1.1 Materials and their applications - Key terms

manufactured board

a man-made, wood-based composite material

stock form

the set of standard sizes in which materials are available, as well as the format, eg. powders, granules, sheets etc.

mechanical properties

associated with how a material reacts to an external force

physical properties

associated with the actual make-up or structure of the material

compressive strength

the ability to withstand being crushed or shortened by pushing forces

tensile strength

the ability to resist stretching out pulling forces

hardness

the ability to resist aggressive wear such as scratching, surface indentation or cutting

toughness

the ability to absorb impact force without fracture

composite

a material comprised of two or more different materials, resulting in a material with enhanced physical properties

smart material

a material whose physical properties change in response to an input or change in environment, such as electricity, pressure, temperature or light

modern material

a material developed through the invention of new or improved processes, for example as a result of man-made materials or human intervention

ferrous metal

a metal containing mostly iron and carbon

non-ferrous metal

a metal which does not contain iron

alloy

a metal made of two or more metals, or combining two or more elements, one of which must be a metal

thermoplastic

a material that can be repeatedly reheated and reshaped

thermosetting polymer

a material which when heated undergoes a chemical change whereby the molecules form rigid cross-links

thermosetting polymers cannot be reheated and reshaped, even at very high temperatures

elastomer

materials which at room temperature can be deformed under pressure, and then upon release of the pressure will return to their original shape