Assignment 2
Mechanics and Materials 2
MIET2115
Table of Contents
Application #1 - Dashboard of a family car...............................................................................3
Introduction............................................................................................................................3
Materials to be considered.....................................................................................................3
Application #2 - Rivets used in the fuselage of a 747-800........................................................4
Introduction............................................................................................................................4
Materials to be considered.....................................................................................................4
Application #3 - Window latches for a holiday house on the beach..........................................5
Introduction............................................................................................................................5
Materials to be considered.....................................................................................................5
Application #4 - A fuel tank for a car that uses hydrogen liquid as fuel...................................6
Introduction............................................................................................................................6
Materials to be considered.....................................................................................................6
Application #5 - A pressure vessel to contain caustic soda (NaOH) at 280°C at 3.5MPa........7
Introduction............................................................................................................................7
Materials to be considered.....................................................................................................7
Application #1 - Dashboard of a family car
Introduction
The role of the dashboard in a family car has these fundamental functions:
- Displays the instruments and controls
- Needs to be able to tolerate UV
- Consumer appeal
The first and foremost role of the automobile dashboard is to assist with driver decision
making by containing data and information which means that failure to do so would be dire.
The primary stress this component shall be under is UV rays, this can lead to early
mechanical failure/degradation, so a material with good UV resistance is critical.
Another stress the dashboard would be constantly under is fatigue from the vibrations caused
by the engine (assuming traditional piston engine).
Materials to be considered
For the application of a dashboard in an automobile, plastics are an obvious choice in terms
of material class for selection due to their attractive properties such as:
- UV resistance
- Fatigue resistance
- Formability
However, we must first analyse which type of plastic would be most appropriate for this
application in order to narrow down the list of plastics to consider. Thermoplastics offer
characteristics such as:
- Chemical resistance
- Hard or Rubbery finishes
- Aesthetically pleasing finishes
- High Impact resistant
- Recyclable and Eco friendly manufacturing
- (Modor Plastics, 2019)
Three plastics are commonly used in vehicles, ABS, PP and PC, below we compare each one
and challenge their properties to determine which is the best choice for this application.
Table 1 – Material Mechanical Property Comparison
Mechanical Property: ABS PP PC
Impact Strength, Izod:
- notched 1/8 in (3.2 mm) 267 J/m 53 J/m 801 J/m
section
- unnotched 1/8 in (3.2 1762 J/m 1602 J/m No Break
mm) section
Tensile Strength 46 MPa 32 MPa 59 MPa
Tensile Elongation 9.0 - 10.0 % > 10.0 % > 10.0 %
Tensile Modulus 2758 MPa 1724 MPa 2206 MPa
Flexural Strength 74 MPa 41 MPa 93 MPa
Flexural Modulus 2413 MPa 1379 MPa 2344 MPa
(Web.rtpcompany.com, (Web.rtpcompany.com, (Web.rtpcompany.com,
2019) 2019) 2019)
It is evident from the graph above that PC performs better in almost every category, therefore
it is to be the best fit for this application.
Application #2 - Rivets used in the fuselage of a 747-800
Introduction
This component has the role of connecting two pieces of material together, commonly metal,
and due to this the rivet undergoes some amount of shear stress. The material that is used to
create a rivet is required to have strength in two directions; the tensile direction, since its first
and foremost role is to hold two pieces together, and the shear direction.
Another stress the rivet will experience is the change in temperature due to the aircraft
traveling at several different altitudes and speeds, the material chosen must be able to
perform under these conditions.
Materials to be considered
Metals generally have the mechanical properties required for this application such as
aluminium alloys, however, some polymers demonstrate similar properties such as Nylon.
Aluminium alloys are a great material for this application due to their great strength to weight
ratio, workability, and performance at cryogenic and elevated temperatures. Aluminium
alloys can perform well under temperatures ranging from -195 to +400 0 Celsius. Nylon is
also commonly used as an alternative option for aircraft rivets since they display many
similar characteristics.
Some common materials used for aerospace applications have been compared in the tables
below:
Nylon 6 Aluminium 2017 Aluminium 7075
Composition
hexamethylenediamine and A Zr + Ti A Zr + Ti
adipic acid
Heat treatment
338 – 346 0 Celsius
Working temperatures: -40 Annealed 413 0 Celsius
- +160 degrees Celsius Annealed
Characteristsics
High strength – weight High Strength
High Impact strength
ratio Stress-corrosion
Chemical Resistance
Corrosion resistant cracking resistance
Poor resistance to UV
Good Performance at
low temperatures.
Table 2 – Material Comparison
Mechanical Property Nylon 6 Aluminium 2017 Aluminium 7075
Hardness, Rockwell a 80.0 - 88.0 42.5 53.5
Hardness, Rockwell b 100 - 120 66 87
Tensile Strength, Ultimate 50.0 - 90.0 MPa 30 - 550 MPa 572 MPa
Tensile Strength, Yield 40.0 - 100 MPa 24 – 365 MPa 503 MPa
Elongation at Break 5.00 - 120 % 15.00 – 70.00 % 9.0 – 70 %
Modulus of Elasticity 1.30 - 4.20 GPa 72.4 GPa 71.7 GPa
Flexural Yield Strength 20.0 - 150 MPa - -
Flexural Modulus 1.30 - 3.70 GPa - -
Shear Strength 44.8 - 75.8 MPa 626 MPa 331 MPa
(matweb.com) (matweb.com) (matweb.com)
While Nylon 6 has a superior hardness, both aluminium alloys are better performers in almost
every other category. If Nylon 6 is excluded and the two alloys are compared, 7075 has the
better performance in most regards. Out of all categories, shear strength is the most important
since the rivets primary stress will be shear, all three materials that have been considered
have been chosen for their performance at cryogenic and elevated temperatures. Due to this
reasoning, the material will be selected primarily for its shear strength properties. Aluminium
7075 has been selected as the material for this application for its impressive shear strength,
performance at cryogenic and elevated temperatures and for its superior tensile strength and
hardness.
Application #3 - Window latches for a holiday house on the beach
Introduction
The design of a window latch requires some special consideration into the environment that
the latch will exist in, for this example the window latch will live in a particularly salty
environment. This environment can cause corrosion 10 times faster than in normal humidity
(Rodriguez, 2018) and therefore we must design to prolong this lifespan of the component
through material selection. It is known that some metals and ceramics can be corrosion
resistant, but to understand what mechanical and physical properties the window latch must
have will help show which class is more appropriate.
The window latch serves the fundamental purpose of keeping the window closed when
needed, so reliability is of highest importance when it comes to design. If we discuss the
forces the latch may need to withstand we can better understand what mechanical properties
are required. The latch will be withstanding forces from natural occurrences such as wind
which can produce forces of up to 196.03 N/m^2 onto a flat vertical surface (Sussex.ac.uk,
1998). The component may also need to withstand the forces of forced entry for security
reasons. The corrosive environment will also effect the mechanical property; fatigue, which
couples with corrosion and causes mechanical degradation.
Materials to be considered
Stainless steel 304 AI203 Zirconium
Composition Chromium 15-20% Zirconium
Nickle 2-10.5% Tin, iron, chromium,
nickel 2%
Heat treatment
1010 + degrees C 800 degrees C 565 degrees C
Annealed Sintered
Characteristsics Corrosion resistant Abrasive “Self-healing”
Strong Capabilities
High melt point Corrosion resistant
Corrosion Resistant
Stainless Steel
AI203 Zirconium
304
Hardness, Brinell 123 667 145
Hardness, Knoop 138 1700 - 2200 -
Hardness, Rockwell B 70 - 78
Hardness, Vickers 129 1365 150
Tensile Strength, Ultimate 505 MPa 300 MPa 330 MPa
Tensile Strength, Yield 215 MPa 370 MPa 230 MPa
Elongation at Break 70 % - 32%
Modulus of Elasticity 193 - 200 GPa 370 GPa 94.5 GPa
Poisson's Ratio 0.29 0.22 0.34
Charpy Impact 325 J - -
Shear Modulus 86 GPa 140 GPa 35.5 GPa
(matweb.com) (matweb.com) (matweb.com)
These results show that the Aluminium Oxide has much greater Shear Modulus, Modulus of
Elasticity, Tensile Strength and Hardness. This means that should the component be made of
this material, it should perform better in circumstances where the component is under shear
stresses from wind force and forced entry.
The most appropriate material for this application is the sintered aluminium oxide.
Application #4 - A fuel tank for a car that uses hydrogen liquid as fuel
Introduction
Hydrogen must be stored at a temperature lower than 253 degrees Celsius in order to remain
in liquid form and therefore the container must be able to perform well in such low
temperatures. Should the container fail to perform, the whole operation fails which can lead
to certain hazards that are involved with liquid hydrogen. The container for liquid hydrogen
should be capable of containing the liquid at an extremely high density. Liquid hydrogen
storage is particularly difficult because the element has a very little energy density and to
store an amount that could be useful requires compressing it. Another issue that arises with
liquid hydrogen is a car is that it needs to be held safely even in the event of a car crash.
The container requires these important mechanical properties to safely contain liquid
hydrogen:
- Fatigue resistance
o This is due to cyclic loads from the demands of use.
- Corrosion resistance
o Many materials may have undesirable reaction to the liquid hydrogen,
immediate or over time. Meeting this requirement is of the highest importance
since corrosion may lead to explosion and cause damage to humans and/or
other machinery.
- Resilience
o The material should be able to absorb energy with plastic/elastic deformation.
Materials to be considered
Metal hydrides are an attractive contender for the selecting of materials since they have
already been bonded to hydrogen to form a new compound (Wojes, 2018). These metals are
insoluble and great for hydrogen storage since metal readily absorbs hydrogen.
Another consideration is Carbon Fibre Composites, some containers made of this material
have been reported to withstand 600 Bar, however they require some sort of thin coating on
the inside of the container to prevent the reaction between hydrogen and the polymer
(Schlapbach and Züttel, 2001).
Table 1 – Material Comparison
Aluminium Carbon Fibre
Stainless Steel 304
Hydride Composite
Chromium 15-20% 30% Fibre
Metals/ Metalloids
Composition Bonded to Hydrogen
Nickle 2-10.5% 70% resin
1010 + degrees C
Heat treatment 50 – 177 degrees C
Annealed
Strength (uni-
Corrosion resistant directional)
Characteristics Great strength-weight
ratio
Stainless Steel Carbon Fibre
Metal Hydride
304 Composite
Hardness, Brinell 123 -
Hardness, Knoop 138 -
Hardness, Rockwell B 70 -
Hardness, Vickers 129 800
Tensile Strength, Ultimate 505 MPa 0.917-3790 MPa
Tensile Strength, Yield 215 MPa 4.62 – 3220 MPa
Elongation at Break 70 % 0.430 – 11.0 %
Modulus of Elasticity 193 - 200 GPa 2.62 – 520 GPa
Poisson's Ratio 0.29 -
Charpy Impact 325 J -
Shear Modulus 86 GPa 5.6 GPa
(matweb.com) (matweb.com)
While, some sources may suggest that the best option for liquid hydrogen storage is the use
of metal hydrides (Wang, Lei & Rawal, Aditya & Aguey-Zinsou, Francois.), there is not a lot
of information in their mechanical properties, making analysis difficult. Since they could not
be analysed, metal hydrides will be excluded from consideration.
For this application, Carbon fibre performs much better than Stainless steel however it must
be noted that to use carbon fibre it must be coupled with a protective film. This is to protect
the material from the hydrogen.
Application #5 - A pressure vessel to contain caustic soda (NaOH) at
280°C at 3.5MPa
Introduction
This main issue with containing caustic soda is that the substance is stored at enormous
pressure and temperature, the amount of materials that exist today that could be manufactured
to contain this substance is limited.
- Contain hazardous material
- High temperature
- High pressure
Caustic soda corrodes some metals, which in turn produces hydrogen and can lead to
explosion. This substance is known to have an explosive reaction to these materials and
therefore can be ruled out immediately:
- Aluminium, may cause explosion
- Carbon steel, which will corrode with caustic soda at high temperatures.
Materials to be considered
For such a difficult application it is recommended that ‘special metals’ are used such as
Nickel, Monel, Inconel, Hastelloy: (Oxy.com, n.d.)
Table 1 – Material Comparison
Hastelloy Monel Inconel
Nickle Alloy
Nickle Copper Nickel alloy Tantalum
Composition Molybdenum Cobalt Chromium
Molybdenum
Melt Point 1418 Degrees C 1350 Degrees C 1350 Degrees C
High Resistance to
uniform attack Corrosion resistance Corrosion resistance
Characteristsics Corrosion resistant High strength High strength
Thermal Stability
Weldability
(matweb.com) (matweb.com) (matweb.com)
Hastelloy Monel Inconel
Tensile Strength, Ultimate
880 MPa 450 MPa 760 MPa
(elevated temperatures)
Tensile Strength, Yield
395 MPa 170 MPa 290 MPa
(elevated temperatures)
Elongation at Break
25.8% 50% 55 %
(elevated temperatures)
(matweb.com) (matweb.com) (matweb.com)
Monel seems to be the most inferior in terms of strength, so we will illuminate that firstly,
and Hastelloy has far better strength mechanical properties.
While there is not a lot of information available to the public, with the information given it
appears that Hastelloy is the safest option with such outstanding mechanical properties and
characteristics.
References
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