Engineering Alloys

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 Production of Iron and Steel
Production of pig iron
Fe2O3 + 3CO 2Fe + 3CO2
Ore Coke Pig iron
(Liquid)
Blast Furnace

• Pig iron is the intermediate

product of smelting iron ore
with a high-carbon fuel such
as coke, usually with
limestone as a flux.

• Pig iron has a very high

carbon content, typically
3.5–4.5%, which makes it
very brittle and not useful
directly as a material except
for limited applications.
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Steel Making
 Pig iron and 30% steel scrap is fed into refractory
furnace to which oxygen line is inserted.
 Oxygen reacts with liquid bath to form iron oxide.
 Slag forming fluxes
are added.
 Carbon content and
other impurities are
lowered.
 Molten steel is
continuously cast and
formed into shapes.

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Heat Treatment
Heat Treatment is the controlled heating and cooling of
metals to alter their physical and mechanical properties
without changing the product shape. Some of the objectives
of heat treatment are:
1. Softening
2. Hardening
3. Material modification

Tempering
• Tempering is the process of re-heating the steel at a relatively
low temperature leading to precipitation and spheroidization.
• Spheroidization is a process in which the excess-phase crystals
are transformed into a globular (spheroidal) form.
• Tempering is done to develop the required combination of
hardness, strength and toughness of fully hardened steels
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 Alloying element
Alloying element: a metal that is added in a small quantity to
another metal to improve the properties of alloys is called
alloying element.
Below is a list of alloying elements and their contribution to
the alloys in improving the properties:

 Nickel – strength and toughness

 Chromium – hardness and strength
 Tungsten – hardness at elevated temperature
 Vanadium – tensile strength
 Manganese – high strength hot rolled heat treated
condition
 Silicon – high elastic limit
 Cobalt – hardness
 Molybdenum – extra tensile strength

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Types of Metal Alloys
 Ferrous alloys: Have iron as their principal alloying
metals
 Wrought Iron
 Steel Alloy
 Cast Iron

 Nonferrous alloys: Have a principal alloying metal

other than iron.

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Wrought Iron
 Very pure form of iron (Fe - 99.5%)
 Produced by re-melting pig Iron and small amount
of silicon, phosphorus and sulfur.
 Malleable (capable of being shaped or formed, as
by hammering or pressure), tough and ductile.
 Can easily be forged and welded.
 Not suitable for sudden shock.
 Applications: crane hooks, chains, railway
couplings

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 Steel Alloy (types)
Steels are iron-carbon alloys that may contain appreciable
concentrations of other alloying elements. Carbon content can be less
than 1.7%. Carbon is present in the form of iron carbide to impart
hardness and strength.
Commercial steels are classified into one of three groups: 1. Plain
carbon steel, 2. Low alloy steel, 3. High alloy steel

A. Mild (low carbon) steel (less than 0.3%C)

B. Medium-carbon steels (0.30 to 0.45% C)
1. Plain Carbon steel C. High carbon steel (0.45 to 0.75 % C)
D. Very high carbon steel (up to 1.50 % C)

2. Low alloy steels

A. Austenitic
3. High alloy steels B. Ferritic
C. Martensitic
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Cannot be strengthened beyond 690 MPa
without losing ductility and impact strength.

 Not deep-hardenable.

 Low corrosion resistance.

 Rapid quenching (sudden cooling from very

high temperature) leads to crack and distortion.

 Poor impact resistance at low temperature.

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 Type of Steel alloys

2. Low-alloy steels
Typical alloying elements include nickel, chromium,
molybdenum, manganese, and silicon which add strength at
room temperature. These alloys in the right combination,
improve corrosion resistance.
Usage: automotive industry

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 3. High-alloy steels (stainless steel)

Stainless steel is the most important commercial high-alloy

steel. Stainless steels contain at least 12 % chromium, less that
1% carbon and many have high nickel contents.
The three basic types of stainless are:
A. Austenitic B. Ferritic C. Martensitic

• Uses:
• Chemical equipment, pressure vessels etc.
• Machine parts, pumps, bearings, and valve parts

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 Cast Iron

 Cast iron contains 2-4% Carbon and 1-3% Si

• Silicon is used to control the carbide (Fe3C) formation
• Easily melted, very fluid, low shrinkage, easily machinable

• Low impact resistance and ductility

Types of Cast Iron:

• Gray cast iron
• White cast iron
• Malleable cast iron
• Ductile cast iron

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Types of cast irons

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 Applications of Cast Irons

Applications:
 Gray cast iron: used for manufacture of automobile engine parts
White Cast Iron : furniture
Malleable Cast Iron
 Ductile Cast Iron: Pipes and fittings

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Advantages and disadvantages of ferrous metals & alloys
Advantages
Steel and other ferrous alloys are consumed in
exceedingly large quantities because they have such a
wide range of mechanical properties, may be
fabricated with relative ease and are economical to
produce.
Disadvantages
• Relatively high density
• Comparatively low electrical conductivity
• Inherent susceptibility to corrosion in some common
environments.

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 Non-ferrous metals and alloys

 Magnesium
 Titanium
 Aluminium
 Nickel
 Copper
 Zinc
 Refractory metals (Mo, W)
 Noble metals

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 Magnesium Alloys
 source: Mg is extracted electrolytically from concentrated magnesium
chloride in seawater.
 VERY POOR corrosion resistance
 Main alloying additions : Al, Mn, Zn
 Aerospace and materials-handling applications

Titanium Alloys

 Excellent corrosion resistance used widely in the chemical industries

 Main alloying additions : Al, V, Sn
 aircraft structure parts, prosthetics

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 Aluminum Alloys
 Low density 2700 kg/ m3 (One-third the density of Steel)
 Good corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, ease of fabrication
 Main alloying additions: Cu, Mg, Mn, Si, Zn, Sn, Li
 Applications of Al alloys
– Aircraft construction
– Electric conductors
– Building construction

Nickel Alloys
Good strength and electrical conductivity
 High corrosion and oxidation resistance
 Main alloying additions : Cu, Al, Fe,Ti, Cr, Co
Applications:
 Power generation equipment
 Electrical and electronic parts
 Food processing equipment

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 Copper Alloys
Properties:
• High electrical and thermal conductivity
• Good corrosion resistance

Applications:
Costume jewelry, cartridge casings, automotive radiators,
electronic packaging

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