Using resources 3

Question 1

What are ceramics?

Answer 1

Non- metal solids with high melting points but that are NOT made from carbon-based compounds.

Question 2

How are clay ceramics made?

Answer 2

Shaping wet clay and then heating in a furnace.

Question 3

What is clay’s ability to be moulded when wet and hardened when fired at high temps useful for?

Answer 3

Making pottery and bricks.

Question 4

Name ceramics.

Answer 4

-Clay
-Glass

Question 5

Properties of glass

Answer 5

Glass is generally transparent, can be brittle when thin, and can be moulded when hot.

Question 6

What is most of the glass we use?

Answer 6

Soda-lime glass.

Question 7

How is soda-lime glass made?

Answer 7

By heating a mixture of sand, sodium carbonate and limestone until it melts.

When the mixture cools, it comes out as glass.

Question 8

Which type of glass has a higher melting point than soda-lime glass?

Answer 8

Borosilicate glass.

Question 9

How is borosilicate glass made?

Answer 9

By heating a mixture of sand and boron trioxide until it melts.

When the mixture cools, it comes out as glass.

Question 10

What do the properties of polymers depend on?

Answer 10

-What monomers they are made from

-The conditions under which they are made

Question 11

Which 2 polymers are produced from ethene?

Answer 11

Low density (LD) and high density (HD) poly(ethene).

Question 12

Low density poly(ethene).

Answer 12

-Made from ethene at a moderate temperature under a high pressure

-It’s flexible, so used in bags and bottles

Question 13

High density (HD) poly(ethene).

Answer 13

-Made from ethene at a lower temperature and pressure

-With a catalyst

-It’s more rigid so used for water tanks and drainpipes

Question 14

Which type of polymers melt when heated?

Answer 14

Thermosoftening polymers.

Question 15

Which type of polymers do not melt when heated?

Answer 15

Thermosetting polymers.

Question 16

Explain what thermosoftening polymers are in terms of their structures.

Answer 16

Thermosoftening polymers contain individual polymer chains joined by weak intermolecular forces, allowing the plastic to be melted and remoulded.

Question 17

Explain what thermosetting polymers are in terms of their structures.

Answer 17

(On the other hand)

Thermosetting polymers contain monomers which form cross-links between the polymer chains and hold the chains together in a solid structure.

Unlike thermosoftening polymers, they don’t soften when heated.

Instead, they are strong, hard and rigid.

Question 18

What are cross-links?

Answer 18

Covalent bonds found between the polymer chains in thermosetting polymers.

Question 19

What are composite materials?

Answer 19

Materials consisting of two or more materials with DIFFERENT properties, that have been combined to produce a material with more DESIRABLE properties.

Question 20

What two materials are most composites made of?

Answer 20

-Reinforcement
-Matrix

Question 21

What is the reinforcement? (composites)

Answer 21

Fibres or fragments of a material.

Question 22

What is the matrix? (composites)

Answer 22

Usually something that starts soft and then hardens.

It binds the reinforcement together.

Question 23

Describe the structure of a composite material.

Answer 23

Most composites are made of two materials:

A matrix which surrounds and binds together fibres/ fragments of the other material (which is called the reinforcement).

Question 24

Name some composite materials.

Answer 24

Fibreglass
Carbon fire
Concrete
Wood

Question 25

Fibreglass

Answer 25

Fibres of glass bound by a matrix made of plastic (a polymer).

Question 26

Fibreglass properties

Answer 26

-Low density like plastic
-Very strong like glass

Question 27

Fibreglass uses

Answer 27

-Skis
-Boats
-Surfboards

Question 28

Carbon fibre

Answer 28

Long chains of carbon atoms, or carbon nanotubes, bound by a matrix made of plastic (a polymer).

Question 29

Carbon fibre properties

Answer 29

-Strong
-light

Question 30

Carbon fibre uses

Answer 30

-Aerospace
-Sports car manufacturing

Question 31

What is concrete made from?

Answer 31

Aggregate (a mixture of sand and gravel) embedded in cement.

This makes it very strong, so is ideal for use as a building material.