Introduction to Engineering Materials

Ferrous and Non-ferrous metals and its properties:

Metal is an element, compound or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and

heat. Metals are broadly classified into Ferrous and Non-ferrous metals. Ferrous metals are

metals that consist mostly of iron and small amounts of other elements. Ferrous metals are prone

to rusting if exposed to moisture. Ferrous metals can also be picked up by a magnet. The rusting

and magnetic properties in ferrous metals are both due to the presence of iron. Examples of

ferrous materials are mild steel, cast iron, high carbon steel, high speed steel and stainless steel.

Non-ferrous metals are metals that do not have any iron in them at all. This means that

Non-ferrous metals are not attracted to a magnet and they also do not rust in the same way when

exposed to moisture. Examples of non ferrous materials are aluminum, copper, zinc, tin, lead,

silver, gold and magnesium.

Fig. 1 Types of Ferrous and Non-ferrous metals

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 1

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

Types of Ferrous metals:

Mild Steel:

It is the alloy of iron and carbon where carbon percentage is less than 2%. The carbon

determines the quality of steel and it decides the strength and hardness of steel. Mild steel is used

in manufacture of bolts and nuts, building girders, car bodies, gates etc.

Fig. 2 Mild steel applications

Cast Iron:

Fig. 3 Cast iron applications

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 2

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

It is very strong metal when it is in compression and is also very brittle. It consists of

93% iron and 4% carbon plus other elements. Cast iron is used in the manufacture of car brake

disc, car cylinders, manhole covers, metalwork vices etc.

High Carbon Steel:

It is very strong and very hard steel that has a high resistance to abrasion. It consists of

upto 1.5% carbon content. High carbon steel is used in the manufacture of screw drivers,

hammers, chisels, saws, springs etc.

Fig 3 Applications of high carbon steel

High Speed Steel (HSS):

High speed steel is a metal containing a high content of tungsten, chromium and

vanadium. However it is very brittle but is also very resistant to wear. It is used in the

manufacture of drill bits, cutting tools, high temperature applications etc.

Fig. 4 Applications of HSS

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 3

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

Stainless Steel:

Stainless steel is very resistant to wear and water corrosion and rust. It is an alloy of iron with

chromium, nickel and magnesium content. It is used in the manufacture of kitchen sinks, cutlery,

teapots, cookware and surgical instruments.

Fig. 5 Applications of Stainless steel

Types of Non-Ferrous metals:

Aluminium:

Fig. 6 Applications of aluminium

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 4

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

It tends to be light in colour although it can be polished to a mirror like appearance.

Aluminium has good malleability and formability, high corrosion resistance, high electrical and

thermal conductivity. It is very light in weight. It is used in the manufacture of saucepans,

cooking foil, window frames, ladders, bicycles.

Copper:

It is ductile and malleable metal. It is often red/brown in colour. It is very good conductor

of heat and electricity. Copper is used in the manufacture of electrical components, cookware,

plumbing and roof coverings etc.

Fig. 7 Applications of copper

Zinc:

Fig. 8 Applications of zinc

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 5

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

It is very resistant to corrosion from moisture. However zinc is a very weak metal and is

used mainly for coating steel. It is used as a coating on screws, steel buckets etc.

Tin:

It is very ductile and very malleable metal. It is resistant to corrosion from moisture. It is

bright silver in appearance. Used as a coating on food cans, beer cans, whistles, tin foil and

soldering.

Fig. 9 Applications of tin

Lead:

It is a soft, malleable metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Lead has a

bluish-white colour after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish colour when

exposed to air. Used for batteries, roof flashing and X-ray protection etc.

Fig. 10 Applications of lead

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 6

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

Silver:

A soft, white transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and

the highest thermal conductivity of any metal. The metal occurs naturally in its pure, free form.

Used for jewelry, currency coins sports trophies, mirrors as a reflective metal and high quality

cutlery etc.

Fig.11 Applications of silver

Gold:

Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow

color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or

water. Gold resist attacks by individual acids. Used mainly for jewelry, in computers as a

conductor and also as a protective material in satellites.

Fig. 12 Applications of gold

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 7

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

Magnesium:

Magnesium is a fairly strong, silvery white, light-weight metal (one third lighter than

aluminium) that slightly tarnishes when exposed to air. This metal as a powder heats and ignites

when exposed to moisture and burns with a white flame. Used in fireworks, and is alloyed with

other metals to make them lighter and more easily weldable.

Fig. 13 Applications of magnesium

Heat treatment:

Introduction:

Heat treatment is an endeavor to obtain the maximum efficiency of the material under the

demanding conditions of service. “Heat Treatment is a combination of heating and cooling

operations carried out on a metal or alloy in the solid state so as to produce a particular

microstructure and hence the desired properties.”

Objectives of Heat Treatment:

 To improve the mechanical properties like tensile strength, impact strength, ductility etc.

 To improve Machinability.

 To improve Hardness.

 To modify Magnetic and Electrical properties.

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 8

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

 To refine the grains.

 To produce hard surfaces and soft interiors.

 To relieve internal stresses and residual stress.

Steps in Heat Treatment Process:

Step 1: Heating the metal or alloy to the prescribed temperature.

Step 2: Holding the specimen at that Temperature for a pre determined period of time –

holding time or soaking time depends upon the maximum thickness of the specimen.

Step 3: Cooling at a rate necessary to obtain a specific microstructure for desired

properties.

Classification of Heat Treatment Process:

 Full Heat Treatment

 Annealing

 Normalizing

 Hardening

 Tempering

Full Heat Treatment:

In this Method, the complete cross section of the specimen is heat treated.

Annealing Heat Treatment:

This process of heat treatment is a conventional type. Here, the specimen is heated to a

prescribed elevated temperature for an extended period of time and then slow cooled. Slow

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 9

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

cooling is done in a furnace (furnace cooling) or cooling in an insulating material. Furnace

cooling means, the furnace is switched off and specimen is allowed to cool along with the

furnace (specimen is not removed out of furnace).

Annealing is performed to:

 Relieve internal residual stresses developed during machining, forging welding etc.

 Increase softness, ductility and toughness.

 Produce specific microstructure.

Normalizing Heat Treatment:

Normalizing is similar to annealing except that, Here, the specimen is heated to a

prescribed elevated temperature for an extended period of time and the cooling is done at a faster

rate. Instead of furnace cooling (as done in annealing), for normalizing ‘Air Cooling’ is done. It

means that the specimen after heating is removed out of the furnace and cooled in air.

Normalizing is performed to:

 Increase softness, ductility and toughness.

 Produce specific microstructure.

 To improve machinability of low carbon steel

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 10

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

Comparison between Normalizing and Annealing:

Sl. No. Normalizing Annealing

1 Normalizing steels are tougher and

Less tougher and harder.
harder.

2 Finer and Uniform grain size. Less finer grains.

3 Less expensive hence preferred in More expensive because of prolonged heat

Industries. Treatment cycles.

4 Cooling rates are not critical. Cooling rates are critical.

5 Improves machinability of medium Improves machinability of low carbon

carbon Steels. Steels.

6 Normalized steels are less ductile. More ductile.

Hardening heat treatment:

Hardening is given to steel components to increase their hardness, wear resistance, tensile

strength and yield strength values. Some components require high hardness value as they are

used for heavy duty applications. Hardening generally improves hardness, wear resistance,

tensile strength and yield strength.

Hardening heat treatment cycle:

 Heating steel to a sufficiently high temperature

 Holding (soaking) at that temperature for certain duration.

 Rapid cooling in different media (water or oil or ice bath etc.) to get hardest phase.

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 11

 Introduction to Engineering Materials

 Hardening is generally followed by tempering to reduce internal stresses, improve wear

resistance and improve toughness.

Tempering heat treatment:

Steel after hardening becomes brittle, develops non-visible micro cracks and is starined

due to internal residual stresses. These undesired symptoms are reduced by tempering the steel.

Tempering is the only heat treatment process suitable for improving elastic limit and toughness

of steel. This process involves reheating of the hardened steel to a certain temperature (< 600 ᴼ

C), followed by a slow cooling rate. Reheating permits partial transformation of microstructure

and relieving of the internal stresses.

Department of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, MIT, Manipal 12