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product design
smart materials
developed through invention of new or improved technologies
sense to changes in environment e.g. temp, light
have memory so can revert to original state once input is removed
modern materials
developed through invention of new or improved technologies
have been engineered to do a specific function
thermo-ceramics
advanced ceramic materials used in places where there is a need for stability and strength at high temperatures e.g. turbine blades in jet engines
produced by combining ceramic and metallic powders by sintering (making components using powders)
powders are heated then placed in a die and subjected to high pressure until particles bond together
durable, heat/pressure/chemical resistant, hard, stable at high temp, electrical insulator, lightweight
expensive, brittle
shape memory alloy
can be deformed having been given outside stimulus, once stimulus is removed the material reverts back to original state
most react to heat, some to light or pressure
nickel-titanium, gold-cadmium, iron-nickel-cobalt-titanium
braces, spring, stent
cycle can be repeated, lengthens life of product, reduces size and complexity
expensive, not as strong when placed under a similar loading
reactive glass
uses electrochromatic technology to change from transparent to opaque by applying voltage while allowing light to pass through from both sides
retains heat, instant privacy without blocking out light
expensive, requires electrical source
liquid crystal displays
organic, carbon-based compounds that exhibit both liquid and solid crystal characteristics
when a cell with a liquid crystal hasa voltage applied - and has light on it - it appears to go dark, caused by molecular rearrangement within liquid crystal
for colour screens each pixel is divided into 3 colours, by varying the voltage the intensity of each sub-pixel can range to over 256 colours
lightweight, low energy use, cheap
poor viewing angles, not easily seen in bright sunlight
photo-chromic materials
darken when exposed to light, have tiny particles of silver halide embedded in glass, react with uv light causing a chemical reaction that changes glasses colour
incoming light waves reflect off nearby crystals and add together by interference which produces the reflection, the colour of reflected light depends on how closely the crystals are together
adapts easily to changing conditions, can undergo thousands of changes without losing performance, doesn’t require electrical input
may be slow to react, user cannot control reaction
quantum tunnelling composites
when in relaxed state, it is a near perfect electrical insulator but when it is stretched, compressed or twisted it becomes an electrical conductor allowing a current to pass through
the greater the stress, the greater the conduction
