Materials and the Designer

This book introduces the reader to methods of selecting materials for engineering applications. With the rapid growth in the variety of manufacturing materials available, the choice of the optimum material for an engineering design is of increasing importance and difficulty. Materials have to be chosen that satisfy several, often conflicting, criteria including strength, durability, flammability, and cost. The author, an acknowledged expert on materials, provides a guide to many of the classes of engineering materials currently available. He includes tables and lists of standards, along with lists of consultants' addresses and references. Materials covered include metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites, and there are chapters on surface finishes, materials' performance, and the impact of manufacturing processes on design possibilities.

Introduction; 1. The impact of design on manufacturing industry; 2. Expertise required for the design process; 3. An introduction to materials; 4. Properties of metals and alloys; 5. Properties of ceramics; 6. Properties of polymers; 7. Properties of composites; 8. Materials' performance in service; 9. Finishes and coatings as protective systems; 10. Materials' reliability and service life; 11. Factors controlling the selection of substitute materials; 12. Material forming processes and design; 13. Sources of information on materials; 14. Standards and materials.

This book introduces methods of selecting materials for engineering applications and provides a guide to many of the classes of engineering material currently available, including metals, ceramics, polymers and composites. The choice of materials is made on the basis of several, often conflicting, criteria, including strength, durability, flammability and cost.