Experiment No.

IDENTIFICATION OF METALS

Objective: To familiarize the students with some of the type of test in the
identification of metals.

Apparatus and Equipment:

Grinding wheel Hammer Chisel

Materials: cast iron mild steel black iron

Lead copper tin

bronze aluminum stainless steel

Procedure:

1. Bring all necessary materials needed during the experiment.

2. Check and clean all the materials and place them on the working table.

3. By appearance test: Mark the metal and take note of each appearance and

try to identify each.

4. By fracture test: Subject the metal to fracture by means of hammer and chisel.

Observed its different properties such malleability, ductility, and other

properties.

5. By grinding test: By means of grinding wheel, grind the metal and observed the
spark, its color and length of spark.
Laboratory Questions:

1. Define the following:

a) Engineering Materials

 Engineering Materials refers to the group of materials that are

used in the construction of manmade structures and components.
The primary function of an engineering material is to withstand
applied loading without breaking and without exhibiting excessive
deflection.

b) Ductility

 Ductility the ability of a material to have its shape changed (as

by being drawn out into wire or thread) without losing strength
or breaking.

c) Malleability

 Malleability is a physical property of metals that defines their

ability to be hammered, pressed, or rolled into thin sheets without
breaking. In other words, it is the property of a metal to deform
under compression and take on a new shape.

2. What are the different classes of materials? Give examples.

a) Metallic Materials
Examples:
I. Copper
II. Stainless Steel
III. Cast iron
b) Polymeric Materials
Examples:
I. Polystyrene
II. Polyimides
III. Nylon
c) Ceramic Materials
Examples:
I. Barium Titanate
II. Stone
III. Porcelain
d) Composite Materials
Examples:
 I. Carbon-fiber
II. Reinforced Plastic
III. Tungsten-carbide cobalt

3. Discuss the ff. and provide illustrations:

a. Forging
 Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of
a metal through hammering, pressing, or rolling. These
compressive forces are delivered with a hammer or die.
Forging is often categorized according to the temperature
at which it is performed—cold, warm, or hot forging.
b. Bending
 Bending is a manufacturing process that produces a V-
shape, U-shape, or channel shape along a straight axis
in ductile materials, most commonly sheet metal. Commonly
used equipment include box and pan brakes, brake presses,
and other specialized machine presses. Typical products
that are made like this are boxes such as electrical
enclosures and rectangular ductwork.
c. Punching
 Punching is a forming process that uses a punch press to
force a tool, called a punch, through the work piece to
create a hole via shearing. Punching is applicable to a
wide variety of materials that come in sheet form,
including sheet metal, paper, vulcanized fiber and some
forms of plastic sheet. The punch often passes through the
work into a die. A scrap slug from the hole is deposited into
the die in the process.
d. Welding
 Welding is a fabrication process whereby two or more parts
are fused together by means of heat, pressure or both
forming a join as the parts cool. Welding is usually used on
metals and thermoplastics but can also be used on
wood. The completed welded joint may be referred to as a
weldment.
e. Grinding
 Grinding is machining process that’s used to remove
material from a work piece via a grinding wheel. As the
grinding wheel turns, it cuts material off the work piece while
creating a smooth surface texture in the process.
4. Briefly describe and give the function of the apparatus/equipment, materials
mentioned in activity.

Equipment:

I. Grinding Wheel
A grinding wheel is a wheel used for grinding. Grinding wheels are
composed of abrasive compounds and are used for various grinding
(abrasive cutting) and abrasive machining operations. Such wheels
are used in grinding machines.

II. Hammer
Hammer is a hand tool consisting of a solid head set crosswise on
a handle and used for pounding.

III. Chisel
A chisel is a tool that has a long metal blade with a sharp edge at
the end. It is used for cutting and shaping wood and stone.

Materials:

i. Steel
Renowned for its toughness and machinability, steel is widely used
in the construction and manufacturing industries.

ii. Cast Iron

Hard and resistant to wear, cast iron is perfect for use in a variety
of applications from cookware to water pipes and machine tools.

iii. Wrought Iron

Slightly different to most other ferrous metals, wrought iron resists
corrosion and oxidation. It is frequently used for fencing and
railing.

iv. Aluminum
Not only is aluminum lightweight, but it can also be easily machined
and welded. It is used in the manufacturing of aircraft as well as
food cans, cars and kitchen utensils.

v. Copper
Highly ductile, malleable and a good conductor of heat and
electricity, copper is a favorable choice for electrical wiring.
 vi. Lead
Lead has a low melting point and low tensile strength. It is typically
used in electrical power cables, batteries and soldering.

vii. Stainless steel

Stainless steel is a corrosion-resistant alloy of iron, chromium and, in
some cases, nickel and other metals.

viii. Bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about
12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (such
as aluminum, manganese, nickel or zinc) and sometimes non-metals
or metalloids such as arsenic, phosphorus or silicon.

ix. Tin
It is a soft, silvery white metal with a bluish tinge, known to the
ancients in bronze, an alloy with copper. Tin is widely used for
plating steel cans used as food containers, in metals used
for bearings, and in solder.

x. Black Iron
Black iron is a specific term given to a specific kind of unit. More
commonly referred to as “black iron pipe,” black iron is usually used
in fire sprinklers due to its high heat tolerance.