Steel, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, cast iron, titanium, plastics, composites, ceramics, and elastomers — how mechanical properties, corrosion, heat treatment, and fatigue actually drive a material selection decision.
Most materials references are just property tables. This module builds the reasoning underneath the table: why quenching and tempering trade hardness for toughness instead of just adding both, why 316 stainless earns its cost premium over 304 in chloride environments, and why gray cast iron thrives under compressive and vibrational loads despite having almost no tensile ductility.
By the end of this module you should be able to explain why a part can fail in fatigue at a stress far below its rated static strength — a question Module 13's reliability and maintenance content answers in full inspection-interval detail.