Sophomore Mechanical

Engineering Program
Structure and Properties of
Materials [MDP 151]
2B- Bonding Energy - Properties
Prof. Adel B. El-Shabasy
Atomic Bonding (cont.)
Two important mechanisms by which atoms are
bonded in engineering materials

Primary bonds Secondary bonds

Metallic Van der Waals

Ionic
Hydrogen
Covalent

2
Atomic Structure and Interactive Bonding ?

In most instances, the type of bond allows us to explain a

material’s properties.

For example, consider carbon, which may exist as both

graphite and diamond. Whereas graphite is relatively
soft and has a greasy feel to it, diamond is the hardest
known material.
 This dramatic disparity in properties is directly
attributable to a type of interatomic bonding found in
graphite that does not exist in diamond
6
Bonding forces and Energies

7
Bonding forces
Consider two isolated atoms
(Bonding Model):
 When the atoms are at large
inter-atomic separation distance,
the atoms do not exert any force
on each other;
 When the distance is decreased,
an attractive force FA starts to
act pulling atoms closer;
 FA increases as the atoms gets
closer;
 But as the atoms get closer a repulsive force FR begin to act.
 The net force FN between the two atoms is given by: FN = FA + FR
 At some inter-atomic distance ro, FR exactly equals FA and FN becomes Zero

FN = 0 = FA + FR
8
Bonding Energies
It is more convenient to work with the potential
energies between two atoms instead of forces.
Mathematically, energy (E) and force (F) are related
as: E =  F dr
For atomic systems,
r
E N   FN dr

r r
  FA dr   FR dr
 

 EA  ER
EN, EA, and ER : the net, attractive, and repulsive energies for two isolated and
adjacent atoms

9
Typical variation of
(a) the interatomic
force and (b) the
corresponding
potential energy for
two atoms
separated by a
distance r. When
the atoms are very
close together there
is a repulsive force
(as at point E),
when they are
further apart the
force is attractive
(as at B)

10
The internuclear distance at which the
energy minimum occurs defines the
equilibrium bond length; i.e. the separation
to which the atoms will naturally move.

The bond energy is the amount of work that

must be done to pull two atoms completely
apart (to break the bond); in other words, it
is the same as the depth of the "well" in the
potential energy curve.

11
Bonding forces and Energies
This means that, the atoms take
certain equilibrium (ro, FN = 0 at Eo
is minimum) positions and resist
any attempt to change these
positions by repulsion when it
subjected to external compressive
loads or by attraction when it
subjected to external tensile loads

12
Bonding forces and Energies
Material properties are related
to the following features of the
interatomic potential:

– Bond energy; (Tm, shallow or deep well)

– Bond length, r; (α)
– Curvature, “the inverse of the curvature
radius”; (Eo, narrow or wide)

13
Melting Temperature, Tm

The deeper the

potential well the
Eo
higher the bonding
energy (stronger), the
higher the melting
temperature to be
able to break the
strong bonding Eo

14
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion, CTE
 As temperature
increases, atomic
vibration amplitude also
increases. This tends to
cause an increase in
bond lengths and
therefore leads to
thermal expansion;
 The wider the potential
well the higher the CTE

15
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion, CTE
Even the atoms have
negative potential
energy but also some
positive kinetic
energy from heat in
the form of
vibrations. Their
kinetic energy will
make them vibrate
and ride higher in
the well, so the
actual binding
energy will be
smaller than the
maximum
16
Example
A vertical steel antenna tower is 200 m high. Calculate the change
in height of the tower that takes place when the temperature
changes from -20° C on a winter day to 30° C on a summer day.
[α of steel = 11.4x10-6 °C-1]
st=11.4E-6 1/k
L=200 mm
Ti= -20°C and Tf=30°C
L ?
 T= T/L
 L= T.L
 L=11.4E-6(30—20)(200)=0.114 mm

17
Elastic Modulus, E
The elastic modulus
(stiffness) of solid is
directly related to
the curvature of the
potential well
Small radius of
curvature, high
curvature leads to
high modulus of
elasticity

18