Materials
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Materials. (2024). In Q-files Encyclopedia, Science, Materials. Retrieved from
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"Materials." Science, Materials, Q-files Encyclopedia, 8 Jan. 2024.
https://www.q-files.com/science/materials/materials.
Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
Materials 2024. Science, Materials. Retrieved 19 March 2024, from
https://www.q-files.com/science/materials/materials
Science, Materials, s.v. "Materials," accessed March 19, 2024.
https://www.q-files.com/science/materials/materials
Materials
A material is anything made of matter, which includes everything we can see, from the air to our own skin. But often when we use the word “materials” we mean materials that are used in manufacturing: anything needed to make a useful item, such as crockery, a toy or a spacecraft. Natural materials are from animal, plant, inorganic or fossil fuel sources. Manmade materials, such as plastics, synthetic textiles and composites, are produced from natural materials using a variety of processes, such as mixing and heating.
Animal materials
Animal materials, such as wool, hair, silk, feathers and leather, are widely used for producing clothing and other textiles. Products made from materials such as ivory, tortoiseshell, horn and fur used to be common, but today concerns about animal welfare and endangered species have reduced their use.
A range of household items, such as soaps, cosmetics and perfumes (using materials such as mink oil, or lanolin from wool), paint (sometimes using casein, obtained from milk), polishes (beeswax) and inks and colourants (using, for example, red dye from cochineal bugs), are made from animal products.
Plant materials
Wood is used to make paper, furniture and construction materials. Plant fibres, such as cotton and straw, are made into textiles and used as raw materials for plastics. Other products from plant materials include cork, cosmetics and toiletries, dyes, varnishes, paints and waxes.
Natural rubber is made from a sticky fluid, called latex, that is collected by cutting the bark of rubber trees. More than 12,000 plant species produce latex containing rubber, but only in a few of these is it suitable for commercial use. To make it less sticky and more elastic, the latex undergoes a process called vulcanization: the addition of sulphur or other additives. This changes the chemical composition of the natural substance by strengthening the links between its molecules. Vulcanized rubber is used in products such as tyres, hoses, gloves, adhesives and balloons.
Fossil fuels
Fossil fuels are formed in the ground or in the seabed from the decay of dead plants and animals. These fuels, such as coal, petroleum and natural gas, take millions of years to form. They are also widely used as raw materials in the manufacture of plastics, synthetic textiles, adhesives, paints and inks, and a wide range of chemicals used in healthcare, farming, construction and electronics.
Inorganic materials
Inorganic materials are natural materials from non-living sources. These materials are often dug from the ground. Rock, such as granite, marble, slate and sandstone, and aggregates, such as sand, gravel and crushed stone, are inorganic materials that are often used for the construction of buildings, roads and bridges. Gemstones, such as diamonds, rubies and sapphires, are commonly used in jewellery. Metals are usually found in rocks known as ores and have multiple uses.
Graphene
Graphene is a material made up of carbon atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice. The material is just one atom thick. Around 200 times stronger than steel, it is 1000 times lighter than paper, harder than diamond and more elastic than rubber. It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature. With a slight adaptation it becomes a semiconductor and so could be used as a replacement for silicon in microchips. Currently mainly used to strengthen concrete and paints, graphene may one day be used in a whole range of products. These include batteries, sensors, water purifiers, mobile phones, tablets, drones and electric cars.
Ceramics
Ceramic materials are made by treating inorganic materials at a high temperature. Ceramics tend to be stiff but brittle. The best-known ceramics are brick, pottery, porcelain and chinaware. These are made by shaping and heating clay, a soft, sticky mixture of minerals that is dug from the ground.
Modern ceramic materials have been developed to have a range of properties, from extreme strength to acting as superconductors (excellent transmitters) of heat or electricity. Ceramic products include brake discs for vehicles, tools, abrasives, spectacles, armour and a wide range of electronic products.
Glass
Glass is formed by melting together three inorganic materials: sand, limestone and soda ash. These are melted in a furnace (1). Molten glass may be poured into a mould (2). A plunger (3), followed by compressed air, forces it into the shape of the mould (4). In the float glass process, molten glass is floated on a bath of molten tin (5), before being cooled (6) and cut into lengths (7).
Composites
Composite materials are made from two or more materials, which remain separate (rather than fused) in the resulting structure. Composites are usually developed for their strength. The most widely used manmade material, concrete, is a composite.
Concrete is used in construction, from building foundations and pavements to bridges and dams. It is made from aggregate (sand, gravel, crushed stone) mixed with water and cement. It can be poured into a mould, then sets to become hard and stone-like.
Other composite materials include reinforced plastics, such as fibreglass (an extremely strong material used for vehicles, boats, helmets and roofing) or carbon fibre (fibres of carbon combined with plastics used in cars, boats and aircraft, and in sporting equipment such as bicycle components and fishing rods); Metal composites, such as steel reinforced with boron nitride (used for tank armour); and cermet, a composite of ceramic and metal (used in spacecraft, cutting tools and electronic parts).
Consultant: Nina Notman