ENGINEERING

MATERIALS
SELECTION
BDA20402

Semester 1 Session 2021-2022

1
▪Course coordinator

▪ASSOC. PROF. DR.

▪DR. NUR AZAM
HASAN ZUHUDI
BADARULZAMAN
ABDULLAH
▪Room: C15-101-19
▪Room: C17-001-01
▪07-4537808
▪07-4537740
▪azam@uthm.edu.my
▪hasan@uthm.edu.my
▪2
 CHAPTER 3
INTRODUCTION TO MATERIALS
SELECTION CHART
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Displaying Materials Properties
3.3 The Materials Property Charts
3.4 The Selection Strategy
 3.1 INTRODUCTION
7 WEEKS (14 HOURS)

1 WEEK – HOURS (2 HOURS)

TEST 2 :

Materials Selection BDA 2042 4

 3.1 INTRODUCTION
(conti..)
Performance is not depends on only
one material properties.

Example: ratio of strength-density,

f/ or ratio of stiffness-density, E/
for lightweight design.

Involves the use of materials

selection chart.
Materials Selection BDA 2042 5
 3.2 DISPLAYING / PRESENTATION
OF MATERIALS PROPERTIES
The properties of engineering materials have a characteristic
span of values.

One way displaying this is as a bar chart (Figure 3.1) for

thermal conductivity.

Each bar represents a single material.

The length of the bar shows the range of conductivity

exhibited by that material in its various forms.

The materials are segregated by class & each class shows a

characteristic range: metals – have high conductivities,
polymers – low conductivities, ceramics – have wide range
from low to high.

Materials Selection BDA 20402 6

 Figure 3.1: A bar chart showing thermal conductivity for 3 classes of
solid. Each bar shows the range of conductivity offered by a material,
some of which are labeled (M.F. Ashby, 1999)
Materials Selection BDA 20402 7
 For certain v values,
this equation gives a
linear line with a slope
= 1 (Figure 3.2)

This enable an addition

of velocity constant’s
contour into the chart.

Through these lines,

optimization parameter
for design which is
called as materials
index can be identified.

Figure 3.2: The idea of a Materials Property

Chart (M.F. Ashby, 1999)

Materials Selection BDA 20402 8

 Figure 3.2 shows much more information is displayed by an
alternative way of plotting properties.

One property (eg: Modulus, E) is plotted against another (density,

ρ) on logarithmic scales.

Data for a given class of materials (polymer for example) cluster

together on the chart.

Most of the material selection charts are plotted using logarithmic scales. We’re not going to go
into the details of the maths of logarithms here, but will just give an idea of how and why we use
them.
Logarithms are related to ‘times’ scales - for example in the Richter scale for earthquakes, an increase in 1
point on the scale corresponds to an increase of 10 times more energy released. The decibel scale used for
sound is another common example of a log scale.
So we need a scale which looks something like this:

Point 1 on the linear scale represents 10 (=101) on the log scale.

Point 2 on the linear scale represents 100 (=102) on the log scale.
Point 3 on the linear scale represents 1,000 (=103) on the log scale.

Materials Selection BDA 20402 9

 More can be added, eg:
The speed of sound in a
solid depends on E and 
OR “Sound velocity in
solid materials depend on
Young’s Modulus and
density”.
Therefore, longitudinal
sound velocity for this
case is
v = (E/ )½
Or

log E = log  + 2 log v

Figure 4.2: The idea of a Materials Property

Chart (M.F. Ashby, 1999)

Materials Selection BDA 20402 10

Table 4.1: Materials classes and members of each class (M.F. Ashby, 1999)

Class Members Short name

Engineering Alloys Aluminium alloys Al alloys
(The metals and alloys of Copper alloys Cu alloys
engineering) Lead alloys Lead aloys
Magnesium alloys Mg alloys
Molybdenum alloys Mo alloys
Nickel alloys Ni alloys
Steels Steels
Tin alloys Tin alloys
Titanium alloys Ti alloys
Tungsten alloys W alloys
Zinc alloys Zn alloys

Materials Selection BDA 20402 11

Aluminium alloys

Copper alloys

Lead alloys

Materials Selection BDA 20402 12

Magnesium alloys

Nickel alloys

Molybdenum alloys

Materials Selection BDA 20402 13

 Class Members Short name

Engineering Polymers Epoxies EP

(The thermoplastics Melamines MEL
and thermosets of Polycarbonate PC
engineering) Polyesters PEST
Polyethylene, high density HDPE
Polyethylene, low density LDPE
Polyformaldehyde PF
Polymethylmethacrylate PMMA
Polypropylene PP
Polytetrafluoroethylene PTFE
Polyvinylchloride PVC

Materials Selection BDA 20402 14

Epoxies

Melamines

Polycarbonate

Polyesters

Materials Selection BDA 20402 15

Polyethylene, high density

Polyethylene, low density

Polyformaldehyde

Polymethylmethacrylate

Materials Selection BDA 20402 16

Polypropylene

Polytetrafluoroethylene
Teflon

Polyvinylchloride

Materials Selection BDA 20402 17

Class Members Short name

Engineering Ceramics Alumina Al2O3

(Fine ceramics capable of Diamond C
load-bearing application) Sialons Sialons
Silicon Carbide SiC
Silicon Nitride Si3N4
Zirconia ZrO2

Porous Ceramics Brick Brick

(Traditional ceramics, Cement Cement
cements, rocks and Common rocks Rocks
minerals) Concrete Concrete
Porcelain Pcln
Pottery Pot

Glasses Borosilicate glass B-glass

(ordinary silicate glass) Soda glass Na-glass
Silica SiO2
Materials Selection BDA 20402 18
Class Members Short
name
Engineering Composites Carbon fibre reinforced CFRP
(The composites of polymer
engineering practice). A Glass fibre reinforced GFRP
distinction is drawn between polymer
the properties of ply – ‘UNIPLY’ Kevlar fibre reinforced
– and of a laminate – KFRP
polymer
‘LAMINATES’
Woods Ash Ash
(separate envelopes describe Balsa Balsa
properties parallel to the grain Fir Fir
and normal to it, and wood Oak Oak
products)
Pine Pine
Wood products (ply, etc) Woods

Materials Selection BDA 20402 19

Class Members Short name

Elastomers Natural rubber Rubber

(Natural and artificial rubbers) Hard Butyl rubber Hard Butyl
Polyurethanes PU
Silicon rubber Silicone
Soft Butyl rubber Soft Butyl
Polymer Foams Cork Cork
(Foamed polymers of Polyester PEST
engineering) Polystyrene PS
Polyurethane PU

Materials Selection BDA 20402 20

 3.3 MATERIALS PROPERTY
CHARTS
1. Modulus – density
2. Strength – density
3. Fracture toughness – density
4. Modulus – strength
5. Specific modulus – specific
strength
6. Fracture toughness – modulus
7. Fracture toughness – strength
8. Loss coefficient – modulus
9. Thermal conductivity –
thermal diffusivity
Materials Selection
10.Thermal expansion – thermal
conductivity
11.Thermal expansion – modulus
12.Normalized strength –
thermal expansion
13.Strength – temperature
14.Modulus – relative cost
15.Strength – relative cost
16.Wear rate / bearing pressure
17.Environment attack chart
BDA 20402 21
 Modulus

E=Stress/Strain
E  Ceramic
E  Metal or
Materials Selection 22

Polymer
BDA 20402
 Strength

Materials Selection BDA 20402 23

 Fracture Toughness

Materials Selection BDA 20402 24

 Hardness

Materials Selection BDA 20402 25

 Fracture toughness versus density

Materials Selection BDA 20402 26

 Modulus versus strength

Materials Selection BDA 20402 27

 Specific Modulus versus Specific Strength

Materials Selection BDA 20402 28

 Fracture toughness versus Modulus

Materials Selection BDA 20402 29

 Fracture toughness versus Strength

Materials Selection BDA 20402 30

 Loss coefficient versus Modulus

Materials Selection BDA 20402 31

 Thermal conductivity versus diffusivity

Materials Selection BDA 20402 32

 Expansion versus Conductivity

Materials Selection BDA 20402 33

 Thermal expansion versus Modulus

Materials Selection BDA 20402 34

 Strength versus thermal expansion
Thermal Shock Resistance (TSR)

Materials Selection BDA 20402 35

 Strength versus Temperature

Materials Selection BDA 20402 36

 Modulus versus cost per volume

Materials Selection BDA 20402 37

 Strength versus cost per volume

Materials Selection BDA 20402 38

 Wear rate versus hardness

Materials Selection BDA 20402 39

 Modulus - Density
Guide lines of
constant:
E/ρ
E½/ρ
E1/3/ρ
– allow selection
of materials for
minimum
weight,
deflection-
limited, design

Materials Selection BDA 20402 40

 Guide lines of constant:
E/ρ = Plastic (Polymer)
E½/ρ = Ductile (Metal)
E1/3/ρ = Stiffness (ceramic)

allow selection of materials for

minimum weight, deflection-
limited, design

Materials Selection BDA 20402 41

Density of a solid depends on 3 factors:
The atomic weight of its atoms or ions, the
spread of density comes mainly from that of the
atomic weight, ranging from 1 for Hydrogen to
238 for Uranium.
Their size
The way they are packed

Materials Selection BDA 20402 42

Metal are dense because they are made of heavy
atoms, packed densely

Polymers have low densities because they are

largely made of carbon (atomic weight; 12) and
H (atomic weigth; 1)

Ceramic, for the most part, have lower densities

than metals because they contain light O, N or C
atoms.

Materials Selection BDA 20402 43

The moduli of most materials depend on 2 factors;
Bond stiffness; a bond is like a spring: it has a spring
constant, S (unit N/m)
The density of bonds per unit volume

Young’s Modulus, E, is roughly

E = S / ro ro=atom radius
The wide range of moduli is largely caused by the range of values S.
The covalent bond is stiff (S=20-200 N/m);
The metallic and the ionic bond is little less (S=15-100 N/m).
Diamond has a very high modulus b’cos the C atom is small (high
bond density) and its atoms are linked by very strong springs (S=
200N/m),
Metals with close packing gives high bond density and strong bond,
though not strong as diamond.
Polymers contain both strong diamond-like covalent bond and weak
H or Van-der-Waals bonds (S=0.5-2 N/m).

Materials Selection BDA 20402 44

 Strength – Density
Guide Lines:
σf/ρ
σf2/3/ρ
σf1/2/ρ
– used in minimum
weight, yield limited
design

Materials Selection BDA 20402 45

“Strength”
For Metals and Polymers, it is the yield strength
For brittle ceramics, the strength plotted as the
Modulus of Rupture: the strength of bending
For elastomers, strength means the tensile tear-
strength.
For composites, it is the tensile failure strength
f will be use for all of above “strength”
The vertical of strength-bubble for an individual
material class reflects its wide range, caused by
degree-of-alloying, work hardening, grain size,
porosity etc.

Materials Selection BDA 20402 46

 Let’s select a material
Select the best material for a light
and strong pull rod.

F F

Materials : Steel, Aluminium, Nylon,

CRP, Cork, Concrete

Materials Selection BDA 20402 47

Material Density Strength Modulus
A 7600 2150 210
B 2800 400 70
C 1450 80 1,8
D 3450 1540 180
E 150 15 0.14
F 2750 20 30

The mass : m =  . V =  A l
The strength : Ff = A f, A= Ff/f
m = l . F . ( / f)

F/m = l . (f / )
All materials with same f/ ratio
behave equally well.
Materials Selection BDA 20402 48
 The material Index
In the objective function the function
can be split into a geometry index
and a material index, M

For the rod example : M = f / 

Materials Selection BDA 20402 49

The strong light rod optimisation
M = f / 
better

Slope 1
Equal performance

poorer

Materials Selection BDA 20402 50

 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
E1 n 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.

Materials Selection BDA 20402 51

Characteristic
for selected
material:

1.  < 1 Mg/m3

2. f > 10 MPa

3. weight
design,
M <= f2/3/
= 27
Mpa/Mgm-3

Materials Selection BDA 20402 52

Characteristic
for selected
material:

1.  < 1 Mg/m3

2. f > 10 MPa

3. weight
design,
M <= f2/3/
= 27
Mpa/Mgm-3

Materials Selection BDA 20402 53

Characteristic
for selected
material:

1.  < 1 Mg/m3

2. f > 10 MPa

3. weight
design,
M <= f2/3/
= 27
Mpa/Mgm-3

Materials Selection BDA 20402 54

Characteristic
for selected
material:

1.  < 1 Mg/m3

2. f > 10 MPa

3. weight
design,
M <= f2/3/
= 27
Mpa/Mgm-3

Materials Selection BDA 20402 55

Characteristic
for selected
material:

1.  < 1 Mg/m3

2. f > 10 MPa

3. weight
design,
M <= f2/3/
= 27
Mpa/Mgm-3

Materials Selection BDA 20402 56

Characteristic
for selected
material:

1.  < 1 Mg/m3

2. f > 10 MPa

3. weight
design,
M <= f2/3/
= 27
Mpa/Mgm-3

Selected areas
for potential
materials

Materials Selection BDA 20402 57

Plot
M = T1/2/
= 2 K1/2/MPa

in the chart and

determine the slope
for the line

T1/2/  =2
 = T1/2/2

At
T = 400 K,  = 10 MPa
T = 1600 K,  =20 MPa

Slope :

log M = ½ log T –
log 
slope, m = 1/2

Materials Selection BDA 2042 58

Materials Selection BDA 20402 59
 The material selection for
a light stiff beam

The material giving the lowest

deflection per beam mass ??

Materials Selection BDA 20402 60

 Light stiff beam
Mass =  V =  l b h

Stiffness = F/ = C . E. I / l3 =
= C E A2 / 12 l3

m = (12 S/ C l)1/2 l3 ( / E1/2)

for this case M = E1/2 / 

Materials Selection BDA 20402 61
 Rod versus beam optimisation
Note that relative material performance changes !!!

beam

rod

Materials Selection BDA 20402 62

Materials Selection BDA 20402 63
 Quiz 1 (10 min)

Determine the slope (m) for

index,
1/ 4
E
C R
List the materials for M ≥ 2
(GPa/Mgm-3)

Materials Selection BDA 20402 64

 Quiz (10 min)

Determine the slope (m) for

index,
1/ 4
E
C R

List the materials for M ≥ 2

(GPa/Mgm-3)

Materials Selection BDA 20402 65

Sketch the search
region for:

1.  < 3 (Mg/m3)

2. M = f2/

M≤20(MPa/Mgm-3)

Materials Selection BDA 20402 66

Sketch the search
region for:
1.  < 3 (Mg/m3)
2. M = f2/
M≤20(MPa/Mgm-3)

Materials Selection BDA 20402 67

Sketch the search
region for:
1.  < 3 (Mg/m3)
2. M = f2/
M≥20(MPa/Mgm-3)

Materials Selection BDA 20402 68

CHAP. 3 : MATERIALS SELECTION
CHART (cont.)

3.4 Selection Strategy

3.4.1 Introduction
3.4.2 Materials Attributes
3.4.3 Screening and Ranking
3.4.4 Supporting Information
3.4.5 Local conditions
 3.4 Selection Strategy
3.4.1 Introduction

 Basic procedure for selection is establishing the

link between material and function (Figure
3.3).
 A material has attributes (density, strength,
cost, resistance to corrosion etc.).
- A design demand certain profile as these: a low density, a high
strength, a modest cost, resistance to sea water, etc.
- Start with full menu of materials in mind; failure to do so may mean a
missed opportunity.
- The task, restated in two lines, is that of:
۞ identifying the desired attribute profile and then
۞ comparing it with those of real engineering materials to find
the best match

Materials Selection BDA 20402 70

 Cont….

 Done by:
- examining the design requirement to identify the
constraints that they impose on material choice.

–Screening & Ranking

¤ Screening out the materials that cannot meet the
constraints.
¤ Further narrowing is achieved by ranking the candidates
by their ability to maximize performance.
¤ Criteria for screening and ranking are derived from the
design requirements for a components by an analysis of
function, constraints, objectives, and free variables.

–Supporting Information
–Property Limits
–Material Indices

Materials Selection BDA 20402 71

 Figure 3.3: Material selection is determined by function. Shape
sometimes influences the selection. (M.F. Ashby, 1999)

Materials Selection BDA 20402 72

3.4.2 Materials Attributes
Kingdom Family Class Sub-class Member Attributes
Density
1000 5005-O Modulus
Ceramics Steels 2000 5005-H4 Strength
Glasses Cu-alloys 3000 5005-H6 Toughness
Metals Al alloys 4000 5083-O T-conductivity
Material
Polymers Ti-alloys 5000 5083-H2 T-expansion
Elastomers Ni-alloys 6000 5083-H4 Resistivity
Composites Zn-alloys 7000 5154-O Cost
8000 5154-H2 Corrosion
oxidation

Figure 3.4: taxonomy of the kingdom of materials and

their attributes (M.F. Ashby, 1999)
- Each member is characterized by a set of attributes: its properties. Ex: The
member of sub-class for “5000 series” of Aluminium Alloys is finally the particular
member “Alloy 5083-H2”. It, and every other member of the kingdom, is
characterized by a set of attributes that include its mechanical, thermal, electrical,
optical, and chemical properties, its processing characteristics, its cost and
availability, and the environmental consequences of its use. We call this its
PROPERTY PROFILE
 3.4.3 Screening & Ranking

 Screening
– elimination of candidates materials which cannot do
the job at all because one or more of their attributes
lies outside the limits imposed by the design.

 Ranking
– listing of materials according to their capability to
give the best performance for certain application.

 Property limits help to separate the suitable materials.

 Materials Index identifies the best materials among a

group of the suitable materials.

 Refer Figure 3.5

Materials Selection BDA 20402 74

 All Materials

Translate design requirements, express as

function, constraints, objectives and free variables

Screening: apply property limits

(Eliminates candidates which can’t do the job)
Ranking: apply material indices
(Find candidates which can do the job well)

Subset of Materials

Supporting Information:
Handbooks, specialized software, expert systems, CD-ROMS,
WWW
(Search “family history” of candidates)

Prime Candidates

Local conditions
(Does the choice match local needs, expertise?)

Final Material Choice

Figure 3.5: The strategy for materials selection. The main steps are enclosed in
bold boxes (M.F. Ashby, 1999)

Materials Selection BDA 20402 75

 3.4.4 Supporting Information

 The outcome of the screening step is a shortlist of

candidates which satisfy the quantifiable requirements
of the design.

 Need details profile for each materials (properties,

graphic, price etc.)

 Information can be found in handbooks, supplier’s data

sheets, CD-based data sources and the worldwide web.

 All materials information will be compared in order to be

able to carry out details selection.

Materials Selection BDA 20402 76

 3.4.5 Local Conditions

 The final choice between competing candidates will

often depend on local conditions e.g.
- in-house expertise,
- equipment,
- availability of suppliers etc.

 There is no specific procedure for this part expect

totally depends on the local conditions.

Materials Selection BDA 20402 77