Industrial Materials and Processes: Ceramics, Plastics, Rubber, and Glass

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering fundamental concepts, processing steps, types, properties, and applications of Ceramics, Plastics, Rubber, and Glass from Industrial Materials and Processes notes.

Ceramic

An inorganic, nonmetallic solid material comprising metal, nonmetal, or metalloid atoms primarily held in ionic and covalent bonds, made by firing or burning.

Keramikos

The Greek word meaning "of pottery" or "for pottery", derived from keramos ("potter's clay, tile, pottery"), from which the term ceramic originates.

Classification of Ceramic Materials

The categorization system dividing ceramics into glasses, clay products, refractories, abrasives, cements, and advanced ceramics based on composition and application.

Traditional Ceramic Processing

The four-step processing method for traditional ceramics consisting of powder preparation, shaping of wet clay, drying, and firing.

Terracotta

A clay-based unglazed or glazed porous earthenware ceramic commonly used for flower pots, water pipes, bricks, and architectural embellishment.

Stoneware

A vitreous or semi-vitreous non-porous ceramic fired at high temperatures, composed primarily of clays, fluxes, and fillers.

Fireclay

A heat-resistant clay made of alumina and silica that withstands intense heat without melting or perceptibly softening.

Earthenware

A low-fired porous clay ceramic maturing at low temperatures with a water absorption rate of 5-8%, available as creamware or tin-glazed types.

Porcelain

A white or grey ceramic material produced by adding kaolin (a white firing stiff clay) and white China stone (finely decayed granite) to clay.

Vitreous China

A strong, nonporous mixture of clay, feldspar, and quartz molded, glazed, and baked at extremely high temperatures to form a glass-like finish.

Plastic

A synthetic material made from organic polymers (such as polyethylene, PVC, or nylon) that can be molded while soft and set into rigid or elastic forms.

Naphtha

A crucial lighter hydrocarbon fraction obtained from crude oil distillation used as the main raw material in plastic production.

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

The most widely produced plastic in the world, utilized as a fiber known as "polyester" and for shatterproof moisture-barrier bottles and packaging.

Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

A flexible polyethylene variant with high ductility and low tensile strength, commonly used for grocery plastic bags.

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

A stiff polyethylene variant used for robust packaging such as laundry detergent containers, trash bins, and construction applications.

Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW)

An extremely strong plastic variant capable of rivalling or exceeding steel in strength, used in medical devices like artificial hips.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

A strong, rigid or flexible plastic used in building applications such as plumbing pipes (schedule 40), wire insulation, and vinyl siding.

Polypropylene (PP)

A semi-transparent, chemically resistant plastic with a low-friction surface and high electrical resistance, notable for its use in living hinges.

Polystyrene (PS)

A plastic used widely in foam applications under the trade name "styrofoam" and in solid form for transparent products like drink lids and petri dishes.

Polylactic Acid (PLA)

A biodegradable plastic derived from renewable biomass rather than petroleum, commonly used in desktop 3D printing.

Polycarbonate (PC)

A highly transparent plastic characterized by high impact strength and high light transmissivity, used in greenhouses and police riot gear.

Acrylic (PMMA)

Polymethyl methacrylate; a transparent, scratch-resistant plastic used in optical devices that does not shatter into hazardous shards near sensitive tissue.

Acetal (POM)

Polyoxymethylene; a high-tensile-strength, creep-resistant engineering plastic with a very low coefficient of friction, widely used in mechanical gears.

Nylon (PA)

Polyamide; a high-strength, temperature-resilient plastic used for clothing, ropes, tire reinforcement, and mechanical engine components.

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

An impact-resistant, easily machined plastic with a low melting temperature, recognized as a primary material for 3D printing and injection molding.

Rubber

An elastic polymer material capable of stretching and shrinking, produced naturally from plant latex or synthetically from crude oil.

Tlachtlic

A ritual ball game played by ancient Mesoamerican peoples using rubber balls, marking one of the earliest recorded uses of rubber.

Vulcanization

A chemical modification process invented by Charles Goodyear that makes rubber more durable, elastic, and strong.

Neoprene

A soft, foamy, thermally insulating synthetic rubber commonly used in wet suits.

Natural Rubber Production Process

The manufacturing sequence consisting of tapping tree latex, filtering, diluting with water, adding formic acid for coagulation, rolling into sheets, rinsing, and drying in sunlight.

Tensile Strength (Rubber)

The amount of pulling force required to tear apart a rubber specimen until it breaks.

Tensile Modulus (Rubber)

The stress or force required to produce a specific strain or percentage elongation in a rubber sample.

Resilience (Rebound)

The ability of a rubber material to return to its original size and shape following temporary deformation.

Compression Set

The extent to which an elastomer fails to return to its original thickness after releasing a compressive load.

Glass

An amorphous inorganic solid product of fusion cooled to a solid state without crystallizing.

Lead Crystal Glassware

A clear, high-quality glass formulation created in 1674 by George Ravenscroft by adding lead oxide to the molten batch.

Float Glass

The standard flat glass of uniform thickness used in windows, mirrors, and vehicle safety glass.

Toughened Glass

Safety glass treated thermally or chemically to put surfaces in compression and the core in tension, causing it to break into harmless granular chunks rather than sharp shards.

Patterned Glass

Textured decorative glass ran through patterned rollers while hot to diffuse light and provide translucency without full transparency.

Laminated Glass

Safety glass bonded with an internal interlayer that retains shattered glass fragments in place, producing a characteristic spider web cracking pattern.

Mirrored Glass

Glass treated with a reflective metallic backing to reflect light rather than allow light transmission.

Coated Glass

Industrial flat glass sprayed with thin metal oxide coatings to alter solar radiation behavior, thermal insulation, or surface durability.

Tinted Glass

Glass manufactured with added color pigments that absorb solar heat energy and reduce visible light transmittance based on thickness.

Sandblasted Glass

Frosted glass created by abrading the surface with high-velocity air-driven sand to etch away material for privacy.

Soda Ash

Sodium carbonate used as a fluxing agent in glassmaking to lower the melting temperature of the silica mixture.

Lime

Ground limestone added to glass mixtures to increase viscosity and prevent water erosion of the finished product.

Glass Manufacturing Process

The industrial cycle of producing glass involving batch mixing, furnace melting, mold forming, annealing lehr stress relief, coating, inspection, and packing.