EME 4353 Advanced Engineering Materials

Materials Selection Process

(Week 2)
 Learning Objectives

1. Describe the manner in which materials selection charts

are employed in the materials selection process.

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 Materials Selection – Mechanical Properties

1. Stiffness or resistance to bending of

a material is related to its elastic
modulus.
2. Strength or yield strength refers to
the ease the material can deform
permanently under stress
3. K1C is the fracture toughness. A
high value means the material is
tough or doesn’t fracture easily.
4. Materials with low density is
essential in most mechanical
applications.

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 Materials Selection Chart

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 • Systematic selection for applications requiring multiple criteria is
more complex. For example, a rod which should be stiff and light
requires a material with high Young's modulus and low density.

• If the rod will be pulled in tension, the specific modulus, or modulus

E
divided by density  , will determine the best material.

E1 2
• For loading conditions that could lead to buckling, 
applies

E 1/ 3
• For a stiff beam in bending, the material index is 

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 Nature of Materials Selection Process

1. Analysis of Materials Performance requirements include:

a) Functional requirements
b) Processability requirements
c) Cost
d) Reliability requirements
e) Resistance to service conditions
2. These can be classified into two main categories:
a) Rigid, or go/no-go, requirements – must be met
b) Soft, or relative, requirements – subject to
compromise and trade-offs

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 Functional Requirements

- Directly related to required characteristics of the part or

product
- E.g. for parts carrying tensile load, the yield strength
of a candidate material can be directly related to the
load-carrying capacity of the product
- Not all characteristics of the product have a direct simple
correspondence with measurable material properties.
- E.g. thermal shock resistance, wear resistance,
reliability, etc
- Depends upon predictions from simulation tests or
most closely related properties.

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 Processability Requirements
- A measure of materials ability to be worked and shaped:

Shaping Joining
Finishing
E.g. casting, Machining E.g.
Raw E.g.
molding, and heat adhesives,
Materials polishing,
powder treatment welding,
coating,
metallufry fasteners

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 Cost

1. Engineering materials can be classified into two main categories:

a) Common (cost effective) – plain carbon steels, polyethylene
b) High performance (expensive) – superalloys
2. Efforts should be made to achieve overall reduction of product cost
(including machining cost, recovery of scrap material)
Candidate materials for suspension member
Material Yield Specific Relative Cross- Relative cost
strength gravity cost (to AISI sectional of member
(MPa) 1015) area (mm2)
AISI 1015 329 7.8 1 152 1

AISI 1040 380 7.8 1.1 132 0.95

AISI 4820 492 7.8 1.8 102 1.2

Brass 532 8.5 7 94 4.7

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 Reliability Requirements

1. Defined as probability that the material will perform the

intended function for the expected life without failure
• Non-standard materials will have lower reliability
2. Failure analysis techniques are usually used to predict
the different ways a product can fail
• Causes of failure can be traced back to defects in
materials and processing, faulty design or
unexpected service conditions

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 Resistance to Service Conditions

1. Operating condition plays an important role in

determining the material performance requirement i.e.
corrosive and extreme temperature environment
2. Compatibility of the materials is also crucial.
• Thermal environment – similar coefficients of thermal
expansion to avoid thermal stresses
• Wet environment – avoid galvanic corrosion

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 Primary Function, Constraints and Objectives

• 3 fundamental factors about component and operation:

1. Primary function – main functional purpose of component
2. Constraints – factors which limit performance
3. Objectives – aim(s) of a particular design/selection process
• Example 1: To produce a bicycle frame weighing less
than 5 kg at minimum cost.
 Constraint: mass
 Objective: cost
• Example 2: To produce a bicycle frame which costs less
than $100 at minimum mass
 Constraint: cost
 Objective: mass

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 Torsionally Stressed Cylindrical Shaft

Assumption:
Twisting moment and length of the shaft are specified
(fixed variables), the radius may be varied (free variable)

Application of twisting moment (or torque), t produces an

angle of twist.

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 Calculating minimum mass of shaft

Shear stress  at radius r:   and J 

Tr r 4

J 2
2T  f 2T
Thus,  r 3 or N  r 3 where N is the safety factor

Since mass of shaft, m=r2L

Solving the 2 equations give:


( )
Minimum mass can be achieved by minimizing f 2/3

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 Performance index


 Performance index, P is f
2/3

( )

Taking the logarithm scale of both sides and rearranging:

To identify the list of materials suitable for this application,

refer to strength versus density from list of materials
selection chart.

Only choose those above the line and another constraint

e.g. strength of shaft must exceed 300 MPa.

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 Short listing of candidate materials (I)

List of suitable candidate materials:

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 Short listing of candidate materials (II)

List of suitable candidate materials by weigh and cost:

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 Multiple Constraints and Objectives

1. Take the case of a light, stiff, strong tie rod (i.e. loaded
in tension). - One objectives, two constraints
• Objective: to minimise mass of tie rod (light)
• Constraints: (1) should not deflect more than given
amount under applied load (stiff), (2) should not yield
under applied load (strong)

Stiffness: Performance index, M1 = E/ m1

Strength: Performance index, M2 = / m2

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 Selection with multiple constraints

Method of selection:
Rank  Screen  Seek supporting information

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 Say,
L = 1 m, S = 3x107 N/m, Ff = 105 N

Conflicting Objectives:
- Trade-off is to cope with conflicting constraints and
balance divergent objectives
• Address the most pressing issues first and strike a balance

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 Example Case Studies

1. Materials for table legs

2. Materials for flywheels
3. Materials for structural

Table leg Flywheel Structural

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 Table leg

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 Flywheel

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 Structural – stiffness limited

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 Structural – strength limited

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