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Module 2 - Unit 2 - Enggchem
Module 2 - Unit 2 - Enggchem
ENGAGE
Hard, shiny, and tough—metals are the macho poster boys of the material world. Learning
how to extract these substances from the Earth and turn them into all kinds of useful
materials was one of the most important developments in human civilization, spawning
tools, jewelry, engines, machines, and giant static constructions like bridges and
skyscrapers. Having said that, "metal" is an almost impossibly broad term that takes in
everything from lead (a super-heavy metal) and aluminum (a super-light one) to mercury
(a metal that's normally a liquid) and sodium (a metal soft enough to cut like cheese that,
fused with chlorine, you can sprinkle on your food—as salt!). What exactly are metals and
what makes them so useful?
You might think Earth is a big lump of rock, hard on the outside and soft in the middle—but
quite a lot of it is actually metal. What exactly is metal? Over three quarters of the
chemical elements that occur naturally on our planet are metals, so it's almost easier to say
what metal isn't.
When we talk about metals, we're usually referring to chemical elements that are solid
(with relatively high melting points), hard, strong, durable, shiny, silvery gray in color, good
conductors of electricity and heat, and easy to work into various different shapes and
forms (such as thin sheets and wires). The word metal is quite a broad and vague term, and
not something you can define precisely.
EXPLORE
Metals
Elements may be classified as either metals or nonmetals based on their properties. Much
of the time, you can tell an element is a metal simply by looking at its metallic luster, but this
isn’t the only distinction between these two general groups of elements
Most elements are metals. This includes the alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, transition
metals, lanthanides, and actinides. On the periodic table, metals are separated from
nonmetals by a zig-zag line stepping through carbon, phosphorous, selenium, iodine, and
radon. These elements and those to the right of them are nonmetals. Elements present just
to the left of the line are termed as semimetals or metalloids. These will have the combines
properties of both metals and nonmetals.
Classification of Metals
Copper Alloys
A. Brass
▪ Brass is the most common alloy of Cu -
it’s an alloy with Zn
▪ Brass has higher ductility than copper or
zinc
▪ Easy to cast - relatively low melting point
and high fluidity
▪ Properties can be tailored by varying Zn
content
▪ Some of the common brasses are
yellow, naval and cartridge
▪ Brass is frequently used to make musical
instruments (good ductility and acoustic
properties)
C. Beryllium Copper
▪ Cu-Be alloys are heat treatable; max
solubility of Be in Cu is 2.7% at 866 oC;
decreasing solubility at lower temp.
Imparts precipitation hardening ability
▪ Cast alloys - higher Be; wrought alloys -
lower Be and some Co
▪ Cu-Be is ductile, weldable and
machinable; also resistant to non-
oxdizing acids (HCl or H2CO3), abrasive
wear and galling
▪ Thermal conductivity is between steels
and aluminum
▪ Applications
► Used in springs, load cells and other parts subjected to repeated loading
► Low current contacts for batteries and electrical connectors
► Cast alloys are used in injection molds
► Other applications include jet aircraft landing gear bearings and bushings and
percussion instruments
Titanium
▪ Pure titanium melts at 1670 oC and has
low density of 4.51 g/cc (40% lighter
than steel and 60% heavier than
aluminum)
▪ Titanium has high affinity to oxygen -
strong deoxidizer; can catch fire and
cause severe damage
▪ Ti is stronger than Al - high strength and
low weight makes titanium very useful as
a structural metal
▪ Excellent corrosion resistance due to a presence of a protective thin oxide surface film;
can be used a biomaterial
▪ Can be used in elevated temperature components
▪ Limitation of pure Ti is its lower strength. Alloying is done to improve strength
▪ Oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen can cause titanium to become more brittle; care
should be taken during processing
▪ Titanium can also be cast using a vacuum furnace
▪ Because of its high strength to weight ratio and excellent corrosion resistance, titanium
is used in variety of applications:
► Aircraft - body structure, engine parts
► Sporting equipment, chemical processing, desalination, turbine engine parts, valve
and pump parts, marine hardware
► Medical implants - prosthetic devices
Titanium Alloys
▪ Pure Ti exhibits two phases - hexagonal alpha phase at room temperature and BCC
beta phase above 882 oC; strength of Titanium is improved by alloying; alloying
elements are either alpha or beta stabilizer
▪ Elements with electron/atoms ratio < 4 - alpha stabilizer (Al, O, Ga); = 4 - neutral (Sn,
Zr); > 4 - beta stabilizer (V, Mo, Ta, W)
▪ (alpha + beta) tw-phase alloys can be obtained with right proportions of alloying
elements
▪ Alpha alloys have low density, moderate strength, reasonable ductility and good
creep resistance
▪ Metastable beta alloys are heavier, stronger and less ductile than alpha alloys; creep
strength reduces with increasing beta content
▪ (alpha + beta) alloys show a good strength-ductility combination
Nickel
▪ Nickel is a high-density, high-strength
metal with goof ductility and excellent
corrosion resistance and high
temperature properties
▪ Ni has many unique properties including
its excellent catalytic property; Nickel
Catalyst for Fuel Cells: Nickel-Cobalt is
seen as a low-cost substitute for
platinum catalysts
▪ Two-thirds of all nickel produced goes
into stainless steel production; also used
extensively in electroplating various
parts in variety of applications
▪ Ni-base super alloys are a unique class of materials having exceptionally good high
temperature strength, creep and oxidation resistance. Used in many high temperature
applications like turbine engines
▪ Shape Memory Alloys: Ni base (Ni-Ti) and Ni containing (Cu-Al-Ni) shape memory alloys
that can go back to original form, are an important class of engineering materials
finding widespread use in many applications
▪ Nickel-containing materials are used in buildings and infrastructure, chemical
production, communications, energy (batteries: Ni-Cd, Ni-metal hydrides),
environmental protection, food preparation, water treatment and transportation
Magnesium Alloys
▪ Mg alloys: impact and dent resistant, have good damping capacity - effective for
high-speed applications
▪ Due to its light weight, superior machinability and ease of casting,M= Mg and its alloys
are used in many applications:
► Auto parts, sporting goods, power tools, aerospace equipment, fixtures, electronic
gadgets, and material handling equipment
► Automotive applications include gearboxes, valve covers, alloy wheels, clutch
housings, and brake pedal brackets
▪ When it is used in jewelry or money, it is often alloyed with silver or some other metal to
make it harder
▪ One of the most popular uses is in electronics as it is one the best conductors of
electricity
▪ Gold is slightly less conductive than copper and silver but is highly resistant to corrosion
compared to copper and silver
▪ Silicon chips in your computer are connected to the pins on their castings by very fine,
very pure gold wires
▪ The aforementioned corrosion resistance means that this is the only way wires could be
that fine; copper or silver wires would just turn into non-conductive oxides
Silver
▪ A soft, white, lustrous metal; it exhibits
the highest electrical conductivity,
thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of
any metal
▪ The metal is found in the Earth’s crust in
the pure, free elemental form (native
silver), as an alloy with gold and other
metals, and in minerals suck as argentite
and chlorargyrite
▪ Most silver is produced as a byproduct
of copper, gold, lead, and zinc refining
▪ Silver has long been valued as a
precious metal; silver is used in many
bullion coins, sometimes alongside gold,
while it is more abundant than gold, it is
less abundant as a native metal
▪ Other than in currency and as investment medium, silver is used in solar panels, water
filtration, jewelry, ornaments, high-value tableware and utensils (silverware), in
electrical contacts and conductors, in specialized mirrors, window coatings, in catalysis
of chemical reactions, as colorant in stained glass and in specialized confectionery
Based on your field of interest (e.g. mechanical engineering, civil engineering, chemical
engineering, etc.), choose a particular equipment or device, enumerate all metals and
metal alloys present in it, and explain the function of each.
Based on your field of interest, you are to design your own equipment or device. What is
this equipment or device? What metals of metal alloys you would prefer to use on it and
why? You may use other metals not mentioned on this module.