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Strength - Max. service temperature
General Information
Physical Insights
Example Uses
Simple Questions
Further Questions
This chart is useful for selecting materials that work at high temperatures.
General Information
Strength measures the resistance of a material to failure, given by the applied stress (or load per unit area).
The chart shows yield strength in tension for all materials, except for ceramics for which compressive strength is shown (their tensile strength being much lower).
Maximum service temperature indicates the maximum temperature at which a material can be used in engineering – above this its strength rapidly decreases.
This chart is useful for identifying materials for components which operate at temperatures above room temperature, e.g. cooking utensils, car engines and exhausts.
Polymers are limited to low temperature use, metals to intermediate temperatures, and only ceramics can withstand very high temperatures.
The 'hardness' of a material is often used to indicate things like wear resistance. Hardness is
measured by making a small surface indentation. It is not a material property, but is closely
related to the strength, so strength gives a good indicator of wear resistance.
Physical Insights
Thermoplastic polymers operate at lower temperatures than thermosets because only weak Van der Waals forces hold the chains together.
Ceramics can operate at high temperature because covalent bonds are very stable.
Polystyrene has a maximum use temperature below 100oC - which explains why polystyrene coffee cups go out of shape.
Example Uses
PTFE or 'Teflon' (not on the chart) as a non stick surface for frying pans.
Ceramic for fire bricks and for coatings for jet engine blades.
Tungsten (not on the chart) for light bulb filaments.
Simple Questions
Why is lead-tin used for solder?
Lead tin is now being phased out for health reasons but lead tin melts and solidifies at very low temperatures and in a solder joint is the eutectic composition (the composition with the lowest meting point).
Select materials for a saucepan.
Temperatures of about a few hundred degrees Celsius are experienced so that most metals can withstand these conditions. It fact steel, copper, cast iron and aluminium are all used. Ductile metals are formed by ‘spinning’, while cast iron is cast. Cast iron is best despite the high weight because its large thermal mass combines with reasonable thermal conductivity to reduce ‘hot spots’
Select materials for a mould for casting aluminium parts (melting temp 660oC)
A steel mould is ideal for die casting of aluminium or zinc. These die casting moulds can be used many times and the good conductivity of steel leads to quick cooling cycles.
Select materials for a mould for casting steel parts (melting temp 1540oC)
Here sand casting is appropriate because of the excellent high temperature properties of ceramics and glasses (ceramic fire bricks are used in furnaces). Cooling rates are slower however.
Further Questions
Why can polymers operate only at low temperatures when their polymer chains contain covalent bonds like ceramics?
What is the operating temperature of a light bulb filament?
There are 2 separate populations for this class to improve clarity. Move the mouse over different parts of the class name to reveal each one.
Rollover class name to view individual materals, click chart to return to class view. Hover mouse over property for brief definition.
