Y

X
W
Z
Temperature
S
p
e
c
i
f
i
c

v
o
l
u
m
e



1. What are the differences between thermoplastics and thermosets? Give an example of a thermoplastic
and of a thermoset.


2. Outline the processing principles and describe a particular fabrication process for three of the following
materials, giving any advantages/disadvantages of the process where possible:
a) Soda-lime (container) glass.
b) Engineering ceramics (e.g. alumina, silicon nitride).
c) Thermoplastics.
d) Thermosets.
e) Elastomers


3. The adjacent figure shows the Specific Volume
as a function of Temperature for two ideal
polymers; one is completely amorphous and the
other is completely crystalline.

a) Identify the following regions:

W)

X)

Y)

Z)




b) On the Figure indicate the Melting Point and the glass transition temperature.

c) Explain what happens to each of the ideal polymers as they cool down from high temperature.

d) Indicate on the graph the type of behaviour that you would expect from a semi-crystalline polymer.

e) A sample of polymer has a density of 2.144 g.cm
-3
.The densities of the completely amorphous structure
and the completely crystalline structure of this polymer are respectively, 2.000 g.cm
-3
and 2.301 g.cm
-3
. What
is the percentage crystallinity of the sample?


4. What is a copolymer? Describe three of the types of copolymers that can form (use diagrams to help your
description).

5. Describe the tensile mechanical behaviour of the following materials at room temperature, using diagrams
where necessary. Include factors such as stiffness, yielding, tensile strength, fracture, elastic and/or plastic
deformation, etc.
a) a typical metal
b) a typical ceramic
c) a typical thermoplastic.



12
marks
Mech 221
2
6. Using the following data calculate the number average molecular weight for this polymer. The polymer has a
repeat unit with a molecular weight of 62.5 g/mol. What is the number-average degree of polymerisation for
this polymer?
















7. Consider 2.5kg of a steel which contains 1.0wt% carbon. If this steel is heated into the austenite region
and then slowly cooled to just below the eutectoid temperature (727 C) answer the following questions
referring where necessary to the Fe Fe
3
C Phase Diagram attached.

a) What will be the pro-eutectoid phase?

b) How many kg of pearlite will there be?

c) How many kg of eutectoid cementite will there be?

d) Draw a schematic showing the expected microstructure of the steel.

e) What other steel composition would have the same mass fraction of pearlite at this temperature as this
steel?
Molecular Weight Range (g/mol) Mean M
i
(g/mol) X
i

5,000 10,000 7,500 0.04
10,000 15,000 12,500 0.18
15,000 20,000 17,500 0.24
20,000 25,000 22,500 0.25
25,000 30,000 27,500 0.19
30,000 35,000 32,500 0.08
35,000 40,000 37,500 0.02