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Material of Construction
Material of Construction
Materials of Construction
Riyadh S Almukhtar
Materials of Construction
1- MATERIAL PROPERTIES
The most important characteristics to be
considered when selecting a material of
construction are:
1. Mechanical properties
a. Strength: tensile strength
b. Stiffness: elastic modulus (Young’s
modulus)
c. Toughness: fracture resistance
d. Hardness: wear resistance
e. Fatigue resistance
f. Creep resistance
Materials of Construction
2. The effect of high temperature, low temperature,
and thermal cycling on the mechanical properties
3. Corrosion resistance
4. Any special properties required, such as thermal
conductivity, electrical resistance, and magnetic
properties
5. Ease of fabrication: forming, welding, casting (see
Table
6. Availability in standard sizes—plates, sections,
tubes
7. Cost
MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
MATERIAL PROPERTIES
•Tensile Strength
The tensile strength (tensile stress) is a measure of
the basic strength of a material. It is the maximum
stress that the material will withstand, measured by
a standard tensile test.
Stiffness
Stiffness is the ability to resist bending and buckling.
It is a function of the elastic modulus of the
material and the shape of the cross-section of the
member (the second moment of area).
MATERIAL PROPERTIES
Toughness is associated with tensile strength, and is a
measure of the material’s resistance to crack propagation.
The crystal structure of ductile materials, such as steel,
aluminum, and copper, is such that they stop the
propagation of a crack by local yielding at the crack tip. In
other materials, such as the cast irons and glass, the
structure is such that local yielding does not occur and the
materials are brittle.
Brittle materials are weak in tension but strong
in compression.
Under compression any incipient cracks present are closed
up.
Hardness
The surface hardness, as measured in a standard test, is an
indication of a material’s ability to resist wear. This will be
an important property if the equipment is being designed to
handle abrasive solids, or liquids containing suspended
solids that are likely to cause erosion.
Fatigue
Fatigue failure is likely to occur in equipment subject to
cyclic loading; for example, rotating equipment, such as
pumps and compressors, and equipment subjected to
temperature or pressure cycling.
A comprehensive treatment of this subject is given by Harris
(1976).
Creep
Creep is the gradual extension of a material under a steady
tensile stress, over a prolonged period of
time. It is usually only important at high temperatures, for
instance, with steam and gas turbine blades. For a few
materials, notably lead, the rate of creep is significant at
moderate temperatures.
Effect of Temperature on the
Mechanical Properties
•The tensile strength and elastic modulus of metals
decrease with increasing temperature.
For example, the tensile strength of mild steel (low
carbon steel, C < 0.25 %) is 450 N/mm2 at
25 °C falling to 210 N/mm2 at 500 °C,
• and the value of Young’s modulus is 200,000
N/mm2 at 25 °C falling to 150,000 N/mm2 at 500
°C.
CORROSION RESISTANCE