Engineering Metals

Metals:

All metals can be classified as Non ferrous metals and Ferrous metals.

1. Ferrous Metals:

Ferrous metals are those metals which contain iron. They may have small
amounts of other metals or other elements added, to give the required properties.
All ferrous metals are magnetic and give little resistance to corrosion.

Most commonly used ferrous metals are Mild Steel, High Speed Steel,
Stainless Steel, High Tensile Steel and Cast Iron.

Here are some ferrous metals with are used for tool making, manufacturing
of pressed components and other industrial supplies.

1.1. Mild Steel:

It is the most commonly used ferrous metal. Its major properties are
Toughness, high tensile strength and ductility. It contains 0.15 to0.30% carbon.
Because of low carbon content it can not be hardened and tempered. It must be
case hardened. It is normally used in manufacturing of girders, plates, nuts and
bolts and other general purposes.

1.2. Cast Iron:

Cast iron is another example of commonly used ferrous metal. It is hard,

brittle, strong, cheap, and self-lubricating ferrous metal. It is remelted pig iron with
small amounts of scrap steel. It can be classified as Whitecast iron, grey cast iron,
and malleable cast iron. It is normally used in the manufacturing of heavy crushing
machinery. car cylinder blocks, vices, machine tool parts, brake drums, machine
handle and gear wheels, plumbing fitments etc. Its an important ferrous metal in
automotive pressing.

1.3. High Tensile Steel:

It is very strong and very tough ferrous metal and is exclusively used for
manufacturing of Gears, shafts, engine parts etc. This is one of the most frequently
used ferrous metals in industries because of its strength, hardness and toughness.

1.4. Stainless Steel:

Its another very important ferrous metal. It comprises of 18% chromium,

and 8% nickel. Its special characteristic is its strong resistance to corrosion. Its
common uses are Kitchen draining boards, Pipes, cutlery and aircraft.
1.5. High Speed Steel:

High speed steel is also a ferrous metal. It contains medium carbon,

tungsten, chromium and vanadium. It can be hardened, tempered and can be brittle.
Its special characteristic is that it retains hardness at high temperatures.

1.6. High Carbon Steel:

High Carbon Steel is a ferrous metal which contains of 0.70% to 1.40%

carbon. The major characteristic is its hardness. It is the hardest of the carbon
steels, but is less ductile, tough and malleable. It is used in making os Chisels,
hammers, drills, files, lathe tools, taps and dies.

1.7. Medium Carbon Steels:

As the name says, this ferrous metal contains less Carbon contents, 0.30% to
0.70%. It is stronger and harder than mild steels, less ductile, tough and malleable.
It is used in making metal ropes, wire, garden tools, springs etc.

Ferrous Metals Chooser Chart

Name Composition Properties Uses
Mild Steel 0.15 to 0.30% Tough, high tensile strength, girders, Plates,
carbon ductile. Because of low nuts and bolts,
carbon content it can not be general purpose.
hardened and tempered. It
must be case hardened.
High medium Can be hardened and Cutting tools for
Speed carbon, tempered. Can be brittle. lathes.
Steel tungsten, Retains hardness at high
chromium and temperatures.
vanadium.
Stainless 18% Corrosion resistant Kitchen draining
Steel chromium, and boards. Pipes,
8% nickel cutlery, aircraft.
added.
Low carbon Very strong and very tough. Gears, shafts,
High
steel,, engine parts.
Tensile
nickel,and
Steel
chromium.
 0.70% to The hardest of the carbon Chisels,
High
1.40% carbon. steels. Less ductile, tough and hammers, drills,
Carbon
malleable. files, lathe tools,
Steel
taps and dies.
Medium 0.30% to Stronger and harder than mild Metal ropes,
Carbon 0.70% carbon. steels. Less ductile, tough and wire, garden
Steels malleable. tools, springs.
Remelted pig Hard, brittle, strong, cheap, Heavy crushing
iron with small self-lubricating. machinery. Car
amounts of cylinder blocks,
scrap steel. Whitecast iron, grey cast iron, vices, machine
malleable cast iron. tool parts, brake
Cast Iron
drums, machine
handle and gear
wheels,
plumbing
fitments.

2. Non-Ferrous Metals:

These are metals which do not contain any iron. They are not magnetic and
are usually more resistant to corrosion than ferrous metals, for example aluminium,
brass, copper (which can be remembered as ABC) and titanium.

2.1. Aluminum:

Pure aluminum is a silvery-white metal with many desirable characteristics.

It is light, nontoxic (as the metal), nonmagnetic and nonsparking. It is easily
formed, machined, and cast. Pure aluminum is soft and lacks strength, but alloys
with small amounts of copper, magnesium, silicon, manganese, and other elements
have very useful properties. Aluminum is an abundant element in the earth's crust,
but it is not found free in nature. The Bayer process is used to refine aluminum
from bauxite, an aluminum ore. Because of aluminum's mechanical and physical
properties, it is an extremely convenient and widely used metal.

Some Common Uses -

Building & Construction Industry:

 door and window frames

 wall cladding, roofing, awnings
Manufacture of Electrical Products:

 high tension power lines, wires, cables, busbars

 components for television, radios, refrigerators and air-conditioners

Packaging & Containers:

 beverage cans, bottle tops

 foil wrap, foil semi-rigid containers

Cooking Utensils:

 kettles and saucepans

Aeronautical, Aviation & Automotive Industries:

 propellers
 airplane and vehicle body sheet
 gearboxes, motor parts

Leisure Goods:

 tennis racquets, softball bats

 indoor and outdoor furniture

Properties -

 very lightweight (about 1/3 the mass of an equivalent volume of steel or

copper) but with alloying can become very strong.
 excellent thermal conductor
 excellent electrical conductor (on a weight-for-mass basis, aluminium will
conduct more than twice as much electricity as copper)
 highly reflective to radiant energy in the electromagnetic spectrum
 highly corrosion resistant in air and water (including sea water)
 highly workable and can be formed into almost any structural shape
 non-magnetic
 non-toxic

2.2. Copper:

Copper provides a diverse range of properties: good thermal and electrical

conductivity, corrosion resistance, ease of forming, ease of joining, and color.
However, copper and its alloys have relatively low strength-to-weight ratios and
low strengths at elevated temperatures. Some copper alloys are also susceptible to
stress-corrosion cracking unless they are stress relieved. Next to silver, copper is
the next best electrical conductor. It is a yellowish red metal that polishes to a
bright metallic luster. It is tough, ductile and malleable. Copper has a disagreeable
taste and a peculiar smell. Copper is resistant to corrosion in most atmospheres
including marine and industrial environments. It is corroded by oxidizing acids,
halogens, sulphides and ammonia based solutions.

Copper and its alloys -- the brasses and bronzes -- are available in rod, plate, strip,
sheet, tube shapes, forgings, wire, and castings.

2.3. Lead:

Lead is the most impervious of all common metals to X-rays and gamma
radiation and it resists attack by many corrosive chemicals, most types of soil, and
marine and industrial environments. Main reasons for using lead often include low
melting temperature, ease of casting and forming, high density, good sound and
vibration absorption, and ease of salvaging from scrap. Sheet lead, lead-loaded
vinyls, lead composites, and lead-containing laminates are used to reduce
machinery noise. The natural lubricity and wear resistance of lead make the metal
suitable, in alloys, for heavy-duty bearing applications such as railroad-car journal
bearings and piston-engine crank bearings

2.4. Magnesium:

As the lightest structural metal available, magnesium has a high strength-to-

weight ratio. With its low modulus of elasticity combined with moderate strength,
magnesium alloys can absorb energy elastically, providing excellent dent
resistance and high damping capacity. Magnesium has good fatigue resistance and
performs particularly well in applications involving a large number of cycles at
relatively low stress. The metal is sensitive to stress concentration, however, so
notches, sharp corners, and abrupt section changes should be avoided. Magnesium
alloys are the easiest of the structural metals to machine and they can be shaped
and fabricated by most metalworking processes, including welding.

2.5. Nickel:

Nickel fits many applications that require specific corrosion resistance or

elevated temperature strength. Some nickel alloys are among the toughest
structural materials known. When compared to steel, other nickel alloys have
ultrahigh strength, high proportional limits, and high moduli of elasticity.
Commercially pure nickel has good electrical, magnetic, and magnetostrictive
properties.

2.6. Precious Metals

  Gold is an extremely inert, soft, ductile metal, that undergoes very little
work hardening. A gram of pure gold can be worked into leaf covering 6
ft^2 and only 0.0000033 in. thick. It is used chiefly for linings or
electrodeposits and is often alloyed with other metals such as copper or
nickel to increase strength or hardness.
 Silver is a very malleable, ductile, and corrosion resistant metal that has the
highest thermal and electrical conductivity of all metals and is the least
costly of all the precious metals. Alloyed with copper, and sometimes with
zinc, silver is also used in high-melting temperature solders.
 Platinum is an extremely malleable, ductile, and corrosion resistant silver-
white metal. When heated to redness, it softens and is easily worked. It is
nearly nonoxidizable and is soluble only in liquids that generate free
chlorine such as aqua regia. Because platinum is inert and stable, even at
high temperatures, the metal is used for high-temperature handling of high-
purity chemicals and laboratory materials. Other applications include
electrical contacts, resistance wire, thermocouples, and standard weight

2.7. Refractory Metals

Refractory metals are characterized by their extremely high melting points,

which range well above those of iron, cobalt, and nickel. They are used in
demanding applications requiring high-temperature strength and corrosion
resistance. The most extensively used of these metals are tungsten, tantalum,
molybdenum, and columbium (niobium).

2.8. Tin:

Tin is characterized by a low-melting point (450°F), fluidity when molten,

readiness to form alloys with other metals, relative softness, and good formability.
The metal is nontoxic, solderable, and has a high boiling point. The temperature
range between melting and boiling points exceeds that for nearly all other metals
(which facilitates casting). Upon severe deformation, tin and tin-rich alloys work
soften. Principal uses for tin are as a constituent of solder and as a coating for steel
(tinplate, or terneplate). Tin is also used in bronze, pewter, and bearing alloys.

2.9. Titanium:

There are three structural types of titanium alloys:

 Alpha Alloys are non-heat treatable and are generally very weld- able. They
have low to medium strength, good notch toughness, reasonably good
ductility and possess excellent mechanical properties at cryogenic
temperatures. The more highly alloyed alpha and near-alpha alloys offer
optimum high temperature creep strength and oxidation resistance as well.
  Alpha-Beta Alloys are heat treatable and most are weldable. Their strength
levels are medium to high. Their hot-forming qualities are good, but the high
temperature creep strength is not as good as in most alpha alloys.
 Beta or near-beta alloys are readily heat treatable, generally weldable,
capable of high strengths and good creep resistance to intermediate
temperatures. Excellent formability can be expected of the beta alloys in the
solution treated condition. Beta-type alloys have good combinations of
properties in sheet, heavy sections, fasteners and spring applications.

2.10. Zinc

Zinc is a silvery blue-grey metal with a relatively low melting point

(419.5°C) and boiling point (907°C). When unalloyed, its strength and hardness is
greater than that of tin or lead, but appreciably less than that of aluminium or
copper. The pure metal cannot be used in stressed applications due to low creep-
resistance. For these reasons most uses of zinc are after alloying with small
amounts of other metals or as a protective coating for steel.

Uses -

One of the most useful characteristics of zinc is its resistance to atmospheric

corrosion, and just over half of its use is for the protection of steelwork. In addition
to its metal and alloy forms, zinc also extends the life of other materials such as
steel (by hot dipping or electrogalvanizing), rubber and plastics (as an aging
inhibitor), and wood (in paints). Zinc is also used to make brass, bronze, and die-
casting alloys in plate, strip, and coil; foundry alloys; superplastic zinc; and
activators and stabilizers for plastics.

Mechanical and physical properties -

Tensile strength (cast) : 28MN/m² (4,000 psi)

- (rolled - with grain)

- (99.95% zinc soft temper) : 126MN/m² (18,000 psi)

- (98.0% zinc hard temper) : 246MN/m² (35,000 psi)

Elongation :

- (rolled - with grain)

- (99.95% zinc soft temper) : 65%

- (98.0% zinc hard temper) : 5%

Modulus of elasticity : 7 X 104 MN/m² (1 X 107 psi)

Brinell hardness, 500 kg load :

- for 30 sec. : 30

Impact resistance :

- (pressed zinc, elongation = 30%) : 6.5-9 J/cm² (26-35 ft-1bs/in²)

Surface tension - liquid (450°C) : 0.755 N/m

Surface tension - liquid (419.5°C) : 0.782 N/m

Viscosity-liquid (419.5°C) : 0.00385 N/m

Velocity of sound (20°C) : 3.67 km/s

Coefficient of friction :

- (rolled zinc v rolled zinc) : 0.21

Hardness : 2.5 mohs

Non-Ferrous Metals Chooser Chart

Name Composition Properties Uses
Aluminium Pure Metal Greyish-White, soft, Aircraft, boats,
malleable, window
conductive to heat frames,
and electricity, It is saucepans,
corrosion resistant. packaging and
It can be welded but insulation,
this is difficult. pistons and
Needs special cranks.
processes.
Aluminium Aluminium +4% Ductile, Malleable, Aircraft and
alloys- Copper+1%Manganes Work Hardens. vehicle parts.
Duraluminium) e
Copper Pure metal Red, tough, ductile, Electrical wire,
High electrical cables and
conductor, conductors,
 corrosion resistant, water and
Can work hard or central heating
cold. Needs pipes and
frequent annealing. cylinders.
Printed circuit
boards, roofs.
Brass 65% copper Very corrosive, Castings,
+35%zinc. yellow in colour, ornaments,
tarnishes very valves,forgings.
easily. Harder than
copper. Good
electrical conductor.
Lead Pure metal The heaviest Protection
common metal. against X-Ray
Soft, malleable, machines.
bright and shiny Paints, roof
when new but coverings,
quickly oxidizes to flashings.
a dull grey.
Resistant to
corrosion.
Zinc Pure metal A layer of oxide Makes brass.
protects it from Coating for
corrosion, bluish- steel galvanized
white, easily corrugated iron
worked. roofing, tanks,
buckets, rust-
proof paints
Tin Pure metal White and soft, Tinplate,
corrosion resistant. making bronze.
85% copper+15% Corrosion resistant, Beaten
Gilding metal zinc. golden colour, metalwork,
enamels well. jewellery.