Marking guide for CEN1201 2020 EXAM 2

1.a) i. We can compare materials using their:

• Performance
• Physical & Chemical Properties
• Composition & Structure
• Processing & Synthesis (1x4 = 4 mks)
ii. A good house material should protect the things inside from weather - wind, cold, heat, rain,
snow, hail - and from fire. (1 mk for any 2 points x 2 = 3 mks)
b)
i. Hardness: Hardness is one example of a mechanical property. If you drag a steel knife across a
hard object, such as a plate, the hard surface is unchanged; if you drag the blade across a soft
object, such as a piece of chalk, the soft surface will be scratched.
ii. Toughness: An object is tough if force is unable to break or tea it. The response to force depends
on the material’s structure, and also its shape and size. Apiece of notebook paper can be torn
easily, but a telephone book requires much greater force.
iii. Elasticity: A material is said to be elastic when it regains its original form when a load placed on
it is removed
iv. Plasticity: A material is said to be plastic, when it remains deformed after removing the load
placed on it (2x4= 8 mks)
c)
All pure metals have metallic bonding and therefore exist as metallic structures. Metallic bonding
consists of a regular arrangement of positive ion cores of the metals surrounded by
a mobile delocalized sea of electrons

(5 mks)

2. a)
i. Nucleation: Nucleation is a process whereby nuclei (seeds) act as templates on which crystals
grow. For nucleus to form, the rate of addition of atoms to nucleus must be faster than the rate of
loss.
ii. Growth: Once nucleated, growth proceeds until equilibrium is attained. Temperature changes
favour nucleate growth. Compared to nucleation, growth is relatively simple if there exist a stable
nucei. It is driven by free energy decrease of phase change
iii. Recovery: Recovery takes place at low temperatures of annealing. There is apparently no change
in the microstructure of the material
iv. Recrystallization: Recrystallization takes place at higher temperature of annealing. There is
Nucleation and growth of new, strain free crystals.
Nucleation of new grains in the usual sense may not be present and grain boundary migrates into
a region of higher dislocation density.

b)

i. Corrosion of metals: corrosion of metals is mainly due to electrochemical reactions. It is also

most influenced by temperature and concentration gradient.
 The relative tendency of a metal to get corroded is represented in terms of its electromotive
force (EMF). (5 mks)
There are many types of corrosion such as galvanic, crevices, pitting corrosion etc.
ii. Thermal degradation: thermal degradation refers to the breakdown of plastic materials by
changes in temperature. Thus, the thermal properties of a plastic material can give an
indication as to the materials susceptibility to thermal degradation in the environment. In the
case of high temperatures, degradation occurs by way of a thermo-oxidative reaction. However,
in order for a plastic to undergo thermal oxidative degradation, there has to be a sufficient
input of energy in the form of heat in order to break chemical bonds. Thermal degradation
takes place in three steps viz initiation, propagation and termination. (5 mmks)

c) Gamma, beta and alpha are classed as ionizing radiation because they interact only with electrons
surrounding nuclei. (2 mks)
3. a) i. Graphic representation of one component phase diagram

ii. The importance of phase diagrams

There is a strong correlation between the microstructure and mechanical properties, and
the development of alloy microstructure is related to the characteristics of its phase
diagram. Phase diagrams provide valuable information about melting, casting,
crystallization and other phenomena. (5 mks)
b) The factors governing Hume-Rothery’s rules for solid solubility are:
1. Atomic size:
Alloying elements having similar atomic size as that of the base metal matrix, have better solid solubility.
For a favorable solid solution formation, the difference of atomic size of solute and solvent should be less
than 15 %.
2. Chemical affinity:
Element having lower chemical affinity have greater solid solubility.
Element having higher chemical affinity have the tendency of formation of compound and hence restrict
formation of solid solution.
In general, the alloy elements located closer in the periodic table have higher solid solubility.

3. Relative valency:
Metals having lower valency have more solubility for metals having higher valency.
 Hence, for better solubility, the base metal selected should be one that has lower valency as compared to
that of alloying elements.
4. Crystal structure:
As mentioned earlier, solid solution is an alloy of element having similar crystal structure.
Difference in crystal structure limits the solid solubility of elements. (4 mks)
c) i.In steady state diffusion, the concentration profile does not change with time. The flux on the left is
the same as the flux on the right, that is J x(left) = Jx(right)

In non-steady state diffusion , the concentration profile does change with time and the flux on the left is
not the same as the flux on the right J x(left) ≠ Jx(right
OR

(2 mks)

ii. Three factors that affect diffusion are: temperature, diffusion mechanism, host species and
microstructure. ( any three for 3 mks)

4. a)

i. An atom is the smallest particle of an element that can take part in a chemical reaction (1
mk)
ii. proton charge +, mass 1amu; neutron charge, no charge, mass 1 amu and electron charge -,
mass 1/1840 = negligible (3 mks)
iii. Isotopes are atoms of the same element with the same atomic number but different mass
numbers as a result of difference in the number of neutrons. (2 mks)
12 14 35 37 59 60
iv. 6C and 6C; 17Cl and 17Cl; Co and Co or any other 2 isotopes (2 mks)

b) i. 2311Na number of neutrons is 23-11=12 neutrons . (1 mk)

ii. 2713Al number of neutrons is 27-13 =14 neutrons. (1 mk)

c) A solid in general is said to be a crystal if the constituent particles (atoms, ions or

molecules) are arranged in a three-dimensional periodic manner or simply if it has a reticular structure.
In crystalline solids the atoms are stacked in a regular manner, forming a 3-D pattern which may be
obtained by a 3-D repetition of a certain pattern unit.
It has long-range orderness and thus has definite properties such a shape and melting point.
Thus, we can say, crystal is a three-dimensional periodic array of atoms.
Non-crystalline solid is the opposite extreme of a single crystal.
These types of solids have neither reticular nor granular structure.
They mostly exhibit short range orderness in their structure.
Glass and plastic are common example of this class. (5 mks)

c) There are 5 major categories of crystalline defects: (5 mks)

1. Zero dimensional: Point defects
2. One dimensional: Linear defects (dislocations)
3. Two dimensional: Planar (surface) defects
4. Three dimensional: Volume (bulk) defects
5. Vibrations