Materials Selection in

Engineering

Overview

Factors/Criteria in Material Selection

Function
Mechanical Properties
Failure Modes
Manufacturability
Cost
Environmental Considerations

Decision Making in material selection

Material Selection and Design

Material Selection is Design-led

Properties of a new material can suggest the new
product
Transistor: High-purity silicon
Optical Fiber: High-purity glass

Optical Fiber

Material Selection and Design

Need for a new product

can demand the
development of a new
material
Turbine Technology:HighTemperature
Alloys,Ceramics
Space Technology:
Lightweight Composites
The solar-powered Pathfinder in flight

Picture: Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts

Mechanical Design

Deals with function and physical principles

Components must
Carry Loads
Conduct Heat and Electricity
Exposed to Wear and Corrosion
Must be Manufactured

Limited by Materials

Engineering Materials

Six important classes of materials

Metals
Polymers
Elastomers

Ceramics
Glasses
Composites

Successful design exploits and brings out

the true potential of materials selected.
The goal is to meet a certain profile of
properties

Design-Limiting Material Properties

General:

Cost
Density

Thermal Conductivity
Thermal Diffusivity
Specific Heat
Melting Point
Glass Temperature
Thermal Expansion
Coefficient
Thermal Shock Resistance
Creep Resistance

Mechanical

Elastic Moduli
Strength
Toughness
Fracture Toughness
Damping Capacity
Fatigue Endurance Limit

Wear
Archard Wear Constant

Thermal

Corrosion/Oxidation
Corrosion Rate
Parabolic Rate Constant

Menu of Materials

Metals
High Moduli
Can undergo
Alloying, Heat
Treatment
Formed by Deformation
Ductile
Yields before fracture
Prey to Fatigue, Corrosion

Ceramics/Glasses
High Moduli, Hard,
Abrasion/Corrosion
resistant
Cutting Tools

Retain Strength at
High Temperature
Brittle
Prey to high contact
stresses, low
tolerance for cracks

Menu of Materials

Polymers and Elastomers

Low Moduli, High Strength
High Elastic Deflection
Snap fits

Corrosion Resistant
Easy to Shape
Minimize Finishing
Operations
Temperature Dependent
Properties

Composites
High Moduli,
Strength,
Lightweight
Can be Tough
Optimal performance
at room temperature
Expensive
Difficult to
Form/Join

Materials Selection Charts

Combinations of properties are

important in evaluating usefulness of
materials.
Strength to Weight Ratio: f/
Stiffness to Weight Ratio: E/

Helpful to plot one property against

another
Following charts useful in performanceoptimization

Speed of Sound in a solid, v

Represented by: v = (E )

M.F. Ashby. Materials Selection in Mechanical Design. Pp34 1999

Modulus vs. Density Chart

M.F. Ashby. Materials Selection in Mechanical Design. Pp37 1999

Material Indices

A method is necessary for translating design

requirements into a prescription for a material
Modulus-Density charts
Reveal a method
of using lines of constant
1n
E

n = 1, 2,3

to allow selection of materials for minimum weight

and deflection-limited design.

Material Index
Combination of material properties which characterize
performance in a given application.

Material Indices and Performance

Combination of material properties which

characterize performance in a given
application
Performance of a material:

Functional Geometeric Material

,
,
p = f
Needs, F Parameters, G Characteristics, M

p = f1 ( F ) f 2 (G ) f 3 ( M )

Simplification of Performance

Performance for all F and G is

maximized by maximizing f3 (M)
f3 (M): Material Index
f1 (F) f2(G) : Related to Structural Index

Each combination of function, objective,

and constraint leads to a material index.

Example: Calculation of Material Index

Design: cylindrical tie rod

Given length, l carries tensile force, F with

minimum mass

Objective Function

Goal: minimize m by varying A

Constraint: A must be sufficient to carry
tensile load, F
F
f (failure strength)

Mass (m) = Area (A) * Length (l) * Density ( )

Example: Material Index (Continued )

By eliminating A from these equations we obtain

The lightest tie which will carry F safely is that

made of the material with the smallest value of

m F l ( f )

Therefore, the material index can be defined as

M = f

A similar calculation for a light, stiff tie leads to

the index

M =E

Strength vs. Density Chart

M.F. Ashby. Materials Selection in Mechanical Design. Pp39 1999

Other Materials Selection Charts

Modulus-Relative Cost
Strength-Relative Cost
Modulus-Strength
Specific ModulusSpecific Strength
Fracture ToughnessModulus
Fracture ToughnessStrength
Loss CoefficientModulus

Facture ToughnessDensity
Conductivity-Diffusivity
Expansion-Conductivity
Expansion-Modulus
Strength-Expansion
Strength Temperature
Wear Rate-Hardness
Environmental Attack
Chart

Failure

Can be of many types

Wearout
Fracture
Corrosion

Pipeline Failure

Important to be aware of appropriate

repair methods available
Failure mode can be anticipated based on
material type

Environmental Attack Chart

M.F. Ashby. Materials Selection in Mechanical Design. Pp62 1999

Manufacturability

The material choice must be compatible with

the manufacturing process and configuration
Radius to which a sheet metal is bent depends on
ductility
Residual stress due to cooling of a cast part may result
in hot tearing

Cast water pump

Factors in Manufacturing Processes

Castability
Formability/Workability
Machinability
Coatability
Heat Treatment

Cost Effectiveness and Value Analysis

Value:
Extent to which the appropriate performance
criteria are satisfied

Cost
What has to be paid in order to achieve that level of
value

Material selection in a design must

provide most value for the least
cost

Cost Effective Materials

Selected material must be able to meet the

function and allow production of the product at
an acceptable price.

Savings incurred from the quality of a

material may outweigh the initial cost in
certain applications.

Conversely, an inexpensive, low quality

material may meet the needs of a product in
other applications.

Cost and Material Selection

Many factors
influence the cost of a
material

Composition
Compound Stability
Relative Abundance
Supply and Demand

Recycling

Recycling of packaging material and

certain consumer products is rapidly
becoming required by law

Material Selection decisions must include

consideration of ease of recovery and
recycling

Current Impediments
Components made of mixed plastics
Use of plating and coating on base material

What Next?

Many factors involved in material

selection process
Each must be taken into account before
selection can be made
Next Step
Selection!

Selection Process

Selection among alternatives can be difficult

given Factors and Criteria that must be taken
into account

Experience and judgment can be sufficient at

times

Formal decision making process can be helpful

when there is no one obvious choice of material

Decision Making in Materials Selection

Quantify importance of each desired characteristic

Weighting Factor

Quantify ability of a candidate material to satisfy

justice
these requirements
Rating Factor
Material Indices

Combine Weighting and Rating factors to

determine material that offers the best compromise

Final Material Selection

Selection of Material
Implementation of Weighting and Rating factors to optimize
the various factors and criteria including
Function
Manufacturability
Cost

Further information can be obtained from the

many reference texts available on material
selection

Credits
M.F. Ashby, Materials Selection in Mechanical Design.
Butterworth-Heinemann. Boston, MA. 1999
G.T. Murray, Handbook of Materials Selection for
Engineering Applications. Marcel Deckker, Inc. New
York, NY. 1997
E.H. Cornish, Materials and the Designer. Cambridge
University Press .New York, NY. 1987
F.A.A. Crane, J.A. Charles, Selection and use of Engineering
Materials. Butterworths. Boston, MA. 1984