Engineering Stack Exchange
Engineering Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [materials]

Use for questions about designing, manufacturing or synthesizing engineered materials or about the properties of specific materials. Questions concerning common construction materials, such as wood, steel or masonry do not need to use this tag; use the more specific tag instead.

919 questions
38
votes
10 answers

Is it possible to build a perfectly spherical Prince Rupert's drop?

Prince Rupert's Drops are glass objects created by dripping molten glass into cold water. While the outside of the drop quickly cools, the inside remains hot for a longer time. When it eventually cools, it shrinks, setting up very large compressive…
Vladimir Cravero
  • 778
  • 1
  • 5
  • 14
7
votes
7 answers

Could a knife blade & shaft be made of 100% diamond?

I am reading a novel set in the future. A planet has been found where there are extensive deposits of diamond. Presumably diamond is mined much like marble is here on earth (there is not a lot of detail on this). A character has a knife where the…
James Jenkins
  • 1,062
  • 2
  • 11
  • 22
6
votes
1 answer

How do I compute combined tensile strength?

If I know the tensile strength of a pin, how do I compute the total strength of multiple pins? That is, 2 objects are connected by multiple pins, evenly distributed, each with a height of $2mm$ and a cross sectional area of $3.33mm^2$. For some…
William B.
  • 353
  • 1
  • 6
6
votes
3 answers

What is the densest ceramic?

I know ceramics are generally considerably less dense than pure metals or alloys but sand is used in barbells for its probably cheapness, user-friendly and easy availability but its a decent density too. rammed sand- 1682 kg/m cubed using…
user2617804
  • 177
  • 1
  • 3
6
votes
1 answer

Is there a difference in cast vs extruded acrylic with regards to how they appear in x-rays?

I'm working on the experimental apparatus of an extension of this paper: https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2110/2110.09017.pdf We basically have to make a bucket using an acrylic tube. My question is, if I put an acrylic (or other plastic) tube…
user9807390
  • 61
  • 1
6
votes
1 answer

What is the relevant ISO or similar standard to refer to for painted metal corrosion testing?

We have an electronic display product that will be installed in a street side application. The front part is made from metal and exposed to the elements so it will need to be painted to protect it from corrosion. Does anyone know what would be a…
Jonathan
  • 61
  • 1
5
votes
3 answers

Printable and reusable whiteboard material

I'm trying to find a material suitable to be printed and with the properties of whiteboard, easy to clean and reusable. I'm having difficulties to find alternative materials, or providers. As far as I know magic whiteboard is an alternative but it…
Kevin Mamaqi
  • 329
  • 1
  • 7
5
votes
1 answer

UV resistance of UV cured photopolymers

I can't find anything on this. Every source I can find on UV cured polymers describe the process and how they're cured using UV radiation but nothing on what the resistance to UV is once it has cured. Specifically I'm looking at the Stratasys…
pulse89
  • 63
  • 4
5
votes
3 answers

Scratchless Glass against steel

I want to implement a piece of glass to set various pieces of steel on and take picture through it. The pieces of steel weigh anywhere between 20-150 lbs. The purpose of the glass is so pictures can be taken of both sides of the piece at the…
Timmy
  • 151
  • 4
5
votes
2 answers

What is a tolerable amount of elongation in steel?

I was looking at the elongation of various steel alloys, and the numbers were in the 10-20% range. Is this the amount of elongation at the point of failure? If so, what is the percentage of elongation that we would observe before reaching…
Ben Stokes
  • 161
  • 1
  • 3
5
votes
1 answer

Will molten glass stick to a graphite shelf inside a kiln?

Normally, so called shelf papers are used or special coatings called kiln washes are used to prevent molten glass from adhering to the kiln shelf while it is being fired. This is expensive and time consuming. Can a different material be used that…
Walter Quigley
  • 115
  • 6
5
votes
2 answers

Stylus Materials

I'm trying to design a stylus for use with multiple touchscreen technologies, but I'm not sure what materials I should start with (specifically for the tip). Right now I'm investigating a few materials, but I'd like more background on how other…
Chthonus
  • 51
  • 1
  • 2
4
votes
3 answers

Why does paper under pressure become brittle?

In this popular YouTube video, a man attempts to fold a piece of paper more than seven times using a hydraulic press. After the seventh fold was applied pressure from the press, the man shows the audience that the paper became brittle, and breaks…
user01101001
  • 41
  • 1
4
votes
1 answer

Flattening teflon plate

I have a 6" x 6" x 1/4" piece of carbon filled teflon that is slightly curved (I think it must have come off an roll of enormous diameter) that I need to flatten. The carbon fill is carbon black, not carbon fiber, in order to make the material…
DKNguyen
  • 5,626
  • 1
  • 12
  • 23
4
votes
2 answers

Durometer and Shore

Can someone help me understand durometer and shore hardness testing with relation to rubber hardness? My understanding is durometer measures hardness, shore is a different type of scale. The image below was captured from Rubber Hardness Chart Is it…
Mahendra Gunawardena
  • 7,135
  • 6
  • 27
  • 68
1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8