FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

TUTORIAL 1
MATERIALS SCIENCE (SKMM 2613)

1. What is the difference between atomic structure and atomic crystal

2. Explain the differences between covalent bonding and Ionic bonding in engineering materials.
Give two example of material for each type of bonding.
3. Explain the differences between Metallic bonding and Ionic bonding in engineering materials.
Give two example of material for each type of bonding.
4. Distinguish between ionic and covalent bonding in engineering materials. Give an example of
material for each type of bonding.
5. For each of the following compound, state with reason whether the bonding is metallic,
covalent or ionic. i. NH3 ii. Al iii. C2 H6 iv. MgO (Given : Atomic number for N=7, H=1, Mg=
12, O= 8, Al =13, C = 6 )
6. For each of the following materials, describe whether the bonding is metallic, ionic or covalent.
(i) PCl3 (ii) Co (iii) K2O . (Atomic number, Z : Cl = 17, P = 15, Co = 27, K = 19, O = 8)
7. Differentiate between Face- Centred Cubic (FCC) and Body- Centred Cubic (BCC) crystal
structures. Why FCC metals are more ductile than BCC metals?
8. What is atomic packing factor (APF) and calculate the APF for face centered cubic (FCC) crystal
structure.
9. Show that the atomic packing factor for Face Centered Cubic ia 0.74
10. Show that the atomic packing factor for Body Centered Cubic ia 0.68.
11. At room temperature, barium (Ba) has body-centered cubic (BCC) crystal structure. Calculate the
lattice parameter, a, of the unit cell if the atomic radius, r is 0.222 nm., Determine the
theoretical density of Ba. (Atomic weight: 137.327 g/mol, Avogadro’s number: 6.022 x 1023
atoms/mol)
12. Show the relationship between the unit cell edge length, a, and the atomic radius, R, for a BCC
crystal. Iron has a BCC crystal structure, an atomic radius of 0.124 nm, and atomic weight of
55.85 g/mol. Calculate its theoretical density (Given: Avogardo’s Number is 6.02 x 1023
atoms/mol)
13. Molybdenum (Mo) has a BCC crystal structure with a density of 10.28 g/cm3 and atomic mass of
95.94 g/mol. Determine the atomic radius of this metal. (Avogadro’s No.=6.023 x 1023
atoms/mol)
14. Determine the Miller indices for the directions P, Q and planes R , S in the following unit cells;
15. Draw in a separate unit cells the following Miller indices:
(i) [103] (ii) [122]

(iii) (212) (iv) (201)

 FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

TUTORIAL 2
MATERIALS SCIENCE (SME 1613)

1. Draw the cooling curve and describe the solidification process of a pure metal when it solidifies
from liquid to solid phase.
2. Figure 1 shows the cross-section view of a metal ingot. Name grain structure (i), (ii) and (iii)
shown in Figure 1. Explain how these structures are obtained.

(ii) Metal Mould

(i )
(iii)

Figure 1

3. Draw and briefly explain cooling curve and solidification process for the following metals

i. Pure metal with the addition of 2wt% refining agent

ii. A binary alloy (alloy which contain of 2 type of metal)

4. Describe and illustrate with relevant sketches solidification process of pure aluminium with 3%wt

Sr as grain refiner in a metal mould. Illustrate the solidified cast ingot structure.

With the aid of sketches describe and differentiate between 3 type of crystal defects.

5. Dislocations are one of the defects that normally developed during solidification of a metal.

Differentiate this defect compared with other types of crystal defects.

6. Compare between casting defects and point defects.

7. Compare between line defects and surface defect,

8. Compare between interstitial and vacancy atomic mechanism diffusion. Which type of the

diffusion mechanism is more rapid. Give two reasons.

 FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

TUTORIAL 3
MATERIALS SCIENCE (SKMM 2613)

1. Explain what is meant by slip system and whether all metals have the same slip system.
2. Explain briefly why metals such as magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) which have hexagonal close
packed (HCP) crystal structures are more brittle than metals such as aluminium (Al) and copper
(Cu) which have face-centred cubic (FCC) crystal structures.
3. Briefly, describe the relationship between dislocations and strengthening of engineering
materials.
4. List the FOUR main strengthening mechanisms and provide a comparison between them in
terms of the type of barrier that will result in increased strength.
5. Name and explain three strengthening mechanisms. The explanation should include how
dislocations are impeded for each of the strengthening techniques.
6. Two castings of the same material were produced by using metal mould and preheated sand
mould respectively. Explain with reasons which casting is stronger and harder.
7. Describe with the aid of sketches the grain shape changes that occur when a sheet of alloyed
copper with the original equiaxed grain structure is cold rolled with 20 and 40 percent thickness
reduction. How is the ductility affected and explain why.
8. Explain how grain boundaries impede dislocation motion and why a metal having finer grains is
stronger than one with coarser grains.
9. A piece of copper (Cu) rod has been heavily cold worked.
(i) Sketch the microstructures before and after this process.

(ii) Describe the mechanical properties of copper after cold work.

(iii) Suggest and explain a method in order to improve its ductility after cold work.
How does the ductility can be increased by this method?

10. Two previously undeformed cylindrical specimens A and B of an alloy are to be strained
hardened by reducing their cross-sectional areas. For specimen A, the initial and deformed radii
are 20 mm and 14 mm respectively. Specimen B, with an initial radius of 15 mm, must have the
same deformation ratio as specimen A. Compute the radius of specimen B after deformation.
11. Describe how a standard tensile test is conducted on a plain carbon steel.
12. From stress strain curves for three different materials in Figure 1, choose which material has
following property and why?
(i) highest elastic modulus
(ii) highest ductility
(iii) highest toughness –

Figure 1
 FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

TUTORIAL 4
MATERIALS SCIENCE (SKMM 2613)

Question 1

a) Describe and differentiate between solidification process of pure metal and an binary alloy.

b) Distinguish between the following terms regarding a phase diagram.

i. Eutectic reaction and eutectoid reaction

ii. Phase and components
iii. Cooling rate and cooling curve
iv. Inter-metallic compound and solid solution
v. Solidus and solvus

c) i) Base on data in Figure 1 construct a complete phase diagram of copper (Cu) – nickel (Ni)
on a graph . Label completely.

Figure 1

ii) For 70% Cu-30% Ni alloy :

1. At what temperature the solidification begin and complete?
2. What is the composition the first solid to form?
3. What is the composition of the last lquid?
3. What are the composition of the phases at the temperature of 1200oC?
4. Determine the mass proportion of the phases present at 1200oC
5. Explain with the aid of sketches the solidification process when the alloy is slowly
cooled from liquid phase to room temperature.
Question 2

Answer the following questions based on the part of titanium (Ti) – nickel (Ni) phase diagram shown in
Figure 2.

a) Identify phases (A) to (D).

b) Identify two isothermal reactions. For each reaction, state the composition, temperature, and
the type of the reaction.

c) For 64wt% Ni - 36% Ti alloy :

i) At what temperature does the first liquid phase form and alloy completely melt upon heating?

ii) What is the composition of the phases at 1150oC?

iii) Calculate weight percentage of all phases at 1150oC.
iv) Explain with the aid of sketches the phase transformation when the alloy is slowly cooled from
liquid phase to room temperature.
v) Sketch the corresponding cooling curve of this alloy when it is solidify from the liquid phase to
room temperature.

Figure 2

Question 3
Two metals A and B have melting points of 1200oC and 900oC respectively. A is soluble in B in solid state
to a maximum of 8.0 wt % at 700oC and 2.0 wt% at 0oC. While B is soluble in A in the solid state to a
maximum of 15.0 wt % at 700oC and 5.0wt % at 0oC. An isothermal reaction occurred at 700oC
containing 40.0 wt % B.

a) Based on the above information, construct a complete phase diagram of A-B alloy to scale on a
graph paper and label all the phases, lines and points.
b) Name and write the isothermal reaction for the system
c) Consider an alloy containing 30 wt % B :
 i) at what temperatures the solidification begin and complete ?
ii) what are the compositions of the phases at the temperature of 750oC.
iii) determine the mass proportion of the phases present in (ii)
iv) explain with the aid of sketches the phase transformation of this alloy when it is slowly
cooled from the liquid phase to room temperature.
 FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

TUTORIAL 5
MATERIALS SCIENCE (SKMM 2613)

1. Draw and label the phase diagram for steel from 0 – 1130oC.

2. Name and explain the four microstructure of steel.

3. Draw and describe the change in microstructure for the following steels when
it is slowly cooled from the austenitic region to room temperature.

(a) hypoeutectic (0.4%C steel)

(b) Eutectoid (0.8%C steel)
(c) hypereutectoid (1.2%C steel)
4. For the following heat treatment, explain in terms of procedure, microstructure and properties
expected.

(a) normalizing
(b) full annealing
(c) quenching
(d) sub-critical annealing
(e) quenching followed by tempering
(f) spheroidising
5. (i) Describe how these processes can be carried-out ?
(a) martempering
(b) austempering
(c) conventional quenching and tempering
(ii) What are the advantages of martempering compared to conventional quenching
and tempering ?
6. Sketch a time-temperature-transformation diagram (TTT) for a plain carbon eutectoid
steel. Show the cooling path form austenite phase to form the following microstructure
and explain the heat treatment process.
(a) 100% martensite
(b) 100 % coarse pearlite
(c) 50% bainite and 50% martensite
(d) 100% lower bainite
7. Small thin pieces of 0.25mm thickness hot-rolled eutectoid steel are heated for one
hour at 900oC and followed by the heat treatment listed below. Using the TTT diagram
draw the cooling curve and determine the microstructure of the samples
after each treatment.
(a) water quenched to room temperature
(b) quenched to at 690oC, hold for 2 hours and water quench.
(c) quenched to 610oC, hold for 2 seconds and water quenched.
(d) quenched to 580oC, hold for 3 minutes and water quenched.
(e) quenched to 450oC, hold for 1 hour and water quenched
(f) quenched to 300oC, hold for 5 hours ad water quenched.

8. What is meant by hardenability of steel?. How this property is determine and what are the
factors affecting this properties.
 FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

TUTORIAL 6
MATERIALS SCIENCE (SKMM 2613)

Cast Iron

1. List four main types of cast iron and give examples of typical application for each type of
cast iron.

2. How the solidification rate, percentage of silicon and heat treatment effecting the
formation of cast iron ?

3. How nodular and ductile cast iron being produced and sketch their microstructure.

4. Why does the fracture surface of white cast iron appear “white”

5. What casting condition favour the formation of grey cast iron ?

6. Explain the properties of grey and white cast iron. How both cast iron can be improved

7. Differentiate between malleable cast iron and nodular cast iron.

8. Figure 1 shows microstructures of three different types of cast irons, named as cast iron x, y,
and z
(i) Identify the type of each cast iron and its respective properties
(ii) Give one example of application for each type of cast iron
(iii) Describe how cast iron z is produced.

Figure 1

(x) (y) (z)

Alloy Steel

1. List four common elements that form alloy steel

2. Describe the effect of alloying elements to improve the properties of carbon steel.
3. List five alloy steels and their main alloying elements.
4. State three types of stainless steel in terms of chemical composition, properties and give example
of application.
5. Why ferritic and austenic stainless steels are considered non-heat-treatable ?
6. Explain briefly how maraging steel being produced.
 FACULTY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

TUTORIAL 7
MATERIALS SCIENCE (SKMM 2613)

Surface Hardening
1. What is surface hardening and describe its differences with through/full hardening process .
2. Give some examples of components that are normally surface hardened and give reasons why they
are not through/fully hardened.
3. (a) Name the surface hardening processes that altered the composition of the component after
the treatment.
(b) Explain briefly the carburizing methods and give their advantages and disadvantages.
(c) What are the main elements added to the component surface when carbonitriding and
cyaniding process are used? Explain each process.
4. (a) What kind of steels are normally surface hardened using flame and induction hardening?
(b) Give the process differences between flame and induction process.

Non Ferrous Metal

1. What are the advantages of using non-ferrous metals as an engineering components compare to
ferrous metals?
2. Name the most common non-ferrous metals used in engineering applications.
3. Give the main characteristics of copper that make it desirable for various applications.
4. What is brass and give the differences between α-brass and α+β brass? Give some application
examples of brass.
5. What is bronze and give its main advantages over brass.
6. What are some of the properties which make aluminium an extremely useful
engineering material?
7. Which series of aluminium alloys are non-heat treatable and heat treatable?
8. Explain how the strength and hardness of non-heat treatable and heat treatable aluminium
alloys can be increased.
9. Give some applications of ,(i) non-heat treatable, and (ii) heat treatable aluminium alloys.
What make nickel alloys superior than other common non-ferrous alloys?
Non Metallic Materials
1. List the main characteristics of polymeric materials and its importance in engineering
applications.
2. Distinguish between thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. Give the examples of the
application.
3. Explain how the strength of natural rubber can be increased.
4. (a) What is ceramic and list some properties common to most ceramic materials.
(b) Distinguish between traditional and engineering ceramic. Give the examples of the application.
(c) Briefly explain the basic steps in processing of ceramic products.
5. (a) Define a composite materials.
(b) What are the differences between fiber reinforced composite and particulate reinforced
composite?
(c) What is the function of matrix and reinforcement in the continuous fiber reinforced composite?
(d) Give the applications of MMC, PMC and CMC