Ferrous and non-ferrous

materials

Dr Bertram Mallia
Room 221, Faculty of Engineering
bertram.mallia@um.edu.mt
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Course description:
Introduction to a wide range of ferrous and
non-ferrous materials
The role of alloying elements and other
factors effecting the properties of these
materials

Suggested reading
Engineering Materials by R. L. Timing, Volume 1, second
edition, ISBN 978-0-582-31928-8
Light alloys by Ian Polmear, fourth edition, ISBN 0-7506-6371-5
Physical Metallurgy by William F. Hosford, ISBN 0-8247-2321-6
Steels Microstructure and Properties by R.W.K Honeycombe
and H.K.D.H. Bhadeshia, second edition, ISBN 0-340-58946-9
Materials Science and Engineering by W.D. Callister, sixth
edition, ISBN 0-471-22471-5
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Course material:
Website: http://www.um.edu.mt/vle

Engineering Materials
Ferrous
metals
Metals
Engineering
materials

Non-metallic
materials

Nonferrous
metals
Synthetic
materials
Natural
materials

Ferrous Alloys
Alloys based on metallic element iron (Latin ferrum)
Iron is rarely found in pure state ; It converts to oxide in a
matter of few years
Engineers usually find it associated with carbon (non-metal)
Although all Fe-C alloys can arguably be considered as
ferrous alloys, these are referred to as Wrought iron, plain
carbon steel and plain cast irons (depending on C content
and the way it is associated with iron content)
The term ferrous alloys is reserved for ferrous materials
containing additional metallic alloying elements in sufficient
quantities to modify the properties of the material
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Ferrous metals
Carbon steel (low)

Classification:

Carbon steel (meduim)

Carbon steel (high)
Steel
Alloy steel

Grey cast iron

Ferrous
material

Cast iron

White cast iron

Malleable cast iron
Spheriodal cast iron

Wrought
iron

Alloy cast iron

Non-Ferrous metals
Aluminium
Cadmium
Chromium
Cobalt
Copper
Gold
Lead
Magnesium
Manganese
Molybdenium
Nickel
Platinium
Silver
Tin
Titanium
Vanadium
Zinc

Metals

NonFerrous
material

Brass (copper and zinc)

Phosphor bronze
Tin bronze
Gun metal

Aluminium bronze (Cu-Al)

Cupro-nickel alloys (Cu-Ni)

HT (wrought)
Aluminium alloys

HT (cast)
Non HT (wrought)
Non HT (cast)

Magnesium alloys

Alloys

Zinc based die casting alloys

Soft solders
Tin-lead solders

Bearing metals

...... all metals not classified as ferrous

Pure non-ferrous metals
Generally have poor mechanical properties and
are used for applications where special
properties are required
Ex corrosion resistance (Cu, Al, Pb, Zn);
electric conductivity (Cu, Al), thermal
conductivity (Cu, Al)
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Non- ferrous metals

Metal

Density
(kg/m3)

Tm
(oC)

Properties

Uses

Aluminium

2700

660

Lightest of commonly
used metals, high
electrical and thermal
conductivity, Soft, ductile
and low TS (93MPa)

Base of many
engineering alloys,
lightweight electrical
conductors

Copper

8900

1083

Soft, ductile, low TS

(232MPa), High
conductivity (2nd to
silver), easier to join by
brazing or soldering than
Al.

Base of brass and

bronze alloys, electrical
conductors and heat
exchangers

Lead

11 300

328

Soft ductile, very low TS,

high corrosion resistance

Electric cable sheets,

base of solder alloys,
lining in chemical plants,
added to other metals to
make them free cutting
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Metal

Density
(kg/m3)

Tm
(oC)

Properties

Uses

Titanium

4510

1678

Good creep,
excellent corrosionresistant

Base of many engineering

alloys, Aerospace, chemical
industry, biomedical, power
generation, automotive,
marine, sports

Silver

10 500

960

Soft, ductile, and very Used in electrical and

low TS. Highest
electronic engineering for
electrical conductivity switch and relay contacts
of metals

Tin

7 300

232

Corrosion resistant

Tin plate, soft solders, one

of the bases for white
metal bearings, An alloying
element in bronzes.
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Metal

Density
(kg/m3)

Tm
(oC)

Properties

Uses

Zinc

7100

420

Soft, ductile and low

TS, Corrosion
resistant

Alloying element in brass,

galvanising, base of die
casting alloys

Chromium

7500

1890

Resists corrosion,
Increase strength but
lowers ductility of
steels. Improves heat
treatment

Alloying element in high

strength and corrosion
resistant steels,
electroplating

Cobalt

8900

1495

Improves wear
resistance and hot
hardness of high
speed steels

Alloying element in high

speed steels and in
permanent magnet alloys

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Metal

Densit
y
(kg/m3)

Tm
(oC)

Properties

Uses

Manganese

7200

1260

High affinity for

oxygen and
sulphur

De-oxidise steel, offset ill effects

of sulphur impurities, large
amounts improve wear
resistance

Molybdenum

9550

2620

A heavy heat
resistant metal
that alloys
readily with
other metals

Alloying element in high strength

nickel-chrome steels to improve
mechanical and heat treatment
prop. Reduces mass effect and
temper brittleness

Nickel

8900

1458

Strong, tough,
corrosion
resistant metal

Alloying element to improve

strength, and mechanical
properties of steel. Tends to
unstabilise carbon during heat
treatment and Cr has to be
added to counter this effect in
medium and high carbon steels
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 Non-ferrous alloys
Copper alloys:
Bronze (Cu-Sn) High corrosion resistance; easily
machined; relative high melting temperature. Heavy and
expensive compared to ferrous materials
Applications: steam and hydraulic valve components;
marine applications

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 Brass (Cu and Zn) Weaker and less corrosion

resistant compared to bronzes. Easily hot formed and
can be easily machined to good finish.
Applications: Manufacture of electrical components and
domestic water fittings.

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 Aluminium alloys
Generally less strong than ferrous and copperbased alloys however they are lighter in weight.
More corrosion resistant than ferrous materials
(except stainless steels). The strength of these
alloys fall rapidly with temperature

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 Titanium alloys
Strong as steel and light in weight as aluminium.
Titanium retains its strength at high
temperatures and is very corrosion resistant. On
the negative side, titanium is very costly and is
difficult to shape

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Group Project
8 groups
Deliverables :
(1) Present a group report on an
assigned ferrous or non-ferrous material
(2) Presentation (23 mins)
(Carry 15% of the exam mark)

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Group 1

Tool steels

Introduction
Main groups of tool steels
Alloy design and heat treatment
Shock resistant tool steels; Hot work tool steels;
High speed steels; Cold work tool steels; Mold
steels ....
- Applications

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Group 2

Cast iron
Into/ History
Iron-carbon system
Types of cast iron (Grey cast Iron, White cast
Iron, Spheroidal cast iron, Malleable cast iron,
Alloy cast iron)
- Effect of alloying elements/ impurities and
cooling rate on microstructure development
- Properties
- Applications
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Group 3
Aluminium and its alloys
- History / Intro
- Wrought Aluminium alloys (Heat treatable and
non-heat treatable)
- Cast Aluminium alloys (Heat treatable and nonheat treatable)
- Hydrogen porosity
- Hardening mechanisms
- Properties and applications
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Group 4
Nickel and nickel base alloys
- Introduction / Historical development
- Physical metallurgy (solid solution hardening,
carbide strengthening, precipitation hardening)
- Various Nickel alloys such as superalloys and
their properties and applications (ex. Heat
resistant applications; corrosion resistance; low
expansion alloys; electrical resistance alloys;
soft magnetic alloys; shape memory alloys)
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Group 5

Copper and copper base alloys

History / Intro
Commercial pure copper and characteristics
High copper content alloys
Cu-Zn alloys (Brasses)
Cu-Sn alloys (Bronzes)
Cu-Ni (cupronickel) alloys
Aluminium-bronze alloys
Properties and Applications
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Group 6
Titanium and its alloys
-

History / Introduction
alloys
Near alloys
+ alloys
alloys
Properties and applications

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Group 7
Magnesium alloys
-

Introduction/ History
Casting alloys
Wrought alloys
Corrosion and mechanical properties
Applications

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Group 8
Stainless steels
- Introduction / History
- Effect of composition on stainless steel microstructure
(ferrite/ austenite stabilsers, martensite start
temperature)
- Ferritic stainless steels
- Martensitic stainless steels
- Austenitic stainless steels
- Precipitation hardening steels
- Duplex stainless steels
- Applications, properties and corrosion characteristics
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Presentation date: Friday 30th October 2015

Group 1

Abdilla Amy
Abela Dylan
Abela Kyle
Abela Warren
Agius Pascalidis Gabriel
Aquilina Jean Paul
Azzopardi Mark Anthony
Baldacchino Darrell
Baldacchino Sarah
Barbara Joshua

Group 2

Bartolo Jamie Luke

Bencini Rafel
Bezzina Michel
Bezzina Ryan
Bonello Ylenia Victoria
Borg Andrea
Borg Gabriel
Borg Jamie
Brincat Matthew
Bugeja Malcolm

Group 3

Group 4

Cachia Kyrie Marie

Calleja Andreas
Cauchi Emanuel
Cauchi George
Chetcuti Cristian
Coppini Michael Henry
Cutajar Charise
Degabriele Joseph
Deguara Luke
Demajo James

El Sadi Yasmine
Farrugia Giuseppe
Farrugia Samuel
Farrugia Thomas
Fenech Anthea
Fenech Christian
Fenech Daniel
Fenech Graziella Janice
Galea Carl Matthew
Galea Kenneth

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Presentation date: Friday 6th November 2015

Group 5

Group 6

Gatt Nathan John

Gauci Darrell
Gauci Gilbert
Gerada Josef Neil
Grech Karl
Magro Neil
Mangion Ian
Meilak Aaron
Mercieca Dylan
Mercieca Luke

Mercieca Mark
Mifsud Bernard
Migneco Andrea-Ivan
Muscat Damian
Portelli Andrea
Psaila Samuel
Rapa Amy
Saliba Christopher
Saliba Christian

Group 7

Group 8

Saliba Eleanor
Sammut Liam
Schembri Edward Jude
Scicluna Marie Claire
Spiteri Andrew
Spiteri Luke
Sultana Neil
Tabone Miguel
Tanti Karl

Tonna
Vassallo
Vassallo
Vella
Xiberras
Xuereb
Xuereb
Zarb
Zerafa

Christabelle
Chantel
Nicole
Chelsey
Adrian
Aaron
Damian
Nicholas
Jeremy
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More Project details

1 report (not longer than 18 A4 pages, font 12
excluding title page and references)
Indicate individual contributions
Reference work and abide with the University of
Malta Plagiarism policy
Submit 1 hard and 1 soft copy
Submission deadline: Friday 27th November 2015

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