Common Test - REVISION

1. Explain the following terms:

(i) Tensile strength
(ii) Heat distortion temperature
(iii) Thermal expansion
(iv) Ductility
(v) Hardness

2. Explain how an appropriate load can be determined in a Brinell Hardness

Test by using the following table. In the testing of aluminium, using a ball
indenter of 10 mm diameter, what would be a suitable load to be used for
indentation?

Materials P/D2
Steels 30
Copper and copper alloys 10
Aluminium and aluminium alloys 5
Lead and tin alloys 1

3. List three applications for each of the following types of stainless steels:

(i) Martensitic stainless steels

(ii) Austenitic stainless steels
(iii) Precipitation hardening stainless steels

4. Sketch and label the S-N curves for ferrous alloys and non-ferrous alloys.
Also, what is the main difference between the S-N curve for ferrous alloys
and that of non-ferrous alloys?

5. The table/figure below shows the mechanical properties of different types of

stainless steels. Identify the two types of precipitation hardening stainless
steels (by stating their UNS Numbers).

1
6. State three applications for each of the following types of chromium steels:

(i) Low carbon steels with 0.5% chromium

(ii) Medium carbon steels with 1.0% chromium
(iii) High carbon steels with 1.5% chromium

7. With the aid of a properly labelled sketch, explain how the variation (increase
or decrease) of chromium content in stainless steels will affect the corrosion
resistant property. Also, state three properties of stainless steels.

8. What is an alloy steel? List three objectives of alloying steels. Also, name
four types of chemical elements which are generally used in the alloying of
steels except iron, carbon and oxygen.

9. Name the two methods that you have learnt to determine the toughness of
materials. Also, what are the two differences between these methods.

10. For each of the following types of stainless steels, state the microstructures:

(i) Austenitic stainless steels

(ii) Martensitic stainless steels
(iii) Duplex stainless steels

11. List four general properties of metals.

12. Explain why Rockwell Scale B is not suitable for testing hardened steels of
hard materials. Also, list two methods by which Brinell Hardness Number
can be determined.

13. Give a reason why the furnace in a creep test equipment is thermo-statically
controlled. Also, list two factors that can increase the creep rate of a metal
significantly.

14. Explain why ferrous metals have lower resistance to corrosion as compared
to non-ferrous metals. Also, give one example of ferrous metals and one
example of non-ferrous metals.

15. Explain the term “metal fatigue”. Also, list four causes of metal fatigue.

16. Explain the main difference that distinguishes ferrous metals from non-ferrous
metals. Also, state three applications for ferrous metals and non-ferrous
metals.

17. What are composites? Give two examples of composites.

2
18. Table 3 below shows a comparison of general properties for metals and
polymers. Complete the table by filling up the empty cells for the respective
general properties as shown.

Materials
Metals Polymers
Properties

Strength High

Corrosion resistance Good

Hardness Harder

Heat conductivity Poor

Table 3

19. In a Brinell Hardness Test, the diameter of the ball indenter is 5 mm. A bronze
specimen was being tested to determine its hardness. Using Table 5 below
show how an appropriate loading is being calculated for testing the bronze
specimen. [Ans: 250 kgf]

Materials P/D2
Steels 30
Copper and copper alloys 10
Aluminium and aluminium alloys 5
Lead and tin alloys 1

Table 5

20. A tensile test uses a tensile specimen of original gauge length 50 mm and an
original cross-sectional area of 200 mm 2. During the test, the specimen yields
under a load of 98000 N and the corresponding gauge length is 50.23 mm.
The maximum load of 168000 N is reached at a gauge length 0f 64.2 mm.

Determine the following:

(i) Yield strength, [Ans: 490 N/mm2]

(ii) Percentage elongation at yield, [Ans: 0.46%]
(iii) Tensile strength, [Ans: 840 N/mm2]

3
 (iv)If fracture occurs at a gauge length of 67.3 mm, determine the
percentage elongation, [Ans: 34.6%]
(v) If the specimen necked to an area of 92 mm 2, determine the
percentage reduction in area at the point of fracture. [Ans: 54%]

21. Explain the term “fatigue failure. Also, list three factors that can cause fatigue
failure.

22. Sketch the fatigue curve for the following alloys:

(i) ferrous alloys

(ii) non-ferrous alloys

Explain the main difference between the fatigue curve for ferrous and non-
ferrous alloys.

23. Why is Vickers Hardness Test suitable for the testing of hard materials? Also,
state two advantages of Vickers Hardness Test.

24. Sketch and label the creep test equipment. Also, state the three stages of
creep.

25. State the how the specimen is mounted in Charpy Impact Test and the Izod
Impact Test. Also, explain why the vee notch is an important feature for
impact tests.

26. Name the phases that are present in the microstructure of duplex stainless
steels and list three properties/features for this type of steels.

27. With the aid of a sketch, explain why steels require a minimum of 12%
chromium in order to be considered as true stainless steels. State three
properties of austenitic stainless steels.

28. Alloy steels can be classified using a four-digit numbering system adopted by
the American Iron & Steel Institute (AISI) and the Society of Automotive
Engineers (SAE). For an alloy steel type AISI-SAE 2320, explain the meaning
of the classification type.

29. List three chemical elements that are used in the alloying of steels expect iron
and carbon. Also, state three objectives of alloying steels.

30. For each of the following types of stainless steels, list three applications:

(i) Austenitic stainless steels

(ii) Martensitic stainless steels
(iii) Ferritic stainless steels

4
31. Explain the difference between ferrous metals and non-ferrous metals.

32. List three general properties for the following materials:

(i) Ceramics
(ii) Metals
(iii) Polymers

33. Explain the following terms:

(i) Ductility
(ii) Malleability
(iii) Toughness
(iv) Harness
(v) Tensile strength

34. State three applications for each of the following types of stainless steels:

(i) Ferritic stainless steels

(ii) Martensitic stainless steels
(iii) Precipitation hardening stainless steels

35. With the aid of a sketch, explain why a steel needs at least 12% chromium
before it is considered as a true stainless steel.

36. List three properties/features for the following types of stainless steels:

(i) Austenitic stainless steels

(ii) Martensitic stainless steels
(iii) Duplex stainless steels

Also, state the proportion of ferrite and austenite in the microstructure of

duplex stainless steels.

37. Sketch the idealised S-N curves for the following materials:

(i) Ferrous alloys

(ii) Non-ferrous alloys

Also, explain the main difference between the S-N curves for the alloys as
stated in (i) and (ii) above.

38. Of the five types of stainless steels that you have learnt, which type is
suitable for the making of surgical tools? Also, for the type of stainless steel
that you have chosen, list three features/properties for this steel.

39. Name two tests that are suitable for determining the toughness of materials.
What are the main differences between these two tests that you have
stated?

5
40. From a tensile test of a metallic specimen, the following information was
obtained:

(i) Maximum load: 17.66 kN

(ii) Original diameter: 5.00 mm
(iii) Original gauge length: 100.00 mm
(iv) Gauge length at failure: 115.45 mm
(v) Ratio of original diameter
to diameter at failure: 1.266

Calculate: (a) the tensile strength of the specimen [Ans: 901 N/mm 2]
(b) the percentage of elongation at fracture [Ans: 15.4%]
(c) the percentage area reduction [Ans: 21.4%]