BTEC Assignment Brief
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in
Qualification Engineering
Unit number and title Unit 25: Mechanical Behaviour of Metallic Materials
A: Investigate the microstructures of metallic materials, the
Learning aim(s) (For NQF effects of processing on them and how these effects
only)
influence their mechanical properties
Assignment title Ferrous, non-ferrous metals and alloys; their microstructures
and mechanical properties
Oga I.O
Assessor
W/C / 2022
Issue date
W/E 25 /11/2022 {23:59pm via Turnitin}
Hand in deadline
You are working as an apprentice technician for a large
company that manufactures hydraulic systems and airframe
components for the aerospace industry. Your training
supervisor has reviewed your progress and is impressed by
your general understanding of the metallic materials used in
Vocational Scenario or
the manufacture of the company's products.
Context
They have now asked you to investigate the microstructure
of ferrous and non-ferrous metals and the effects of
processes, such as heat treatment and mechanical forming,
on the mechanical properties of these materials.
You are going to investigate the micro-structures of a range
of metal samples and identify the material and processing
history by comparing what you see with reference sources.
To do this:
Your tutor will provide you with a selection of ferrous and
non-ferrous specimens that have been prepared for micro-
examination and are of known origin (composition and
processing history).
Task 1
You need to:
• Examine the surface of each specimen and make visual
records of what you see. These could be hand sketches or
digital images that are annotated to identify features of
the grain structures such as grain boundaries, impurities,
phases (for example, pearlite, ferrite in steel); and
• Compare the surface image against a data source and identify
the material and processing history (for example, cold rolled mild
steel will have elongated [distorted] ferrite crystals; cold rolled
, mild steel followed by annealing will have equi-axed ferrite
crystals).
You then need to:
Produce an organized technical report that presents the findings of
your micro-examinations and considers the effects of processing
history and material composition on the mechanical properties of
your tested materials, for example increased hardness caused by
cold working or heat treatment.
Your report should include:
• Annotated images of the examined samples
• Evidence of identification against the reference source with
comparative commentary
• An annotated phase diagram for each specimen
Information about the effect that impurities and grain
boundaries have on the mechanical properties of materials
Checklist of evidence A written report containing annotated images, extracts from
required an accredited materials data source, materials identification
evidence, phase diagrams and a learner observation record
Criteria covered by this task:
Unit/Criteria
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
reference
Evaluate, using an accredited data source, the microstructures of non-
processed and processed metallic materials to correctly identify the
4/A.D1
material, including how the processing history, impurities and grain
boundaries affect the mechanical properties of the materials.
Analyse, using an accredited data source, the microstructures of non-
processed and processed metallic materials to correctly identify the
4/A.M1
material, including how the processing history affects the mechanical
properties of the materials.
Explain how the microstructures of non-processed metallic materials
4/A.P1
affects the mechanical properties of the materials.
Explain how the microstructures of processed metallic materials affects
4/A.P2
the mechanical properties of the materials.
Sources of information Books
to support you with this Materials for Engineers and Technicians 6th Edition; Bolton
Assignment W, Higgins R A; Routledge, 2014; ISBN 978-1138778757
Websites
www.doitpoms.ac.uk - includes micrographs of a large range
of materials
http://www.matweb.com/
http://www.makeitfrom.com/
Other assessment Prepared test specimens of ferrous and non-ferrous metals &
materials attached to alloys
this Assignment Brief
2
BTEC Assignment Brief v1.0
BTEC Internal Assessment QDAM January 2021
, Assignment 1 – Ferrous and Non – Ferrous metals and alloys and their microstructures and
mechanical properties
First, we used a magnifying glass to identify impurities and grain
boundaries of the material with the naked eye.
Then we used the microscope to take pictures of the microstructure of
the different types of materials. A you can see in the picture I used the
microscope to identify the grain boundaries of the material and the
impurities present in the material.
6 Micro Images (using a magnifying glass):
Sample 7: We can see that there is a grey spot
on the edge of material this can be
an impurity or a small dent in the
material caused by friction
The centre of the sample 7 is much
more of a light grey colour as
compared to the edge where it is of a
dark grey colour
Near the centre of the Sample 7
you can see that there is a small
black patch which can suggest
that this is an impurity on the
surface of the material such as
rust
