Basic Properties

1
 Basic Properties
1. Physical properties - Density, and melting point.
2. Mechanical properties -These are properties displayed when a
force is applied to a material and include strength, stiffness,
hardness, ductility, toughness, and wear resistance.
3. Electrical properties –Displayed when the material is used in
electrical circuits or components and include resistivity, conductivity,
and resistance to electrical breakdown.
4. Thermal properties - Displayed when there is a heat input to a
material and include expansivity, heat capacity, thermal conductivity
and melting point.

2/23
• 5. Optical properties – These are properties involved
when light passes through the material; such as
reflectivity & transmissivity.
• 6. Chemical properties - Relevant in considerations
of corrosion and solvent resistance
• 7. Magnetic properties Relevant when material is
part of an electrical component, such as inductor
which relies on such properties.

• We can add economic properties i.e., raw material

and processing cost, availability and aesthetic
properties that is appearance, color, etc.

3/23
Basic Properties (summery)

4
Other factors affect the prosperities:

Properties changes with temperature

for example, plastic stiff at room temperature, but far from
stiff at boiling temperature also steel may be ductile at
2000 c and brittle at temperatures below – 1000 c.
such as annealing; which involving heating to some
temperature and slow cooling; heating steel to some temp
& immersing the hot material in cold water or oil. It makes
the steel harder, stronger and less ductile.

5/22
Properties changed by working.
• For example, if we take a piece of carbon steel and
permanently bending it, it will have a different mechanical
properties to those existing before the deformation.

6/23
• Physical Properties:
• The most important physical property is density

• Density is the mass per unit volume

mass kg gm
• Density ρ = = 3 =
volum m cm 3
• This property often required conjunction with mechanical
property. An aircraft required not only to be strong, but of low
mass. So, it requires a high value of strength/density; this
quantity being referred to as a specific strength.

7
Mechanical properties:
Stress and Strainis said to in tension.
• When a material is subjected to external forces Tensile Force
causes a tension stress
• Compression force causes compression stress

When a material is subjected to external forces Tensile Force causes a

tension stress
force ( pull)
Tensile stress = ---------------------------- P P Bar in tension
Cross-sectional area
P
σt = N/m2 (Pascal)
A P P
change in length ( x )
strain = x
original length ( l ) l
x
ε= cm/cm (unitless) x
l tensile strain ε t = 8
l
 force ( push)
Compression stress = ----------------------------
Cross-sectional area
P P
P
σc =
A x
l
change in length ( x )
strain =
original length ( l )
x
ε=
l

x
compressive strain ε c =
l

9
 In some situations, material, can be subjected to both tension
and compression, e.g. a beam which is being bent.

𝐴𝐴 = 𝜋𝜋𝑟𝑟 2

The upper surface to extend and be in tension.

The lower surface to contract and be in compression.
The stress is = Force applied per unit area =
.
(Pa) =
𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 𝐹𝐹 𝑁𝑁
= = 2 = 𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃
𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎𝑎 𝐴𝐴 𝑚𝑚

10
• The area used is the original area that exist before the force
has been applied.

11
 When a material is subjected to tensile or compressive forces, It changes in
length: The term strain being used for the fractional change in length.

Strain ϵ = change in length (δ)

original length (l)

It has no unit as it is the ratio of two lengths. It is frequently
expressed as a percentage.

change in length (δ)

Strain as ϵ % = X 100
original length (l)

Thus, the strain of 0.01 as a percentage is 1% that means the change in length is 1% of
the original length.

12
The behavior of material subjected to tensile and compression
forces can be decided in terms of their stress-strain
behavior.
If gradual increase of tensile forces are applied to, say, a strip
of mild steel, then, initially when the forces are released, the
material springs back to its original shape.
The material is said to be elastic. (Elasticity is a mechanical
property)

13
 If measurements are made of extension at
different forces and a graph plotted, then
the force need to produce a given extension
is found to be proportional to the extension
and the material is said to obey Hook's law
such a graph applied to only one length and
cross-sectional area of a particular material.

14
We can make this graph more general so that it can be
applied to other lengths and cross-section areas of the
material by dividing extension by the original length gives
the strain.
extension
Strain=
original length
And dividing the force by the original cross-section as
area to give the stress.

Force
Stress= -----------------
C.S. area -

So, materials that obeys Hook’s law , see stress & strain graph
15
Hook’s law, Principal of superposition

Hook’s law
stress ( load) α strain (extension)

stress Stress Stress – strain graph

mod ulus of elasticity =
strain (load)
σ
E = L
ε
Substituting σ = P / L and ε = x / L
x
x=
PL Strain ( elongation)
AE P

Principal of superposition

The effect of a system of forces acting on a body is equal to the sum of the effects
these same forces applied.
Above Fig. shows the type of stress strain-graph which would be given
by a sample of mild steel. Initially the graph is straight line, and the
material obeys Hook’s Law. The point at which the straight-line
behavior is followed is called the limit of proportionality with low
stresses the material springs back completely to original shape when
the forces are removed. The material being said to be Elastic.

17
At higher forces, this does not occur, and the material being
said to show some plastic behavior results in permanent
deformation.
This point coincided with the point on a stress-strain graph at
which the graph stops being a straight line.
The stress at which the material starts to behave in a non-
elastic manner is called the elastic limits.

18
Tensile strength
• The term Tensile strength used for the maximum value of
stress that the material can withstand without breaking.
• The term compressive strength used for the maximum
compressive stress the material can withstand without
becoming crashed.

With some material there are a noticeable dip (e.g., mild steel)
in the stress-strain graph;
The strain increases without any increase in the load.
The material is said to have yield and the point at which this
occurs is the yield point
19
Some other materials (e.g., aluminum alloys) do not
show a noticeable yield point and is called proof
stress. The 0.2% proof stress is obtained by drawing a
line parallel to the straight-line part of the graph but
starting at strain 0.2%.

20
21
stiffness
The stiffness of the material is the ability of a material to
resist bending.
Young’s modulus is a measure of the stiffness of a component.
Stiff material has a high modulus of elasticity. Stiffness also
depend on geometry.

When a strip of metals is being bent, one surface stretched,

and the other (opposite) face is compressed.

22
 Modulus or Elasticity
Stiff material would that give a small change in length when
subjected to tensile or compression for less. This mean a small
strain when subjected to tensile or compressive stress and so a
large value of stress/strain and hence a steep initial gradient of
the stress-strain graph. This gradient is called the modulus or
elasticity or young’s Modulus.

𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆 (σ) 𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃𝑃 𝑁𝑁

Modulus of elasticity E= = = Pa = ---
𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆𝑆 (ϵ) 𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅𝑅 𝑚𝑚2

23
The units of modulus is the same as of stress, since
strain has no units, with 1 GPa = 109 Pa. Typical
value of Modulus of Elasticity are about
200 GPa for steel and
70 GPa for aluminum alloys.
For most engineering materials, the modulus of
elasticity is the same in tension and compression.

24