1.1

yield strength

the amount of stress needed to start permanently deforming a shape

ultimate tensile strength

The amount of stress at which the material fails

testing strength

place in vice and apply load

testing hardness

hardness tester

testing toughness

material placed in vice and hit with the same force using a hammer, tough materials will not crack, brittle materials will shatter

young's modulus

the ratio of stress to strain of material, showing how stiff it is

uses of cast iron

anvils

engineering vices

engine blocks

machine tool beds

uses of low carbon steel

Nails and screws

Car bodies

Steel sheets

uses of high carbon steel

tools such as blades, hammers, chisels

uses of stainless steel

Knives and forks, medical equipment and sinks

ferrous

a material that contains iron

non-ferrous

A material that does not contain iron

uses of aluminium

wings and body panels of aircraft

uses of copper

water pipes

uses of bronze

statues

uses of brass

pressure-valve bodies, doorknobs, musical instruments

uses of lead

weights for diving belts, shielding for radiation in nuclear reactors

uses of zinc

handles for car doors,, camera bodies

cold working

repeatedly bending or hammering a metal

work hardening

an increase in the strength and hardness of a metal due to cold working

annealing

a heat treatment that makes a metal softer and easier to work

hardening

A heat treatment that increases the hardness and strength of a metal due to a change in the arrangement of the atoms within it.

quenching

The rapid cooling of a hot metal by immersing it in a liquid, often oil or brine.

tempering

A heat treatment to remove some of the brittleness in a hardened steel, at the cost of some hardness.

normalising

A heat treatment that results in metal that is tough with some ductility

corrosion

a reaction between the surface of a material and its environment that consumes some of the material

carburising

The addition of carbon to the surface of a low-carbon steel to improve hardness and strength

case hardening

Hardening of the outer surface (or case) of a steel component by a carburizing process; used to make it tough and hard

case hardening of a low-carbon steel spanner

polymer

a type of material made from a large number of similar, smaller chemical units that are bonded together

thermoplastic

a type of polymer that can be reshaped when heated

thermosetting polymer

A type of polymer with crosslinks between the polymer chains; it cannot be reshaped when heated.

uses of PET

drinks bottles, polyester fibres

uses of HDPE

bottles, buckets

uses of PVC

window frames, guttering, pipes

uses of LDPE

detergent bottles, carrier bags

Uses of polypropylene (PP)

food containers, medical equipment

uses of polystyrene

packaging foam cups

uses of ABS

plastic pipes, children's toys, keyboard caps

uses of Acrylic

plastic windows, bath tubs, machine guards

uses of nylon

gear wheels, bearings

uses of polycarbonate

safety glasses, DVDs, exterior lighting fixtures

uses of epoxy

circuit boards, cast electrical insulators

uses of polyester resin

suitcases, luggage

uses of melamine resin

laminate coverings for kitchen worktops

uses of polyurethane

hoses

vulcanised rubber

tyres, shoe soles, bouncy balls

composite

a type of material made by combining two or more different types of material. These remain physically distinct within its structure

reinforcement

the particles or fibre within a composite matrix that serve to increase its strength

ceramic

A type of material that is typically an oxide, nitride or carbide of a metal.