Mechanical Properties of Materials
I.D. # C0007 Duration 2 Days
Whether the materials being utilized are metals and alloys, ceramics, polymers, or composites, specifications on mechanical properties usually must be met. Such properties may include elastic stiffness (modulus), yield and tensile strengths, hardness, ductility, toughness, fatigue life, and creep strength. This seminar introduces the origin of these properties in materials and discusses the testing procedures and methods used in their determination. The various classes of materials behave in different ways when subjected to loads that can cause deformation and/or fracture to occur. The way in which the atoms or molecules are bonded together and the arrangement of these units relative to each other are the determining factors in the response to loading.

Beginning with a brief overview of the more important categories of mechanical properties, the origin of these properties in crystalline solids such as metals and some ceramics will be discussed. The unique mechanical behavior of thermoplastic polymers will be reviewed and related to the molecular structure of these materials. The testing of materials will be described with initial emphasis on the tensile test for metals and polymers. The definitions of engineering stress and strain as well as true stress and strain will be presented as part of this discussion. The extraction of strength, ductility and elastic modulus data from a tensile test will be explained, as will strain (work) hardening in metals and the effects of temperature of properties. Tests for hardness, toughness, fatigue, and creep will be covered, as well as bend testing (flexural strength) of ceramics and other brittle materials. Polymer properties will be discussed in terms of the category of polymer involved (thermoplastics, thermosets, elastomers), with clarification of the viscoelastic nature of deformation in these systems and the influence of temperature on behavior.

The seminar will conclude with group work sessions aimed at calculation of properties from raw test data and assessment of the significance of the calculations. An understanding of the origin and testing of mechanical properties in materials will be of benefit to those who deal with product design and materials specifications. The seminar will assist in clarifying the interactions among properties and the structural bases upon which these interactions are founded.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this seminar, participants will be able to:
  • Associate the various mechanical properties of materials with the structures that they exhibit
  • Recognize and define the more important types of mechanical properties in materials
  • Associate the test method used with the type of mechanical property to be measured
  • Describe the manner in which mechanical properties are determined from raw test data
Who Should Attend
No formal prerequisites for this seminar are needed. However, the content will be most meaningful to those engineers and technicians who deal with specification and testing of mechanical properties of materials, or to those who simply wish to obtain a more thorough understanding of properties, their origin, and the tests that are conducted to determine them.
Seminar Content
  • General Description of Mechanical Properties
    • Definitions of stress and strain
    • Modulus of elasticity (stiffness)
    • Strength (yield, ultimate, fracture)
    • Specific strength and modulus
    • Hardness, ductility, toughness, fatigue, creep
  • Origin of Properties in Metals and Crystalline Ceramics
    • Atom bonding related to properties
    • Crystal structures and defects (dislocations) -- Influence on properties; Interaction with microstructure; Movement under stress
  • Tensile Test
    • Engineering stress and strain
    • True stress and strain
    • Interpretation of stress-strain curve -- Modulus; Tensile and yield strength; Ductility (% elongation, % reduction of area); Strain hardening; Effect of temperature (flow stress)
  • Hardness Tests
    • Comparison of methods and scales
    • Microhardness tests
  • Impact Testing for Toughness
    • Relation to true stress-true strain curve
    • Effect of temperature
    • Ductile-brittle transition in important alloys
  • Fatigue Testing
    • Definition of fatigue terminology
    • Cyclic loading patterns
    • S-N curves
    • Rotating beam test
    • Low and high cycle fatigue
  • Creep Testing
    • Nature of creep
    • Effect of applied stress
    • Effect of temperature
    • Interpreting creep (stress-rupture) test results
  • Testing of Ceramics
    • Bend test (flexural strength)
    • Fracture toughness
  • Properties of Polymers
    • Thermoplastics -- Viscoelastic deformation; Anelastic recovery (strain rate effects); Effect of polymer structure (crystallinity, chain branching, etc.); Glass transition
    • Thermosets
    • Elastomers
  • Group Work Session (property calculations/interpretation)
  • Summary and Wrap-Up
Instructor(s): Darrell W. Smith
Dr. Darrell Smith is a consultant in metallurgy and materials and is Professor Emeritus of Metallurgical Engineering at Michigan Technological Univ. Prior to joining the MTU faculty, he was employed as a process metallurgist by Babcock and Wilcox and as a research metallurgist by General Electric. He holds the BS-Met.E. from MTU and the MS-Met. and Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve Univ. He has been active in both ASM International and APMI International (formerly the American Powder Metallurgy Institute), having served on the Boards of Directors for both organizations. Dr. Smith is the recipient of the Distinguished Educator award from ASM and the Distinguished Service to Powder Metallurgy award from the Metal Powder Industries Federation. He has conducted intensive continuing education seminars related to metals and materials for more than 20 years, having presented a number of topics to very diverse audiences, numbering in excess of 3,000 attendees. In addition, Dr. Smith has taught basic and advanced courses in physical and process metallurgy to approximately 6,000 undergraduate and graduate engineering students at Michigan Tech, many of whom have been Mechanical Engineering majors. He has published about 50 research papers in archival journals and conference proceedings related to several areas of metallurgy. He is a Fellow of ASM International.
Fees: $1225 SAE Members*: $980 - $1103
* The appropriate SAE Member discount will be applied through the Registration process.  Discounts vary according to level of membership: Elite Member 20%; Premium Member 15%; Classic Member 10%
CEU 1.3