
• Medium-carbon steels
– 0.25 ~ 0.60 wt%C
• High-carbon steels
– 0.60 ~ 1.4 wt%C
 The Designation of Steels
• A four-digit number:
– the first two digits indicate the alloy content;
– the last two, the carbon concentration
• For plain carbon steels, the first two digits are 1 and
0; alloy steels are designated by other initial two-digit
combinations (e.g., 13, 41, 43)

• The third and fourth digits represent the weight

percent carbon multiplied by 100

For example, a 1040 steel is a plain carbon steel

containing 0.40 wt% C.
 The Designation of Steels
• A four-digit number: the first two digits indicate the
alloy content; the last two, the carbon concentration

41 40
Identifies Percentage
major alloying of carbon
element(s)
Table 1; AISI/SAE and UNS Designation Systems

• AISI: American Iron and Steel Institute

• SAE: Society of Automotive Engineers
• UNS: Uniform Numbering System
 Low-Carbon Steels
• Less than 0.25 wt%C
• Unresponsive to heat treatments intended to form
martensite; strengthening is accomplished by cold
work
• Microstructures: ferrite and pearlite
• Relatively soft and weak, but having outstanding ductility
and toughness
• Typically, sy = 275 MPa, sUT = 415~550 MPa, and
ductility = 25%EL
• Machinable, weldable, and, of all steels, are the least
expensive to produce
• Applications: automobile body components, structural
shapes, and sheets used in pipelines, buildings, bridges,
etc.
 Medium-Carbon Steels
• 0.25 ~ 0.60 wt%C
• May be heat treated by normalising, quenching, and then
tempering to improve their mechanical properties
• Stronger than low-carbon steels and weaker than high-
carbon steels
Typical Tensile Properties for Oil-Quenched and Tempered Plain Carbon

a Classified as high-carbon steels

 High-Carbon Steels
• 0.60 ~ 1.4 wt%C
• Used in a hardened and tempered condition
• Hardest, strongest, and yet least ductile; especially wear
resistant and capable of holding a sharp cutting edge
• Containing Cr, V and Mo; these alloying elements
combine with carbon to form very hard and wear-
resistant carbide compounds (e.g., Cr23C6, and V4C3 )
• Applications: cutting tools and dies for forming and
shaping materials, knives, hacksaw blades, springs, and
high-strength wire
What makes stainless steels
“stainless”?
 Stainless Steels
• Stainless steels are selected for their excellent resistance
to corrosion.

• Stainless steels are divided into three classes:

martensitic, ferritic, or austenitic

• The predominant alloying element is chromium; a

concentration of at least 11 wt% Cr is required

– It permits a thin, protective surface layer of chromium

oxide to form when the steel is exposed to oxygen.

– The chromium is what makes stainless steel

stainless!
 Aluminum and Its Alloys
• Aluminum and aluminum alloys are the most widely used
nonferrous metals.
• Aluminum alloys: strengthened by cold working and
alloying (Cu, Mg, Si, Mn, and Zn)
– Nonheat-treatable: single phase, solid solution strengthening
– Heat treatable: precipitation hardening (MgZn2)
• Properties
– Low density (2.7 g/cm3), as compared to 7.9 g/cm3 for steel
– High electrical and thermal conductivity
– Resistant to corrosion in some common environments
– Easily formed and thin Al foil sheet may be rolled
– Al has an FCC crystal structure; its ductility is retained even at
very low temperatures
– Limitation: low melting temperature (660°C)
 Aluminum Alloy Desginations

Material Number

Al (99.00% minimum and

1XXX
greater)

Al alloys are grouped by

major alloying elements
Copper 2XXX
Manganese 3XXX
Silicon 4XXX
Magnesium 5XXX
Magnesium and Silicon 6XXX
94XX Ni-
 Aluminum’s use in vehicles is rapidly increasing due to
the need for fuel efficient, environmentally friendly vehicles
• Al alloys can provide a weight
savings of up to 55% compared
to an equivalent steel structure
• It can match or exceed
crashworthiness standards of
similarly sized steel structures
• The Ford Motor Company now
has aluminum-intensive test
vehicles on the road, providing
46% weight savings in the
structure, with no loss in crash
protection.
Aluminum plate is used in the manufacture
of aircraft and for fuel tanks in spacecraft

• Aircraft manufacturers use high-strength alloys (principally alloy

7075) to strengthen aluminum aircraft structures.
• Alloy 7075 has zinc and copper added for ultimate strength,
because of the copper it is very difficult to weld.
• 7075 has the best machinability and results in the finest finish.
 Lightweight aluminum is a good
material for conductor cables
• Electrical transmission
lines are the largest users
of aluminum rod/bar/wire
products.

• Aluminum is simply the

most economical way to
deliver electrical power.
 Copper and Its Alloys
• Unalloyed copper:
– So soft and ductile that it is difficult to machine
– Unlimited capacity to be cold worked
– Highly resistant to corrosion in various environments
• Copper alloys: strengthened by cold working and/or
solid-solution alloying.

• Bronze and brass are two common copper alloys.

• Applications: costume jewelry, cartridge casings,
automotive radiators, electronic packaging, and coins
 Titanium and Its Alloys
• Relatively new engineering materials that possess an
extraordinary combination of properties
– Low density (4.5 g/cm3)
– High melting temperature (1668°C), high elastic modulus
(107 GPa)
– Extremely strong: 1400 MPa tensile strength at room
temperature, highly ductile and easily forged and machined
– Limitations
 Chemical reactivity with other materials and oxidation
problem at elevated temperatures
 Cost
• Applications: airplane structures, space vehicles, and in
the petroleum and chemical industries
Material Strength with Increased Temperature

Nickel Alloy
 Refractory Metals
• Melting temperatures range between 2468°C for niobium
(Nb) and 3410°C for tungsten (W)
– Interatomic bonding is extremely strong.
– Large elastic modulus and high strength and hardness
at ambient and elevated temperatures
• Applications:
– More alloyed with stainless steel to improve its
corrosion resistance.
– Molybdenum alloys: extrusion dies and structural
parts in space vehicles
– Tungsten alloys: filament (fiber), X-ray tubes, welding
electrodes
 Home work
 Properties of Materials

References
 Rajender Singh, Textbook "Introduction to Basic Manufacturing
Processes and Workshop Technology" Daryaganj, New Delhi –
110002.

 H.N.Gupta , R.C.Gupta , Arun Mittal, Textbook" Manufacturing

Processes’’, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi – 110002.

 Althouse , Turnquist , Bowditch , Textbook" Modern Welding,

Tinley Park, Illionis , United State , 2004.