DESIGNATION OF MATERIALS

Objectives:

At the end of this chapter the student should be able to:

1- understand the used of designating materials

2- explain and interpreted signs and symbols used for designations
3- identify all the elements of designation
O1- introduction
For the many different materials and alloy used today in engineering field, the are many
classification system to keep all standard unified in industries it is necessary for those
undergoing training in mechanical engineering to get a couple of them.
02- Definition
Designation is a system of coding establish to use by engineers and producers of metallic
materials to grade and indicate the chemical compositions, symbols, properties, percentage
content and heath treatment of single metals or alloys.
The following different systems in metal designation:
 The American iron and steel institute (AISI) which does the classification of steel and
alloys.
 The society of automobile engineers (SAE) which classified metals used on motor
vehicles
 The American society of mechanical engineers (ASME) which overseas codes that
relates to pressure vessels, fitting and pipes
 The aluminum association (AA) does the labeling of aluminum stock.
03- Designation of steel
Steel is and alloy of iron and carbon with carbon content up to a maximum of 1,5 %,
carbon increases the hardness and strength of steel. Other elements are added to
plain carbon steel is a large or small amount to impact certain desired properties, a
majority of the steel found in market is plain carbon steel or simply carbon steel.
The most common types of steels are: plain carbon steel and alloy steel.
Steel
Plain carbon steel Alloy steel

Low carbon steel

Stainless steel
Medium carbon steel
Tool steel
High carbon steel
Cutting tool steel

The designation of steel according to the SAE systems is as follow

I- SAE CODE
- The first digit in the number represents the other alloy ( if any ) added to the steel
- The second digit represent either the percentage of that alloy or more alloys
additives
- The XX in the label table below are the first two digits represent the carbon content
of metal

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 Major classification of steel
code key alloy Type of steel
1XXX Carbon Carbon steel
2XXX Nickel Nickel steel
3XXX Nickel + chromium Nickel-chromium steel
4XXX Molybdenum Molybdenum steel
5XXX Chromium Steel with chromium
6XXX Chromium+ vanadium Steel with Cr and Va
7XXX Tungsten Tungsten steel
8XXX Nickel+chromium+molybdenium Triple alloy steel
9XXX Silicom+manganese Silicon-manganese steel

Exercise:
Explain the following designation:
1- 2136 : nickel steel with 1% of major alloy and 0,36% carbon
2- 5132 : chromium steel with 0% of major alloy and 0,32% carbon
3- 1042 : carbon steel with 0% of alloy and 0,42% of carbon

Assignment:

Explain the designations below:

1- ) 5300 2- ) 7650 3- ) 1060

II- NON ALLOYS STEELS FOR GENERAL PURPOSES

These steel is design as follows

G S 355 NL 1 – G : signifies cast steel (if necessary)

4 2- S: structural steel
3
E: mechanical design
2
1 P: steel for pressure vessels

B: concrete bar

H: from flat product for forming

3-Elastic limit Rein MPa or Nmm2

4- F : forming Q : hardening
N: normalize L : low temperature
M: rolling

Example:

P412F: pressure vessel steel with 412 Re in MPa elastic limit and forging

B425M: concrete bar with 420 N/mm2 elastic limit and rolling

S185: structural steel with 185 N/mm2 elastic limit (tensile strength)

Assignment:

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S235. B245. E360. P295

AISI steel classification with respect to the chemical composition

The decoding and identification of the AISI system of designation is the same as
the SAE classification, the only difference is that a latter prefix U added which
designates the fabrication process of the steel.
- B : represents steel produced through the Bessemer furnace
- C : represent steel produced through Martin furnace
- D : represent red steel produced through Martin furnace
- E : represent steel produced through the electric furnace

Example:

Explain the designation

E53100: chromium steel produced through electric furnace with 3% chromium and 1% carbon

B1060: carbon steel produced thoughts Bessemer furnace with 0% major alloy element and 0,6%
carbon

NB: most carbon steel are produced in the open-heath furnace and alloy steel are produced in
electrocute arc or induction furnace

III- NON ALLOYED HIGH-GRADE STEEL

This steel is designated as follow
G C 35 E 1- cast steel ( if necessary )
2- Non alloy high-grade steel
4 3- Percentage of carbon multiplied by 100
3
4- Indices complementary specification such as:
2 C: forming
1
E: maximum content of sulfur
N: normalizes
S: steel for spring
F: forming
Example: explain the following designation.
C35: signifies non alloyed high grade steel with 0, 35% carbon
C25E: signifies non alloyed high grade steel with 0, 25% carbon and forging
IV- LOW ALLOYED STEELS ( normalized designation)
G 35 Ni Cr Mo 16-8-2
1- indicates cast steel
2- Indicates % of carbon multiplied by 100
2 3 4
3- Indicates chemical symbols and additional alloying
1
elements.
4- % of additional element in decreasing order
NB: the additional elements found in this steel is multiplied by a factor as given below.

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Multiplying coefficient
Alloying elements Cr; Co; Mn; Al ; P; S; N; Ce B
Ni; Si; W Be ;Cu ;Mo ;Nb ;Pb ;
Ta ; Ti ; V ; Zn
Example:
Explain the designation: G35NiCrMo16; 42M n Al S 16 12 24; 34Si Cu Ni 12-8
G35Ni Cr Mo 16: represent moldable cast low steel with 0.35% carbon, nickel as 1st additional
element, chromium as 2nd and molybdenum 4% nickel (4X 4 and traces of chromium and
molybdenum.
42Mn Al S 16-12-24: low alloyed steel with 0.42% of carbon and 4% of manganese 1.2% of aluminum
with 0.24% of sulfur
34Si Cu Ni 12-8: low alloyed steel with 0.34% carbon, 4%of silicon, and 0.8% of copper and low % of
nickel.
Exercice: 20Ni Cr Mo 7; 25Mn Cr5; 16Ni Cr Mo 13; 10Ni Cr6, 41Cr Al Mo 7; 45Si Cr Mo 6 ; 51Cr V 4 ;
42 Mn Al S 16-12-24 ; 34Si Cu Ni 12-18
V- HIGH ALLOYED STEEL

G X 60 Cr Ni Ti 18-11 1- cast steel (moldable steel if necessary)

2- High alloy steel symbol
4 5 3- Carbon percentage multiplied by 100
3
4- Additional alloying elements in that order
2 0
5- Percentage of alloying element in same order
1

Example: explain these designation

X10Cr Ni 18-9 G X6Cr Ni Ti 18-11

a- X10Cr Ni 18-9 : signified high alloy steel with 0.1 percent carbon , chromium first additional
element with 18% and nickel second additional with 9%
b- G X6Cr Ni Ti 18-11 : moldable high alloy steel with 0.06% of carbon 18% of chromium 11% of
nickel and traces of titanium lest than 1%

Exercice: X 2 Cr Ni 19-11 ; X5 Cr Ni Mo 17-12 ; X30 Cr13 ; X8Ni Cr mg 18-12-4 ;

VI- High speed Tools steel

The steel is used for cutting metal of very very high speed operations than other other
drawing carbon tool steel. High speed contains tungsten as the main alloy element while
other element like chromium, vanadium etc. may be present in little proportions.
Examples:
a-) XT80W20Co12 b-) XT87W6Mo5Cr4V2 c-) XT80W20Co12Cr4V2Mo1
XT 80 W Co 20-12

1-) high speed steel symbol 4

3
2

1
4
2-) percentage carbon multiplied by 100

3-) alloying element in that order

4-) percentage of alloying element in same order

VII- CAST IRON

Cast iron is obtained by melting pig iron with coke and lime-stone in a copula furnace. It is primarily
and alloy of iron and carbon. The carbon contain in cast iron varies from 1.7 to 4.5% it also contain
small amount of silicon, manganese, phosphorus, sulfur.

The carbon in a cast iron is present in either of the following two forms:

- Free carbon or graphite

- Combined carbon or cemented iron carbide

Went cast iron is allow to cool slowly, most of the free carbon solidifies in large crystal know as
graphite. A small part of the carbon combine with iron to form cementite (Fe3C). Iron and carbon
combine to form iron carbide (Fe3C).

Cementite: is a very hard and brittle substance. The more cementite the iron contains the more it
gets herder. Cast iron has the following properties:

- Brittleness
- Good casting characteristics
- High compressive strength
- Ware resistance
- Excellent machinability
DESIGNATION OF CAST IRON

EN GJ L 400-18 1- ) prefix
2-) cast iron. symbole
5 3- ) L: lamina graphite
4
S: nodular graphite
3
MW: malleable white cast iron
2
MB: malleable black cast iron
1
V: vernicular
N: no graphite
Y: special structure
4- ) Re: tensile strength (N/mm2 or MPa)
5- ) elongation A%

Examples:
EN GJ L 400-18: laminar graphite cast iron with a tensile strength of 400N/mm2 and elongation 18%
Exercise: EN-GJ S 400-18; EN-GJ S 700-12; EN-GJ MB 360-12; EN-GJ MW 450-7; EN-GJ L 250;

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EN-GJ 150 ; EN-GJ MB 550-4 ; EN-GJ L650-2
NON-FERROUS METAL
The basic knowledge of nonferrous metal and their properties is of great significance for designation
and manufacturing engineering. Non-ferrous metal contain metal other than iron as their main
constituents such as aluminum; copper, zinc, magnesium, lead, tin, and nickel.
Various non-ferrous alloys are copper base (brass, bronze) aluminum base alloys (duralumin, Y alloy,
hindralinium, magnalium) nickel alloys (Inconel, Monel and nichrome.) in base alloys (bearing,
antifriction alloys) the non-ferrous metals are used for the purposes namely for resistance to
corrosion, special electric and magnetic properties, softness facility of cold working, fusibility, ease of
casting, good formability, low density and attractive color.
ALUMINUM
I- Designation of aluminum
EN AW- 1 0 5 0 A (Al 99.5) 1- prefix
2- Digit identifying the family of alloy
6
1: only aluminum (99.0%)
5
2: Al and cupper

4 3: AL and Mg and Si and Ti

3 4: Al+ silicon

2 5: Al+ magnesium +silicon

6: Al+ zinc

7: Al+ other elements

1 3-pure aluminum indicator of purity (0 to 9)

4-content of aluminum above 99.00% numerical

identification

5-letter A aluminum

6-chemical symbol

II- ALUMINIUM ALLOY

EN A C-45400 (ALS; 5CU3) 1- prefix
2- alluminium
3- B : ingot M : base alloy
4 5 C : moulded piece
3
4- 21xxx : Al Cu
2
1 41xxx : Al Si Mg Ti

42xxx : Al Si7 Mg

43xxx : Al Si 10 Mg

44xxx : Al Si

6
 45xxx : Al Si5 Cu

46xxx : Al Si9 Cu

47xxx : Al Si Cu

48xxx : Al Si Cu Ni Mg

51xxx: Al Mg

71xxx: Al Zn Mg

5- Chemical symbol of the alloy which is replaced or

placed at the same time as 454000

Example: explain the designation given above

EN A C-45400 (ALS; 5CU3: the designation represent aluminum alloy with 5% of silicon and 3% of
copper.

Exercise: explain the following designation

1- EN AB 4600- (Al Si9 Cu)

2- EN AC 4300- (Al Si10Mg)
3- EN AC Al zn 5 Mg
4- EN AC Al Mg9
5- EN AC AL Cu Mg Ti
III- COPPER ALLOY

Copper is one of the most widely used nonferrous metal in industry, it is extracted from ores of such
as copper glows, copper pyrites, Malachi and turites. Copper ore is first ground and then melted in a
reverberator or small blast furnace for producing and impure alloy then air is blow through the
molten metal to remove sulfur and iron contamination to obtained blister copper in a converter,
copper is then refine further using electrolysis processes.

Properties:

- Prime copper is malleable and ductile

- It has reddish brow appearance
- It is good conductor of heat and electricity
- It is non corrosive under ordinary conditions and resist weather very effectively
- It tensile strength vary from 300 to 450 Mn/m 2
- It melting point is 1084°c
- It is one of the best conductor of heat and electricity and it is highly resistant to
corrosion
- It can withstand severe bending and forging without factures
- It does not cast well
- If copper is heated to net heat and cold slowly it becomes brittle but if cold rapidly it
becomes soft malleable and ductile it can be welded at red heat
Application/uses
Copper has the following uses:
1- Copper is mainly use in making electric cables and wires for electric machinery, motor
winding, electric conducting appliance and electroplating etc.
2- It can be easily forged casted and drawn to wires

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3- Copper in the form of tubes is used widely in the form of heat transfer work in mechanical
engineering field
4- It is used for household utensils
5- It is use for making useful alloys with tin, zin, nickel and aluminum
6- It is used to form alloys like brass, bronze and gun metal
Designation of copper
Cu Zn 27 Ni 18
1- chemical symbol of the base metal
5 2- Main additional element
3- % of additional element( same in order)
4