Smart/Modern Materials and Composites

Question 1

What is a composite

Answer 1

A material comprised of two or more materials usually a matrix and a reinforcement

Question 2

What is a smart material

Answer 2

A smart material is a material that changes its physical properties based off an external input such as: light, pressure or temperature.

Question 3

What is a modern material

Answer 3

Modern material are man made materials developed through invention for example: Kevlar

Question 4

What is Kevlar

Answer 4

Kevlar is a synthetic fibre made of a polymer and an acid which is extremely strong due to the chemical bonds, used in bulletproof vests and aerospace engineering

Question 5

What is carbon fibre

Answer 5

Carbon fibre is plastic reinforced with fibres of carbon
It is very light and still quite strong

Question 6

What is Fibre glass

Answer 6

Fibre glass is a matrix typically of polyester or epoxy resin
with glass fibres embedded into it for extra strength

Question 7

Name 6 composites

Answer 7

Carbon fibre
Tungsten carbide
Aluminium composite board
Concrete
MDF
Cement
Concrete
Kevlar

Question 8

Name 6 smart materials

Answer 8

Thermochromic pigment
Photochromic pigment
Phosphorescent materials
Piezoelectric materials
Shape memory alloy
Electroluminescent wire

Question 9

What are thermochromic and photochromic pigment

Answer 9

They are pigments which change colour due to
temperature (thermochromic)
or UV light (photochromic)

Question 10

What is shape memory alloy+an example

Answer 10

Shape memory alloy is an alloy that can be bent but when heated will return to its original shape for example nitinol (nickel and titanium alloy)

Question 11

What are phosphorescent materials

Answer 11

Phosphorescent materials are materials that absorb sunlight and slowly re-distribute it,
therefore phosphorescent products glow in the dark

Question 12

What are piezoelectric materials

Answer 12

Materials that generate an electric current when pressure is applied OR work the other way around

Question 13

What is Teflon

Answer 13

Teflon is a composite of fluorine and carbon which is extremely slippery due to a low co-efficient of friction and being chemically inert

Question 14

What are 2 disadvantages to modern materials/composites

Answer 14

Expensive to manufacture
More difficult to recycle

Question 15

What is a smart material

Answer 15

A smart material is a material that reacts to a change in the environment it is in

Question 16

What are micro electronics and what did they allow

Answer 16

Micro electronics are essentially very small electronics such as transistors and silicon chips
They allowed the miniaturisation of electronics which gave way for the creation of more powerful devices

Question 17

What is glulam

Answer 17

Several pieces of timber are glued together to create a strong material that can be used it structures of many shapes due to it being able to be glued in curved forms

Question 18

What is PMC

Answer 18

Precious metal clay is a mix of gold, silver and other metals in a pliable medium so that they can be shaped into jewellery.
This is then heated to 700°C and the binding medium melts off leaving the metals in the shape desired-however the jewellery shrinks by 10%.

Question 19

What are nano materials and give some examples

Answer 19

Materials which are on a scale of 1-100 nm
Examples: sunscreen additives, nanotechnology, graphene

Question 20

Describe electro hydraulic forming

Answer 20

A sheet of material is placed with a tank of water above it and a cavity below it in the shape of the mould
A vacuum sucks from beneath the mould and a spark is created in the water
which makes a pulse of water which pushes the sheet down into the mould

Question 21

What is fibre injection moulding

Answer 21

Injection moulding which instead uses glass pellets or carbon fibre filled polymers