Ceramics, Semiconductors, and Polymers Practice Flashcards

Flashcards covering the properties, uses, and manufacturing processes of ceramics, semiconductors, polymers, and composite materials as described in the lecture notes.

Ceramics

Materials made from dried clay or claylike mixtures that become hard when heated.

Traditional Ceramic Composition

Made from raw materials such as clay, silica, feldspar, sand, or crystalline rock.

Ceramic Manufacturing Process

A sequence involving obtaining raw materials, shaping the mixture, heating or firing it, and then cooling the final product.

Firing (Heating)

A process that causes particles to merge more tightly so the structure becomes harder and stronger.

Thermal Resistance

A property of ceramics that allows them to resist heat, making them suitable for items like mugs and plates.

Customizing Ceramics

The practice of changing the raw materials or manufacturing conditions, such as heating and shaping, to produce properties needed for a specific application.

Medical Ceramics

Materials used for replacement hip sockets and tooth repair because they are strong, durable, and relatively nonreactive with body fluids.

Brittleness

A typical property of traditional ceramics that causes them to break or crack easily under impact.

Semiconductors

Metalloids such as silicon ($Si$) and germanium ($Ge$) whose conductivity can be controlled for use in transistors and microchips.

Doping

The process of adding small amounts of impurities to a semiconductor to change the number of charge carriers and control conductivity.

n-type Semiconductor

A semiconductor formed when doping significantly increases the overall number of free electrons, often by adding an element with more valence electrons than silicon like arsenic ($As$).

p-type Semiconductor

A semiconductor formed when doping reduces the overall number of electrons, creating an area of fewer electrons called a hole; typically achieved by adding gallium ($Ga$).

Integrated Circuit

A small chip containing many semiconducting devices, such as transistors and diodes, used to control electron flow.

Polymer

A substance made of large molecules arranged as chains of repeating units.

Monomer

A small repeating unit that can join with others to form a polymer.

Natural Polymers

Substances such as cotton, silk, and cellulose that occur in nature.

Synthetic Material

A human-made material designed to imitate or improve on natural materials, usually made from hydrocarbons found in fossil fuels.

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)

A type of polyethylene characterized by having more branching in its monomer chains.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

A polymer produced by replacing one hydrogen atom in the ethylene monomer with chlorine.

Aramids

A group of synthetic polymers that are lightweight yet extremely strong, making them suitable for bulletproof vests.

Nylon

A synthetic fiber first produced as a substitute for silk, commonly used in wind- and water-resistant clothing.

Adhesive

A material used to bond or join surfaces together, such as silicone for sealing windows or hot-melt adhesive in glue guns.

Composite

A material made by combining two or more materials to improve properties, such as combining strength with lower mass.

Fiberglass

A composite material consisting of glass fibers embedded in plastic.