Fall 1988
Mechanical Properties of Metals
Introduction:
The combination of properties offered by metals and alloys
determine their usefulness while cost. or more accurately, ccst/
performance ratio normally determine their selection. There are
hundreds of properties that are measured in laboratories for the
purpose of comparing, evaluating and/or selecting candidate
materials for a given application. These various properties are
normally grouped into three major categories: namely; (a)
mechanical properties (b) physical properties and (c) chemical
properties. A fourth category – dimensional properties –
although not a legitimate category from a scientist’s perspective,
needs to be considered, as it plays an important role in the
selection of suppliers, Finally, no selection process can be
considered complete unless some attention is given to
metallurgical structure. Knowledge of the structures and the
manner in which they are achieved and/or altered enables one
to more accurately predict the performance of the material.
This paper is devoted mainly to a description of mechanical
properties. However, since both the authors are practicing
metallurgists, some space is also devoted to the effect of
structure on properties. It is hoped that the reader will find these
occasional but irresistible excursions into metallurgy beneficial.
Howard Friedman and Gopi Krishnamurti, Teledyne Rodney Metals
