Page 63 - Mechanical Behavior of Materials

3

A Survey of Engineering

Materials

3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 ALLOYING AND PROCESSING OF METALS
3.3 IRONS AND STEELS
3.4 NONFERROUS METALS
3.5 POLYMERS
3.6 CERAMICS AND GLASSES
3.7 COMPOSITE MATERIALS
3.8 MATERIALS SELECTION FOR ENGINEERING COMPONENTS
3.9 SUMMARY

OBJECTIVES
• Become familiar with the four major classes of materials used to resist mechanical loading:
metals and alloys, polymers, ceramics and glasses, and composites.
• For each major class, gain a general knowledge of their characteristics, internal structure,
behavior, and processing methods.
• Learn typical materials, naming systems, and common uses, and develop an appreciation for
how uses of materials are related to their properties.
• Apply a general method for selecting a material for a given engineering component.

3.1 INTRODUCTION

Materials used for resistance to mechanical loading, which are here termed engineering materials,
can belong to any of four major classes: metals and alloys, polymers, ceramics and glasses,
and composites. The first three of these categories have already been discussed to an extent in
the previous chapter from the viewpoint of structure and deformation mechanisms. Examples of
members of each class are given in Table 2.1, and their general characteristics are illustrated in
Fig. 2.1.

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