MATERIAL SELECTION

& DESIGN
Methods of Material Selection
Methods of Selection
Cost versus Performance
Cost per unit properties
methods
Weight properties
methods
Weighing factor ()
Scaling factor ()
Performance Index ()
Cost vs. Performance
Because COST is so important in selecting
materials, it is logical to consider cost at the
start of the material selection process.
Usually, a target cost is set to eliminate the
materials that are very expensive.
The final choice is a trade-off between COST
and PERFORMANCE.
Overall, cost is the most important criterion
in selecting a material.
Cost vs. Performance
Cost is a most useful parameter when it can
be related to a critical material property that
controls the performance of the design.
Such a cost vs. performance index can be
used for optimizing the selection of a
material.
However, the cost of a material expressed in
$$$/kg may not always be the most valid
criterion.
It depends on the material function: whether
it is used as a load bearing or just as space
filling.
STRENGTH VS. COST
Cost vs. Performance
For example, life cycle assessment can show
that reducing weight of a car by 1 kg
averages around $5, so material substitution
which reduces weight of a car can ran up to
$5 per kg of weight reduction more than
original material.
For commercial aircraft: $450/kg
Spacecraft : $20,000/kg
However, geography- and time-dependence
of energy maintenance and other operating
cost and variation is discount rates and
usage patterns (distance driven per year in
year in this example) between individuals,
Cost per Unit Property Method
This method is suitable for initial screening
in situation where one property stands out as
the most critical service requirement.

In this case, it is possible to estimate how

much various materials to provide this
requirement will cost.

Cost/unit tensile ($$/Mpa) strength is usually

one of the most important criteria.
Cost per Unit Property Method
By introducing the density of material and
the market price, the cost of buying 1 Mpa of
strength, C, can be calculated:

C = P

P = material price / unit weight
= density
= tensile strength
Cost per Unit Property Method
Materials with lower cost/unit strength are
preferable
Since manufacturing costs are a significant
factor in evaluating materials, it can be
considered in the cost/unit property analysis
by considering P as the cost of material +
manufacturing and finish costs.

Limitations of this method

It considers only one property as the most
critical and ignoring other properties.
Cost per Unit Property Method
Since comparison of materials is a
fundamental part of material selection
A basis material can be selected and the
other candidate materials compared against
it
The relative cost/unit property, RC, is then
given by:

RC = Pi x i x i
Pb b b

i = candidate material, b = basis material

Weighted Property Method
In most applications, the selected material
should satisfy more than one functional
requuirements
In this method, each material requirement
(or property) is assigned a certain weight
(which depends on its importance to the
performance of the design)
This method attempts to:
1. Quantify how important each desired
requirement is by determining a weighing
factor ()
2. Quantify how well a candidate material
Weighted Property Method

Convert
Convert
Find
Find weighting
weighting
properties
properties of
of
factors
factors of
of
different
different
properties
properties of
of
materials
materials into
into
candidate
candidate
scaled
scaled
materials
materials ()
()
properties
properties ()
()

Find the
Performan
ce Index
()
Weighting Factors ()
It is desirable to quantify the relative
importance of the attributes
One attribute may be very much more
important than another; while others may be
quite similar in importance
The relative importance is shown by using a
point scale that does not exceed 100 points.

e.g: If strength is 4 times as important as cost,

it will be represented by an 80 / 20 division
 Weighting Factors ()

Properties
Candidat
e
material Tensile Density Corrosio Cost Colour
s strength (MPa) n Rate ($/ton) (%)
(MPa) (%)

Ti-alloy 620 5.45 88 150,000 18

Zinc-alloy 530 6.42 65 880 25

Magnesium 150 2.40 76 1,200 8
Alloy
 Weighting Factors ()
Weighting of attributes

Strength is as important as colour. Strength is

4 times as important is a cost, corrosion is 2/3
the importance of strength, etc.
We
igh
Proper 1/ Ra t
1/2 1/3 1/5 2/3 2/4 2/5 3/4 3/5 4/5
ty 4 tio fac
tor
()
Strengt 0.2
1 80 60 50 80 2.7
h 7
Density 0.1
2 20 60 60 1.9
9
Corrosi 0.1
3 40 40 50 60 1.9
 Weighting Factors ()
Digital Logic Method

Po We
siti igh
ve t
Goal 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
De fac
cisi tor
on ()
1 0.2
1 3/5 1/2 4/5 2.7
9
2 0.1
2 3/5 1/2 3/5 1.9
7
3 0.1
2/5 2/5 1/2 1/2 3/5 1.9
9
4 0.2
1/2 2/5 1/2 1/2 2.0
0
5 0.1
1/5 2/5 1/2 1.5
Scaling Factors ()
This method combine properties with
different units. This limitation is overcome by
the use of a scaling factor.
The relative merit of each property of the
candidate material may be incorporated by
assigning the value of 100% to the best
material in that property category.
For a given property, the scaling factor ( ) for
a fiven candidate material is:
Scaling Factors ()
For properties that should have maximum
values (strength, toughness, corrosion
= numerical value of property
resistance..)
x 100
maximum value in the list

For properties that should have low values

(density, cost..)
= minimum value in the list
x 100
numerical value of property
 Scaling Factors ()
Properties
Candidate Tensile Densit Corrosion Cost Colour
materials strength y Rate ($/ton) (%)
(MPa) (MPa) (%)
Ti-alloy 620 5.45 88 150,000 18
Zinc-alloy 530 6.42 65 880 25
Magnesium 150 2.40 76 1,200 8
Alloy

Tensile Densi Corrosion

Material strength ty Rate
Cost Colour

Ti-alloy 100 44.03 100 0.5866 72

Zinc-alloy 85.48 37.38 73.86 100 100
Magnesium Alloy 24.19 100 86.36 73.33 32
Performance Index ()
The best material may either have the
largest value of the given property or the
smallest
For example:
High strength is given 100
Low density or low corrosion rate are given
100
Performance Index
The material performance index () is
calculated

=
 Performance Index ()
Tensile Densi Corrosion
Material strength ty Rate
Cost Colour

Ti-alloy 100 44.03 100 0.5866 72

Zinc-alloy 85.48 37.38 73.86 100 100
Magnesium Alloy 24.19 100 86.36 73.33 32

Material Magnesium-
Titanium -alloy Zinc-alloy
Properties Alloy
P1 29 24.79 7.9
P2 7.4851 6.35 17
P3 19 14.03 16.41
P4 0.12 20 14.666
P5 10.8 15 4.8
TOTAL 66.41 80.17 60.77
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