ABSTRACT
Every engineer should be vitally concerned with the materials available to him. Whether the product under consideration is a bridge, a computer, a machine tool, or an automobile exhaust system, he must have an intimate knowledge of the properties and characteristics of the material from which the product is to be designed to function satisfactorily. In making his choices, the designer must take into account such properties as strength, rigidity, hardness, toughness, electrical and/or thermal conductivity, density, and others. Furthermore, he must consider the material behavior during processing, such as formability, machinability, electrical and thermal stability, as well as cost and availability. Finally, the engineer must know which of the properties are signicant, how these properties are determined, and what restrictions should be placed on their use.
