In a perfect crystalline structure, there is an orderly repetition of the lattice in every direction in space. Real crystals contain a considerable number of imperfections, or defects, that affect their physical, chemical, mechanical, and electronic properties. Defects play an important role in processes such as deformation, annealing, precipitation, diffusion, and sintering. All defects and imperfections can be conveniently classified under four main divisions: point defects, line defects, planar defects, and volume defects. This chapter provides a detailed discussion on the causes, nature, and impact of these defects in metals. It also describes the mechanisms that cause plastic deformation in metals.

The building block of all matter, including metals, is the atom. This chapter initially provides information on atomic bonding and the crystal structure of metals and alloys, followed by a description of three crystal lattice structures of metals: face-centered cubic, hexagonal close-packed, and body-centered cubic. It then describes the four main divisions of crystal defects, namely point defects, line defects, planar defects, and volume defects. The chapter provides information on grain boundaries of metals, processes involved in atomic diffusion, and key properties of a solid solution. It also explains the aspects of a phase diagram that shows what phase or phases are present in the alloy under conditions of thermal equilibrium. Finally, a discussion on the applications of equilibrium phase diagrams is presented.

Annealing, a heat treatment process, is used to soften metals that have been hardened by cold working. This chapter discusses the following three distinct processes that can occur during annealing: recovery, recrystallization, and grain growth. The types of processes that occur during recovery are the annihilation of excess point defects, the rearrangement of dislocations into lower-energy configurations, and the formation of subgrains that grow and interlock into sub-boundaries. The article also discusses the main factors that affect recrystallization. They are temperature and time; degree of cold work; purity of the metal; original grain size; and temperature of deformation. The types of grain growth discussed include normal or continuous grain growth and abnormal or discontinuous grain growth.

Alloying, heat treating, and work hardening are widely used to control material properties, and though they take different approaches, they all focus on imperfections of one type or other. This chapter provides readers with essential background on these material imperfections and their relevance in design and manufacturing. It begins with a review of compositional impurities, the physical arrangement of atoms in solid solution, and the factors that determine maximum solubility. It then describes different types of structural imperfections, including point, line, and planar defects, and how they respond to applied stresses and strains. The chapter makes extensive use of graphics to illustrate crystal lattice structures and related concepts such as vacancies and interstitial sites, ion migration, volume expansion, antisite defects, edge and screw dislocations, slip planes, twinning planes, and dislocation passage through precipitates. It also points out important structure-property correlations.

This appendix provides a detailed overview of the crystal structure of metals. It describes primary bonding mechanisms, space lattices and crystal systems, unit cell parameters, slip systems, and crystallographic planes and directions as well as plastic deformation mechanisms, crystalline imperfections, and the formation of surface or planar defects. It also discusses the use of X-ray diffraction for determining crystal structure.

This chapter introduces many of the key concepts on which metallurgy is based. It begins with an overview of the atomic nature of matter and the forces that link atoms together in crystal lattice structures. It discusses the types of imperfections (or defects) that occur in the crystal structure of metals and their role in mechanical deformation, annealing, precipitation, and diffusion. It describes the concept of solid solutions and the effect of temperature on solubility and phase transformations. The chapter also discusses the formation of solidification structures, the use of equilibrium phase diagrams, the role of enthalpy and Gibb’s free energy in chemical reactions, and a method for determining phase compositions along the solidus and liquidus lines.

The tensile test provides a relatively easy, inexpensive technique for developing mechanical property data for the selection, qualification, and utilization of metals and alloys in engineering service. The tensile test requires interpretation, and interpretation requires a knowledge of the factors that influence the test results. This chapter provides a metallurgical perspective for such interpretation. The topics covered include elastic behavior, anelasticity, damping, proportional limit, yield point, ultimate strength, toughness, ductility, strain hardening, and yielding and the onset of plasticity. The chapter describes the effects of grain size on yielding, effect of cold work on hardness and strength, and effects of temperature and strain-rate on the properties of metals and alloys. It provides information on true stress-strain relationships and special tests developed to measure the effects of test/specimen conditions. Finally, the chapter covers the characterization of tensile fractures of ductile metals and alloys.

This chapter presents basic principles and the theoretical results of heat transport in solids. Thermal conductivity and thermal diffusivity are the principal properties discussed. Discussions are also included on the effects of temperature, magnetic field, and metallurgical variations caused by composition, processing, and heat-treatment differences. Numerous graphs illustrate the qualitative and quantitative effects of these variables. Measurement methods and associated accuracies and pertinent empirical correlations are presented.

This chapter discusses the use of modeling and simulation technology in the development of sheet metal forming processes. It describes the five major steps involved in finite-element analysis and the various ways functions of interest can be approximated at each point or node in a finite-element mesh. It explains how to obtain input data, what to expect in terms of output data, and how to predict specific types of defects. In addition, it presents several case studies demonstrating the use of finite elements in blanking and piercing, deep drawing of round and rectangular cups, progressive die sequencing, blank holder force optimization, sheet hydroforming, hot stamping, and springback and bending of advanced high-strength steels. It also discusses the factors that affect the accuracy of finite element simulations such as springback, thickness variations, and nonisothermal effects.