Metal Alloying – Product Engineering

 

Engineering Studies – P2 Product Engineering – Materials and Manufacturing

This topic covers the concept of alloying metals to produce an alloy that has properties suited for engineering applications. Concepts of grain structure and boding structures are used to explain property modification.

Key Concepts

  • Why metals are alloyed
  • Understand the solidification process (dendrites), and the forming of compounds, liquid solutions, solid solutions on structure and properties
  • Knowledge related to common metal alloy composition, structure and properties

Discussion Questions

  1. Define the alloys of common metal alloys such as:
    • Fe-C, Cu-P, Cu-Ni, Cu-Al, Cu-Zn, Cu-Tin, Al-Cu, Al-Si, Cu-P Note the effect of changing composition on structures, melting points and properties.
  2. Define the differences between:
    • Element – structure, properties (zinc, iron, tin, copper, sulphur, aluminium)
    • Compound – structure, properties (iron carbide)
    • Solution – structure, properties (metal A dissolved in metal B or in a non-metal C, Solid solutions and liquid solutions)