C6.1 - Materials Flashcards

1
Q

Ceramics

A

Hard, non-metallic materials

Eg. Brick, china, porcelain, glass

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2
Q

Structure of ceramics

A

Contain metals & non-metals

Combined to form giant ionic lattices / giant covalent structures

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3
Q

Typical properties of ceramics due to their structure

A
  • high melting point
  • hard & stiff, but brittle
  • poor conducts of electricity / heat
  • unreactive (compounds are mostly oxides)
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4
Q

How is glass made?

What is its structure?

A

Melting sand
Allowing it to cool & solidify

= irregular giant structure without crystals, usually transparent

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5
Q

How are other ceramics (not glass) made

A

Heating clay to very high temps

Tiny crystals form, joined together by glass

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6
Q

Why is china & porcelain coated in a glaze & reheated

A
To form a 
- smooth
- hard
- waterproof 
Surface
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7
Q

Why is aluminium a good material (metal) for overhead electricity cables

A
  • good conductor of electricity
  • strong enough (doesn’t stretch / snap easily)
  • not too dense (lightweight)
  • corrosion resistant
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8
Q

Compressive strength

A

Measure of how strong a material is when squashed

Low = squash easily

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9
Q

Tensile strength

A

Measure of how strong a material is when stretched

Low = snap easily when stretched

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10
Q

Why is porcelain a good material for insulators where cables are fixed on top of a structure (to stop current passing from cable to pylon)

A
  • high compressive strength
  • high electrical resistance (poor conductor of electricity)
  • but low tensile strength
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11
Q

why would poly(propene) not be good for cable insulators

A
  • low tensile strength
  • low compressive strength
  • but poor conductor of electricity
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12
Q

Composite material

A

Material made from 2 or more different materials, with different properties to those of the materials

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13
Q

List composite materials

A
  • polyester-cotton
  • fibreglass
  • carbon fibre
  • concrete
  • steel-reinforced concrete
  • plywood
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14
Q

How is polyester-cotton made

A

Weaving cotton thread with polyester fibre (artificial polymer)

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15
Q

What properties does polyester-cotton have that make it good for clothes?
(Different from properties of polyester & cotton)

A
  • comfortable
  • hard-wearing
  • easy to wash & dry
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16
Q

Resin

A

Substance that changes from liquid state to solid state because of chemical reactions

17
Q

How are many composite materials made

A

Fibres embedded in a polymer resin

18
Q

What are the properties of fibre & resin

A

Fibre

  • low density
  • high tensile strength

Resin

  • hardwearing
  • not strong
19
Q

Properties of composite material made from resin & fibres

Examples of this composite material:

A
  • lightweight
  • strong
  • hard

Eg.

  • fibreglass (canoes, boats, surfboards)
  • carbon fibre (sports equipment, aircraft, cars)
20
Q

Concrete

A

Composite material made from

  • aggregate (small stones)
  • sand
  • cement
  • water
21
Q

Properties of concrete

Properties of steel

A

Concrete

  • high compressive strength
  • low tensile strength

Steel
- high tensile strength

22
Q

Properties of steel-reinforced concrete

Embedding steel rods in concrete

A
  • high compressive strength (useful for foundations)

- high tensile strength (can carry heavy loads)

23
Q

How is wood made and why is this a problem

A
  • long fibres lying side-by-side = grain

- stronger along grain than across grain

24
Q

What is plywood

Why is it better than wood

A

Composite material
Thin sheets of wood glued together in layer
Grains in each layer at right angles to layer below

= resists bending in both directions (useful for floors/walls)

25
Q

Pros & cons of using Poly(ethene) for hot drink plastic cups

A

+ cheapest

  • maximum usable temp too low, cant hold boiling water
  • low tensile strength
26
Q

Pros & cons of using PET for hot drink plastic cup

A

+ highest tensile strength
+ highest melting point

  • maximum usable temp too low = can’t hold boiling water
  • most expensive
27
Q

Pros of using poly(propene) for hot drink plastic cups

Why is it the best plastic

A

+ moderate tensile strength
+ high melting point
+ high maximum usable temp(>100ºC) = can hold boiling water

28
Q

Life-cycle assessment (LCA)

A

Analysis of the impact of making, using & disposing of a manufactured product

29
Q

An LCA should include data about:

A
  • sustainability (use of raw material & energy)
  • environmental impact (waste products & pollution)
  • lifespan of product
  • if material can be recycled
  • disposal (how easily material decomposes)
30
Q

Recycling

A

Processing a used material / object so its substances can be reused

31
Q

Why is recycling important

A
  • conserves limited raw materials & energy resources
  • reduces release of harmful substances into environment
  • reduces waste
32
Q

What factors determine if a material should be recycled

A
  • how easily waste can be collected & sorted
  • amount & type of by-products released by recycling
  • cost of recycling compared to disposal in landfill / incineration (burning)
  • amount of energy involved at each stage
33
Q

How are materials recycled

A
  • materials sorted
  • materials checked (contamination)
  • sorted waste shredded / crushed into smaller pieces
  • waste processed
34
Q

How is metal processed during recycling

A

Melted by heating

Molten metal poured into moulds to produce new blocks (ingots)

35
Q

How is paper processed during recycling

A

Mixed with water
Cleaned
Rolled & heated to make new paper

36
Q

How is glass processed during recycling

A

Melted by heating

Moulded into new glass objects

37
Q

How are polymers processed during recycling

A

Melted
Formed into new objects

Eg.

  • PET
  • poly(ethene)
  • poly(propene)