Chemistry - using resources Flashcards
What are ceramics
Non metal solids with high melting points that aren’t made from carbon-based compounds. Some ceramics can be made from clay
What is clay
A soft material when dug up out the ground - can be moulded into different shapes
How does clay form ceramics
When it’s fired at high temperatures it hardens to form a clay ceramic
Characteristics of glass
Example of ceramic
generally transparent
can be moulded when hot
can be brittle when thin
How is soda-lime glass made
Made by heating a mixture of limestone, sand and sodium carbonate until it melts. When the mixture cools it comes out as glass
What are composites
Usually made of one material embedded in another. The properties of a composite depend on the material its made from
Borosilicate glass compared to soda - lime glass
Has a higher boiling point - useful for objects that require heating eg. kitchenware or labware
How is boron silicate glass made
Made by melting a mixture of sand and boron trioxide
Features of composities
- Reinforcements which consits of fibres or fragments of one material
- Matrix or binder surrounds the reinforcement
Carbon fire composites
Have a polymer matrix
Reinforcement made from either long chains of carbon atoms bonded together or from carbon nanotubes
Very strong and light - used in aerospace and sports car manufacturing
Concrete
Made from aggregate (a mixture of sand and gravel)
embedded in cement
Very strong - ideal for building houses
Wood
- natural composite of cellulose fibres
- organic polymer matrix
Fibreglass
- fibres of glass
- matrix made of polymer
- low density
- very strong
- used for skis, boats and surfboards
What do the properties of polymers depend on
- The monomer (what its made from)
- The conditions used to make the polymer (how its made)
Thermosoftening polymers
Melt when we heat them
Can be reshaped while their soft
Go back to a solid when we cool them back down
How could you change the properties of polymers
- the reaction pressure
- the reaction temperature
- the catalyst
Why can thermosoftening polymers be easily melted
They contain individual polymer chains entwined together with weak forces between the chains.
Thermosetting polymers
- do not melt when we heat them
- strong, hard and rigid
Why do thermosetting polymers not melt
Contain monomers that can form cross links between the polymer chains, holding the chains together in a solid structure.
Definition of corrosion
The destruction of materials by chemical reactions with substances in the environment
What does rusting only apply to
Iron and alloys of iron such as steel
What is needed for iron to rust
Iron needs to be in contact with both oxygen and water which are present in air
When does aluminium corrode
Aluminium corrodes when exposed to air
Difference between corrosion of iron and corrosion of aluminium
Unlike iron objects, things made from aluminium aren’t completely destroyed by corrosion. This is because aluminium oxide doesn’t flake away and instead forms a protective layer that sticks to the aluminium and stops and further reaction taking place
Describe an experiment that shows both oxygen and water are needed for iron to rust
- If you put an iron nail in a boiling tube with just water it won’t rust (the water is boiled to remove oxygen and oil is used to stop any oil getting in it)
- If you put an iron nail in a boiling tube with just air it won’t rust (calcium chloride can be used to absorb any water from the air)
- However if you put an iron nail in a boiling tube with air and water it will rust
Ways to prevent rusting
- coat iron with a barrier to keep out the water and oxygen eg. paint/coat with plastic, electroplating, oiling/greasing
- sacrificial method
Sacrifical method of preventing rusting
Involves placing a more reactive metal such as zinc or magnesium with the iron. Water and oxygen then react with the sacrificial metal instead of the iron.
Where do natural resources come from
Earth, sea and air
Natural resources meaning
Form without human input
Renewable resources
Reform at a similar rate to, or faster than, we use them.
Finite resources
Aren’t formed quickly enough to be considered replaceable.
Examples of finite resources
- Fossil fuels
- Nuclear fuels (uranium and plutonium)
After being extracted what happens to many finite resources and examples
they undergo man-made processes to provide fuels and materials necessary for modern life. Eg. fractional distillation is used to produce usable products such as petrol from crude oil and metal ores are reduced to produce a pure metal.
Risks of extracting finite resources
- Uses loads of energy
- Scars the landscape
- Produces lots of waste and destroys habitat
Sustainable development
Development that meets the needs of current generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs
Way of reducing the use of finite resources
- Using them less
- Chemists can develop and adapt processes that use lower amounts of finite resources