Materials Selection

Escuela superior Politécnica del Litoral (ESPOL)

Facultas de Ingeniería Mecánica y Ciencias de la Producción (FIMCP)
HOMEWORK 4
DANIEL ALEJANDRO RIVERA BEDÓN
1. What are the reasons that mechanical engineers do not always specify the strongest
available material?
Cause the material to choose depends on which application is used and the environment where
it´s going to work. Sometimes the strongest material is not the most useful material, it depends of
the resistance of corrosion or the temperature of transition.
2.
a. What are the main performance requirements of the wing structure of a two-
passenger training aircraft, and what are the corresponding material properties?
Resistance to fatigue: The material used must resist fatigue, so, the elastic modulus has
to be greater than usual materials and also tensile Strength.
Resistant to crevice corrosion: The materials have to receive a corrosion treatment it could
be galvanic protection.
b. Compare the use of the following materials in making the wing structure for the
two-passenger training aircraft:

Epoxy +56% E glass fibers is the best option for wings structure, cause the tensile
Strength is the highest value and also the specific gravity is in second place it is important
at the moment of choose and option cause he weight of the wings produce stress at joins
with the main structure and as less weight on wings, less stress and engine power needed
to fly.
3. Would you use AISI 1050 steel for manufacturing a component that will serve at -
50°C (-58°F)? If not, suggest substitute materials.
Yes, AISI 1050 can be use at this conditions of serve, cause the transition temperature of this
type of steel is less than 0℃, so, at 50℃ the steel will behave as a ductile material and there
is no warning of instantaneously crack because of transition from ductile to fragile of the
material.
4. If the available NDT equipment can detect internal cracks longer than 1 mm in
length, determine the diameter of a bar that can bear a load of 150 kN without
failure if it is made of AISI 4340 steel with yield strength of 1480 MPa and KIC =
87.4 MPa m1/2.
 𝟐𝑬𝒗 𝟎.𝟓 𝑲𝒊𝒄
( ) =
𝝅𝒂 𝑫(𝝅𝒂)𝟎.𝟓
(𝟏𝟓𝟎 ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟑 )(𝟏𝟒𝟖𝟎 ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟔 )(𝟏𝟎−𝟑 )𝟎.𝟓
𝑫=√ = 𝟒𝟏𝟔𝟎𝒎𝒎
𝝅(𝟖𝟕. 𝟒 ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝟔 )

5. Explain why the crankshaft in a motorcar engine is only hardened on the surface
and not throughout the whole cross section.

Because crankshaft work in wear environment, so the surface has to be hardness to

prevent problems with the surface, compression of the motor or disbalance. The whole
cross section is not hardened because it has to be enough ductile to prevent de crank to
fail as brittle material because of the impact forces that is has to resist.
6. What are the material requirements for the radiator of a motorcar? Suggest possible
materials.
This kind of materials has to support high temperatures, support the corrosive attack but also it
has to be weldable because of the fins. So, one possible material will be aluminum or also cooper.
7. An aluminum alloy is being considered as a replacement for steel in manufacturing a
tensile member to save weight. The member has a circular cross section and a length of 1 m
and is subjected to alternating tensile load of 6000 kg. Given the following information:
Determine if aluminum is a viable material for saving weight in this case.

8. Why are stainless steels corrosion resistant? Explain the phenomena of passivation and
sensitization.
Stainless steels are corrosion resistant because is has a thin film of hydrous oxide on the surface
of the metal. The film has to be continuous, nonporous, self-healing, and insoluble in the corrosive
medium. In the presence of such an oxide film, the stainless steel is passive and have solution
potential approaching those of noble metals. Exposing stainless steel to middle oxidizing
corrosive agents causes them to become active and increasing the oxygen concentration.
Chromium plays an important role forming the passive film
9. What are the differences between galvanizing and tinning of steel parts? Compare the
merits of using each of these methods for (a) food cans and (b) outdoor fencing.
Galvanizing:
 Zinc is used for coating.
 Since this method is more electropositive than iron, zinc sacrificially protects the iron and
does not allow the iron to pass into the outside solution.
 Zinc continues to protect the underlying iron through galvanic cell action in the
galvanized article, even if the zinc layer is punctured or broken somewhere.
 Galvanized containers cannot be used to store acidic foods as zinc reacts with extremely
toxic zinc-forming food acids.
Tinning :
 Tin is used for coating.
  Due to its noble nature and higher corrosion resistance, Tin protects the base metal, iron
from corrosion.
 Tin is non-toxic and protects the iron at the base until the coating is perfect. Any coating
break creates fast iron corrosion.
 Tin-coated containers can be used to store any food as tin is non-toxic, protecting the
metal from corrosion, and preventing food poisoning
Because Tinning is not toxic it can be used for food cans and galvanic can be used in outdoor
fencing just to prevent the corrosion because of the wheatear.
10. What are the differences between organic coatings and vitreous enamels? Give examples
of the uses of each type of coating in household applications.
Organic coatings depend mainly of their chemical inertness and impermeability in providing
protection against corrosion it has to components the vehicle and the pigment, the vehicle contains
the ingredients to produce the film, some household applications could be a film of protection on
tables for living room. The vitreous enamels are inorganic coatings who prevent the corrosion in
metals, it needs to coat, the ground coats who contain oxides that promote adhesion to the metal
base and the cover coats who improve the appearance and properties of the coating. It´s used on
cookware.
11. Why is aluminum more resistant to atmospheric corrosion than plain-carbon steel even
though it is lower in the galvanic series?
Even when aluminum is a reactive metal, it develops an aluminum oxide film that protects it from
corrosion in many environments. The film is quite stable in neutral and many acid solutions but
is attacked by alkalis. But plain carbon is resistant to alkalis and concentrated sulfuric acid.
12. What are the main material requirements for the following components: motorcar
exhaust manifold, coil for electric resistance heater, and railway line?
Motorcar exhaust manifold are made by different type of metallic alloys who can support high
temperatures, to this cases material like Co-based superalloys and Ni-based superalloys.
Coil for electric resistance heater are made principal of nichrome is an alloy of 80% Nickel and
20% chromium this is a good choice because it has a very high heat resistance.
Railway mainly are made by hot rolled steel because it has to support very high strength and steel
is a good material to support that kind of stresses, it has a I beam geometry because of the train
wheels.