PROPERTIES OF STEEL, PORCELAIN,POLYETHYLENE AND GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC

The main objective of this post is to provide readers with basic background knowledge and understanding of the mechanical, Physical and Chemical properties of materials.

So let us consider first characteristics of steel and after that we will also consider the various characteristics of porcelain, polyethylene and glass-reinforced plastic.

Steel 

Mechanical properties of steel

Steel have different type of mechanical properties & these properties are dependent on the factor that where we are going to use that steel. On the basis of customer requirement & application areas, there are different grade & types of steel.

There are main categories of steel as listed below

1. Carbon steel
2. Alloy steel
3. Stainless steel
4. Tool steel
5. Galvanized steel 

General Mechanical properties of steel

Physical properties of steel

Physical properties of steel depend on the percentage chemical composition of its concern elements and process used to produce steel. For example if steel is producing by batch casting then its surface finish will be poor as compared to steel producing by continuous casting process.

The main physical properties of steel are it’s dimensional stability i.e. after long time the dimension of steel will be same as before.

These days in steel production, production engineer want to add less amount of carbon by removing slag from molten metal bath with the help of lime. Some steel are corrosion resistance such as stainless steel and galvanized steel.

Chemical properties of steel

Chemical properties of steel depend its composition, the main factor in steel is carbon content .if carbon content is high its means steel is lesser strength & brittle for example cast-iron. If carbon content is low such as in stainless steel, its shows that material will have good strength.

There are some main chemical components of steel as listed below

C, Si, Mn, Mo, P, Ni& S

Out of these Ni is main element of steel and it is costly and cost of steel depends on this element quantity.

Porcelain

Mechanical properties of Porcelain

Property	Quantity	Unit
Tensile strength	40-50	Mpa
Compressive strength	400-900	Mpa
Bending strength	90-140	Mpa

Physical properties of Porcelain

Property	quantity	unit
Thermal expansion	5.5 - 7	e-6/K
Thermal conductivity	2-4	W/mk
Specific heat	0-800	J/kg.K
Melting temperature	1600-1650	Degree centigrade
Service temperature	0-1250	Degree centigrade
Density	2500-3100	Kg/m3
Water Absorption	0-0.5	percentage

Chemical properties of Porcelain

Porcelain is made by mixing clay with other elements and heating it at higher temperature and after doing this it achieves the qualities like vitreous, glass like quality. Porcelain has following properties as listed below.

• Translucent
• Nonporous & hard

Polyethylene

Mechanical properties of polyethylene 

1. Hard
2. Stiff
3. Strong & dimensional stable
4. Little absorption of water 

Physical properties of Polyethylene

1. It could be Moulded
2. It could be Extruded
3. It could be cast in to various shape and sizes
4. Cheaper

Chemical properties of Polyethylene

1. Good chemical properties – it can’t be attacked by strong acid.
2. Good resistant to oxidizing and reducing agent.
3. It burns slowly with a blue flame with yellow tip and provides odour of paraffin, it burns continuously after removal of flame source.
4. It could be dissolved at high temperatures in aromatic hydrocarbons solvent for example toluene or xylene, or in chlorinated solvents for example Tri-chloro benzene

Glass reinforced plastic  

Mechanical properties of glass reinforced plastic 

1. Tensile strength= 130 kgf/mm2
2. Bending strength= 80-120 kgf/mm2
3. Modulus of elasticity=4500-5000 kgf/mm2
4. Good dielectric properties
5. Low density
6. Low thermal conductivity
7. Less expansion & contraction compared to metal & plastic

Physical properties of glass reinforced plastic

1. Flexibility in design
2. Cheaper
3. Light weight
4. Non conductive
5. It resistance against temperature is high
6. Affordability and Versatility

Chemical properties of glass reinforced plastic

1. Good corrosion resistance
2. Good resistance of water
3. Good resistance to ultra violet light
4. Acoustic Properties