Engineering Materials Flashcards: Plastics, Metals and Processing
96 English cards on material properties, metal and polymer families, manufacturing processes, and qualified selection cases, including sourced ABS and PA6 grades.
Über dieses Lernkartenset
Learn engineering materials through concise retrieval and constrained selection problems. These 96 original English cards connect property vocabulary, metal and polymer families, processing mechanisms and practical evidence checks.
Practise concept-to-explanation recall, selected situation-to-property or process choices, alloy-family recognition, and named-grade interpretation for ABS (INEOS Terluran GP-22) and PA6 (BASF Ultramid B3S and B3EG6). A suggested material or process is a screening candidate, not a qualified design.
The sequence introduces properties, then metals, polymers and manufacturing processes. Each topic progresses from mechanisms to applications. Selected case variants are separated from their foundation cards; the review scheduler handles later spacing.
Excluded: automatic reverse cards for every definition, generic numerical property rankings, machine settings, full phase diagrams and design allowables. Exact material properties require the correct grade, test method, temperature, moisture state, orientation and processing history. This is an evergreen topic deck, not a complete materials course or exam syllabus.
AI-assisted questions, answers and generated cover were independently composed and checked against technical sources. No private learner cards, textbook exercises, exam questions or third-party images were copied. Original wording, organization and generated media are offered under CC0 1.0 to the extent applicable rights exist; facts and third-party source material retain their own status.
Factual references include INEOS Terluran GP-22, BASF Ultramid, University of Illinois materials principles, Instron materials testing terms, TWI injection moulding and American Foundry Society metalcasting.
Independent educational material; no affiliation with or endorsement by the named manufacturers, technical bodies or universities.
Karten in diesem Lernkartenset
Karte 1
Frage
Engineering stress in a tensile test: force divided by what?
Antwort
Original specimen cross-sectional area.
Karte 2
Frage
Engineering strain in a tensile test: extension divided by what?
Antwort
Original gauge length. Strain is dimensionless.
Karte 3
Frage
Elastic deformation: what happens after unloading?
Antwort
The deformation recovers.
Karte 4
Frage
Young’s modulus describes which material behaviour?
Antwort
Resistance to elastic tensile or compressive strain, in the linear elastic region.
Karte 5
Frage
Yield strength marks the onset of what?
Antwort
Significant permanent deformation, using the specified yield or proof criterion.
Karte 6
Frage
Ultimate tensile strength: which point on an engineering stress–strain curve?
Antwort
The maximum engineering tensile stress.
Karte 7
Frage
Ductility describes what happens before tensile fracture?
Antwort
How much plastic deformation the material can undergo.
Karte 8
Frage
Indentation hardness measures resistance to what?
Antwort
Localized permanent penetration by an indenter.
Karte 9
Frage
Tensile toughness: what does the area under the stress–strain curve to fracture represent?
Antwort
Energy absorbed per unit volume up to fracture under those test conditions.
Karte 10
Frage
Density relates which two quantities?
Antwort
Mass per unit volume.
Karte 11
Frage
Thermal conductivity describes which ability?
Antwort
Transferring heat through a material under a temperature gradient.
Karte 12
Frage
Electrical conductivity describes which ability?
Antwort
Carrying electric current under an electric field.
Karte 13
Frage
Creep: what changes under a sustained load over time?
Antwort
Deformation increases with time; temperature and stress affect the rate.
Karte 14
Frage
Fatigue damage is associated with what loading pattern?
Antwort
Repeated or fluctuating loading that can initiate and grow cracks.
Karte 15
Frage
Brittle fracture: how much plastic deformation precedes it?
Antwort
Little plastic deformation compared with ductile fracture under the same test conditions.
Karte 16
Frage
A bracket bends too far but recovers fully. Which property should you examine first?
Antwort
Elastic stiffness: material modulus together with the bracket’s geometry.
Karte 17
Frage
A metal clip stays bent after one overload. Which threshold was exceeded locally?
Antwort
Its yield threshold; permanent deformation occurred.
Karte 18
Frage
A housing must absorb a drop without fracture. Which evidence matters beyond tensile strength?
Antwort
Impact-test performance under relevant temperature, notch and geometry conditions.
Karte 19
Frage
Two materials have equal yield strength. Must their tensile toughness be equal?
Antwort
No. Different ductility can produce different energy absorption before fracture.
Karte 20
Frage
A plastic clamp slowly loosens at fixed deflection. Which time-dependent effect is this?
Antwort
Stress relaxation: the stress decreases while the imposed deformation is held.
Karte 21
Frage
Does a higher hardness alone prove a part will resist every wear mechanism?
Antwort
No. Wear also depends on contact, loading, lubrication and the wear mechanism.
Karte 22
Frage
Why compare impact results only with matching test conditions?
Antwort
Specimen geometry, notches, temperature and test method affect measured impact behaviour.
Karte 23
Frage
Can a generic family property range serve as a finished-part design allowable?
Antwort
No. Select a grade, condition and relevant design data before qualifying the part.
Karte 24
Frage
A lighter material is proposed for the same-size part. Which property predicts its mass change?
Antwort
Density, provided the volume remains the same.
Karte 25
Frage
Ferrous versus nonferrous metals: what is the defining distinction?
Antwort
Whether iron is the main constituent. Nonferrous does not mean completely iron-free.
Karte 26
Frage
Steel belongs to which basic alloy family?
Antwort
Iron-based alloys containing carbon, often with other alloying elements.
Karte 27
Frage
Why specify a steel grade and heat treatment rather than just “steel”?
Antwort
Composition and processing change its microstructure and mechanical properties.
Karte 28
Frage
What is a grain in a polycrystalline metal?
Antwort
A crystalline region with a particular lattice orientation.
Karte 29
Frage
What separates neighbouring metal grains with different orientations?
Antwort
A grain boundary.
Karte 30
Frage
Which crystal defect commonly moves during plastic deformation of metals?
Antwort
A dislocation.
Karte 31
Frage
Cold working usually trades increased strength for what?
Antwort
Reduced ductility, as plastic deformation impedes further dislocation motion.
Karte 32
Frage
What is a common purpose of annealing a cold-worked metal?
Antwort
Restore ductility and reduce hardness through a controlled heat treatment.
Karte 33
Frage
Quenching in metal heat treatment means what cooling step?
Antwort
Rapid cooling using a specified medium; the appropriate regime depends on the alloy and intended result.
Karte 34
Frage
What gives stainless steel much of its corrosion resistance?
Antwort
A thin chromium-rich passive surface film.
Karte 35
Frage
Why distinguish grey cast iron from ductile cast iron during selection?
Antwort
Graphite form and resulting mechanical behaviour differ; “cast iron” is not one property set.
Karte 36
Frage
Why are aluminium alloys often screened for lightweight structures?
Antwort
Their relatively low density can help reduce mass; stiffness, strength and geometry still need checking.
Karte 37
Frage
Why is copper often screened for electrical conductors?
Antwort
High electrical conductivity; cost, strength and connection design also matter.
Karte 38
Frage
Brass is principally an alloy of copper with which element?
Antwort
Zinc.
Karte 39
Frage
Traditional tin bronze is principally an alloy of which two elements?
Antwort
Copper and tin. Other bronze families use different alloying additions.
Karte 40
Frage
Does “stainless” mean immune to chloride corrosion?
Antwort
No. Grade, environment and surface condition still govern corrosion resistance.
Karte 41
Frage
Two dissimilar metals touch in salty water. Which corrosion mechanism should be checked?
Antwort
Galvanic corrosion, because electrical contact and an electrolyte can form a galvanic couple.
Karte 42
Frage
Can you rank aluminium and steel parts by stiffness using only their material names?
Antwort
No. Compare the actual moduli and part geometries for the required loading.
Karte 43
Frage
A copper alloy is stronger than pure copper. Must it conduct electricity equally well?
Antwort
No. Alloying changes conductivity as well as mechanical properties; check that alloy’s data.
Karte 44
Frage
A steel sheet cracks during forming after extensive cold work. What processing step may restore formability?
Antwort
An appropriate anneal before further forming; confirm the alloy-specific procedure.
Karte 45
Frage
What is a common purpose of tempering a quench-hardened steel?
Antwort
Improve toughness and ductility, usually with some reduction in hardness.
Karte 46
Frage
How can an insulating washer help a dissimilar-metal joint resist galvanic corrosion?
Antwort
By interrupting the electrical connection, if the whole joint is electrically isolated.
Karte 47
Frage
Before approving a welded metal component, which material region besides the weld metal needs consideration?
Antwort
The heat-affected zone, whose thermal cycle can change properties without melting it.
Karte 48
Frage
What is the key processing–structure–property lesson for metal selection?
Antwort
A chemical composition alone does not determine performance; processing changes microstructure.
Karte 49
Frage
A polymer is built from what kind of molecular structure?
Antwort
Large molecules containing many linked repeating units.
Karte 50
Frage
Which polymer class can usually be reheated and reshaped: thermoplastics or cured thermosets?
Antwort
Thermoplastics. Cross-links in a cured thermoset prevent ordinary melt reshaping.
Karte 51
Frage
What deformation behaviour distinguishes an elastomer?
Antwort
It can undergo substantial deformation and recover toward its original shape when the load is removed, within its working range.
Karte 52
Frage
What does “semi-crystalline polymer” mean?
Antwort
Ordered crystalline regions coexist with amorphous regions.
Karte 53
Frage
Which polymer regions undergo glass transition: amorphous or crystalline?
Antwort
Amorphous regions. Around the glass transition, motion of chain segments becomes much easier.
Karte 54
Frage
What structural feature prevents a cured thermoset from flowing like a thermoplastic melt?
Antwort
A covalently cross-linked network.
Karte 55
Frage
Why are plasticizers added to some polymer formulations?
Antwort
To increase flexibility; the amount and compatibility affect the final properties.
Karte 56
Frage
Why add UV stabilizers to a polymer intended for outdoor exposure?
Antwort
To reduce degradation caused by ultraviolet exposure; the formulation and exposure still need verification.
Karte 57
Frage
Why can adding glass fibres make moulded polymer properties direction-dependent?
Antwort
Fibres become oriented during flow, so reinforcement differs with direction.
Karte 58
Frage
What structural change separates glass transition from crystalline melting in a polymer?
Antwort
Glass transition increases chain-segment mobility in amorphous regions; melting breaks down the ordered crystalline regions.
Karte 59
Frage
ABS is an abbreviation for which polymer name?
Antwort
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene.
Karte 60
Frage
PA6 is another name for which polyamide?
Antwort
Polyamide 6, also called nylon 6.
Karte 61
Frage
Why distinguish “dry” from “conditioned” polyamide property data?
Antwort
Moisture conditioning changes the material state and can change mechanical behaviour.
Karte 62
Frage
Does one grade’s ABS datasheet establish the properties of every ABS grade?
Antwort
No. Formulation, grade, test method and conditions must match the claim.
Karte 63
Frage
INEOS Terluran GP-22 is specified for which main shaping process?
Antwort
Injection moulding; it is a general-purpose ABS grade.
Karte 64
Frage
BASF Ultramid B3S is supplied for which main shaping process?
Antwort
Injection moulding; BASF describes this PA6 grade as easy-flowing and finely crystalline.
Karte 65
Frage
A warm polymer bracket carries a constant load for months. Which data are needed beyond a short tensile test?
Antwort
Long-term creep data for the relevant load, temperature and material condition.
Karte 66
Frage
Ultramid B3EG6 differs from unreinforced PA6 by which reinforcement?
Antwort
BASF specifies glass-fibre reinforcement for this PA6 injection-moulding grade.
Karte 67
Frage
Which part category does INEOS identify as a particular application for Terluran GP-22?
Antwort
Housings, including appliance housings. This is a candidate application, not automatic design approval.
Karte 68
Frage
Why keep opened Ultramid B3S granule containers carefully closed?
Antwort
To limit moisture absorption before processing.
Karte 69
Frage
Can glass-filled PA6 data replace unfilled PA6 data in a design check?
Antwort
No. Reinforcement changes the material; use the exact grade and relevant orientation data.
Karte 70
Frage
Must a thermoplastic part be accepted by the local recycling system?
Antwort
No. Remeltability alone does not establish collection, sorting or recycling compatibility.
Karte 71
Frage
For an outdoor ABS housing, is a good indoor impact result enough evidence?
Antwort
No. Check weathering, temperature and the exact grade’s suitability for the exposure.
Karte 72
Frage
BASF lists grips and fixing clamps for Ultramid B3S. What remains to verify for a loaded clamp?
Antwort
Grade-specific long-term behaviour at the actual temperature and moisture state, plus the part geometry.
Karte 73
Frage
Metal casting shapes a part by which change of state?
Antwort
Liquid metal solidifies inside a mould.
Karte 74
Frage
Forging shapes metal by what basic mechanism?
Antwort
Compressive plastic deformation of solid metal; it may be performed hot or cold.
Karte 75
Frage
Extrusion is particularly suited to which basic geometry?
Antwort
A continuous length with a substantially constant cross-section, formed through a die.
Karte 76
Frage
CNC machining is additive or subtractive?
Antwort
Subtractive: controlled cutting removes material from a workpiece.
Karte 77
Frage
Injection moulding of a thermoplastic: what happens after the cavity fills?
Antwort
The melt cools and solidifies before the part is ejected.
Karte 78
Frage
Thermoforming starts from which form of plastic stock?
Antwort
A sheet heated until formable, then shaped over or into a mould.
Karte 79
Frage
Blow moulding is commonly used for which type of plastic part?
Antwort
Hollow parts, such as bottles, formed by inflating a heated preform or tube in a mould.
Karte 80
Frage
Additive manufacturing builds geometry by what basic approach?
Antwort
Adding material, commonly layer by layer, from a digital model.
Karte 81
Frage
In milling, what typically rotates to remove material?
Antwort
The cutting tool.
Karte 82
Frage
Why may a cast part still need machining?
Antwort
Selected surfaces may need tighter tolerances or a better finish than the casting provides.
Karte 83
Frage
Sand casting and permanent-mould casting mainly differ in what tooling feature?
Antwort
Sand moulds are expendable; permanent moulds are reused.
Karte 84
Frage
Why can injection moulding be costly for a very small production run?
Antwort
Tooling cost is spread across too few parts; compare total cost at the required volume.
Karte 85
Frage
A long plastic tube has the same cross-section throughout. Which process is a natural first candidate?
Antwort
Extrusion, followed by cooling and cutting to length.
Karte 86
Frage
A thin plastic packaging tray must be formed from sheet. Which process is a natural first candidate?
Antwort
Thermoforming; check wall thinning and the required detail.
Karte 87
Frage
Why should a forged part’s grain flow be considered in design?
Antwort
Deformation creates directional structure; the load direction and process route affect performance.
Karte 88
Frage
A design needs a few changing metal prototypes. Why consider CNC machining before buying a production mould?
Antwort
It can make revised parts directly from stock without dedicated mould tooling.
Karte 89
Frage
What distinguishes a fusion-weld heat-affected zone from the fusion zone?
Antwort
The heat-affected zone changes thermally but does not melt; the fusion zone melts and resolidifies.
Karte 90
Frage
Why clean and prepare a metal surface before applying a protective coating?
Antwort
Contaminants and surface defects can impair coating adhesion and performance.
Karte 91
Frage
Does a corrosion-resistant coating make the underlying material irrelevant?
Antwort
No. Damage, adhesion, exposure and substrate compatibility still matter.
Karte 92
Frage
Why check build orientation when selecting a layer-built polymer part?
Antwort
Layer bonding and deposition can make strength depend on direction.
Karte 93
Frage
A hollow plastic bottle needs a shaped enclosed body. Which process family should you screen first?
Antwort
Blow moulding; select the exact variant for the material and geometry.
Karte 94
Frage
Many identical thermoplastic housings are needed. Which process deserves early cost comparison?
Antwort
Injection moulding, because repeat production can spread tooling cost over many parts.
Karte 95
Frage
Why does choosing a process also affect material selection?
Antwort
Materials must tolerate that process and achieve the required finished-part properties.
Karte 96
Frage
Before releasing a selected material–process combination, what evidence closes the selection loop?
Antwort
Verify the exact grade, processing condition and part performance against the actual requirements.
96 Karten
Engineering Materials Flashcards: Plastics, Metals and Processing
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