Materials selection charts are used to screen out materials which do not meet the design constraints, and materials indices are used for ranking the shortlisted materials in order of excellence.

The performance, p , of a component is measured by a performance equation. The performance equation contains groups of material properties. These groups are the material indices. It is the material index for this problem. More commonly the performance equation contains a group of two or more properties.

Material selection is the foundation of all engineering applications and design. This selection process can be defined by application requirements, possible materials, physical principles, and selection.

Some of the important characteristics of materials are : strength, durability, flexibility, weight, resistance to heat and corrosion, ability to cast, welded or hardened, machinability, electrical conductivity, etc.

The Material Index (M) refers to an attribute (or a combination of attributes) that characterizes the performance of a material for a given application.

Cost of Manufacture: The material you select will also have an impact on the cost of manufacture. Although these materials offer enhanced wear and corrosion resistance, they are also harder to machine and will take more time which in itself will have costs associated.

The process of choosing materials is a vital step in product design, as the reliability of the design depends on the materials chosen. Minimising costs and improving efficiency is easily achieved through thorough material testing – ensuring that you’re choosing options with structural integrity and quality.

Factors Influencing Selection of a Building Material

• Strength.
• Availability.
• Durability.
• Workability.
• Ease of Transportation.
• Cost.
• Aesthetics.
• Resistance to Fire.

The fact is, material selection is very important because engineers have to plan for any potential consequences that certain materials may present.

THE IMPORTANCE OF MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES IN DESIGN The innovative values of an object can be underlined by the chosen material; in fact its mechanical and chemico-physical properties, as well as its forming, joining and finishing technologies, all participate to the success of a product.

From stone and bronze to steel and concrete, materials are useful for a particular purpose because they behave in a certain way under certain conditions: they have particular qualities, which we call their properties. Understanding these properties is what materials science is all about.

Materials science is also an important part of forensic engineering and failure analysis – investigating materials, products, structures or components, which fail or do not function as intended, causing personal injury or damage to property.

The four properties of material are mass, toughness, hardness and malleability. EXPLANATION: Materials occurs in nature according to their compactness. Material are categorized into three common states in which they are present, they are solid liquid and gas.

Metals

Materials engineering is based on the application of this structure-property correlations, in designing or engineering the structure of a material to produce a pre-determined set of properties From a functional perspective, the role of a materials scientist is to develop or synthesize new materials, whereas a materials …

Modern materials refer to the materials with properties that traditional materials do not possess. The chemical or physical properties of these materials can be changed by external factors like temperature, light and electrical charges, so as to meet specific requirements in modern technologies.

Engineering materials Engineering materials is the term often used loosely to define most materials that go into products and systems. Ferrous metal applications: Ferrous Metals Ferrous metals applications uses for: For structural purposes in building structures, and concrete reinforcement.

In forming materials, understanding the material’s properties can help to better predict the manufacturing outcome. Some measured properties that must be considered when designing a structure include tensile strength, yield strength and Young’s Modulus of Elasticity.

Bond Force determines the elastic modulus (or Young’s modulus) of a material (how stiff a material is). Similarly, stronger bonds will enable a material to withstand higher temperatures before the bonds break and the material melts or softens.

Toughness is a fundamental material property measuring the ability of a material to absorb energy and withstand shock up to fracture; that is, the ability to absorb energy in the plastic range.

Diamond. Unmatched in its ability to resist being scratched, this much-loved gemstone ranks the highest in terms of hardness. Diamond is a naturally occurring ceramic made of carbon atoms strongly bound together in a lattice. It is used in drill bits, sandpaper, and saws to cut, grind, and polish.

4 Ductility and malleability. Ductility is the ability of a material to sustain a large permanent deformation under a tensile load up to the point of fracture, or the relative ability of a material to be stretched plastically at room temperature without fracturing.

Ductility is the physical property of a material associated with the ability to be hammered thin or stretched into wire without breaking. A ductile substance can be drawn into a wire. Examples: Most metals are good examples of ductile materials, including gold, silver, copper, erbium, terbium, and samarium.

Ductility Review – Strength Mechanics of Materials – Engineers Edge. Ductility is the percent elongation reported in a tensile test is defined as the maximum elongation of the gage length divided by the original gage length. The measurement is determined as shown in Figure 6.