New Materials

Question 1

Smart materials behave differently depending on the…

Answer 1

Conditions eg, temperature

Question 2

What is nitinol? Describe it.

Answer 2

A shape changing alloy.
It’s a metal alloy (about half nickel and half titanium) but when it’s cool you can bend it and twist it like rubber. Bend it too far and it stays bent. If you heat it above a certain temp. it goes back to a remembered shape.

Question 3

Why is nitinol useful for glasses frames?

Answer 3

If you accidentally bend them you can put them in a bowl of hot water and they’ll jump back into shape.

Question 4

Why is nitinol used for dental braces?

Answer 4

In the mouth it warms up and tries to return to it’s remembered shape, and so gently it pulls the teeth together.

Question 5

1 nm (nanometre) = how many metres?

Answer 5

0.000 000 001m

Question 6

How big is a nanoparticle?

Answer 6

1-100 nanometres

Question 7

How many atoms do nanoparticles have (roughly)?

Answer 7

Few hundread

Question 8

What are fullerenes?

Answer 8

These are molecules of carbon, shaped like hollow balls or closed tubes. The carbon atoms are arranged in hexagonal rings. Different fullerenes contain different numbers of carbon atoms.

Question 9

Nanoparticles include…

Answer 9

Fullerenes

Question 10

What can you make with fullerenes?

Answer 10

Nanotubes - fullerenes can be joined together to form nanotubes - teeny tiny hollow carbon tubes, a few nanometres across.

Question 11

Why are nanotubes strong? What can they be used for?

Answer 11

They have lots of covalent bonds. They can be used to reinforce graphite in tennis rackets.

Question 12

What is the name for ‘using nanoparticles’?

Answer 12

Nanoscience

Question 13

Nanoparticles have a huge [ ] ratio, so they could help make new industrial [ ].

Answer 13

surface area to volume

catalysts

Question 14

You can use nanoparticles to make sensors to detect [ ]. These highly specific sensors are already being used to test [ ].

Answer 14

one type of molecule and nothing else

water purity

Question 15

What can nanoparticles be used for in constriction?

Answer 15

Lighter, stronger building materials

Question 16

Nanoparticles can be used in cosmetics. Name 2 cosmetics they can be used for. What is the advantage of using nanoparticles?

Answer 16

Sun tan Cream and Deodorant

The small particles do their job but don’t leave white marks on the skin

Question 17

What are the advantages of using nanoparrticles in meedicine? What is the term for using nanoparrticles in medicine?

Answer 17

Nanomedicine
Tiny fullerenes are absorbed more easily in the blood than most particles. This means they could deliver drugs right into the cells where they’re needed.

Question 18

Lubricant coatings are being developed using [ ]. What are they used for? Why?

Answer 18

Fullerenes

These coatings reduce friction and could be used in all sorts of places from artificial joints to gears.

Question 19

Can nanotubes conduct electricity? Therefore…

Answer 19

Yes!!!

they can be used in tiny electric circuits for computer chips.