Materials Technology

Properties of Materials
Overview – Properties of Materials

OPTION
The student will learn about…
Grouping of materials according to
properties of electrical and thermal
conductivity, thermal expansion, optical,
magnetic and mechanical properties
Overview – Properties of Materials
It is the arrangement of atoms within a material
that greatly influences that materials behaviour
and it’s properties

•Hardness
•Ductility
•Malleability
•Conductivity
•Thermal expansion
•Optical properties
•Magnetic properties
•Melting point, etc.

Why would I need to know the

properties of a material?
Overview – Properties of Materials

Materials listed in order of hardness:

•Diamond
•Cubic boron nitride (ceramic)
•Carbides
•Hardened steels
•Cast irons
•Copper
•Acrylic Diamond’s are very hard.
•Aluminium I wonder what else could
•Lead I use them for besides
jewellery?
Overview – Properties of Materials

Materials listed in order of ductility

•Gold
•Silver
•Aluminium
•Copper
•Steel

What property of a material

is Ductility?
Overview – Properties of Materials

Materials listed in order of

malleability

•Gold
•Silver
•Aluminium
•Copper
•Tin
What material are soft
•Lead drink cans made from?
•Steel Why is this material used
for the can?
Overview – Properties of Materials

Materials listed in order of tensile

strength

•Steel
•Copper
•Aluminium
•Zinc
•Lead

What material is used here to support

the bridge & why?
Overview – Properties of Materials
Materials listed in order of electrical
conductivity
Gold Copper
Lead Cobalt
Platinum Iron
Mercury Zinc
Tin Aluminum
Silver Titanium
Nickel Magnesium
Silicon
What material is used in Electrical
Wiring.
Why is gold or lead not used in
electrical wiring?
Overview – Properties of Materials
Materials in order of thermal
conductivity
Silver
Copper
Gold
Aluminum
Magnesium
Silicon
Zinc
Cobalt
Nickel
Iron
Platinum
Tin
Lead
Titanium
Mercury
 Overview – Testing Materials
Materials in order of magnetic
properties

While most materials can be influenced in some

way by a magnetic field, Iron, Nickel and Cobalt
are thousands of times more susceptible than
other materials
•Iron
•Nickel
•Cobalt
Compounds containing these elements are also
magnetic
 Selection of Materials

•Why are electrical wires generally

made from copper?
•Why are cookware handles generally
made from wood or plastic?
•Why are airplane bodies usually
made from aluminium or
composites?

•What properties make ash a suitable

material for hurleys?
 Selection of Materials

•Physical Properties
•In answering the previous questions
we have seen that the physical
properties of a material have a large
part to play in its selection for a
particular application.
•Hardness, ductility, density,
conductivity, melting point,
•cost of raw material, suitability for
recycling, ease of manufacture, etc.