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Mass
Relates to the amount of matter that is contained within a specific material. Mass is a constant, often confused with weight.
Weight
Relies on mass and gravitational forces. Measured as a force in Newtons, where 1 Kg equals 9.8 Newtons on Earth.
Volume
The amount of three-dimensional space enclosed by a material, such as a solid, liquid, or gas.
Density
The mass per unit volume of a material. Important for weight and size in design contexts, like pre-packaged food and packaging materials.
Electrical Resistivity
A material's ability to conduct electricity. Low resistivity means good electrical conduction, important for selecting conductors or insulators.
Electrical Insulator
Reduces transmission of electric charge, used in electrical plugs.
Thermal Conductivity
Measures how fast heat is conducted through a material. Important for objects that need heat insulation or conduction, such as pots and pans.
Thermal Expansion (Expansivity)
A material's dimensional increase when heated. Relevant when dissimilar materials are joined, like in oven doors or glass pot lids with metal rims.
Hardness
Resistance to scratching or penetration, important in materials like ceramic floor tiles.
Tensile Strength
Ability to withstand pulling forces, crucial for materials like ropes, cables, and fishing lines.
Compressive Strength
Ability to withstand being squashed, found in materials like concrete or bricks.
Stiffness
Resistance to deflection under force, important for objects like aircraft wings or car panels.
Toughness
Ability to resist crack propagation, important for materials subjected to impact, such as automobile bumpers.
Brittleness
Tendency to break into sharp shards, like glass.
Ductility
Ability to be drawn into wires or extended shapes, important in metals used for extrusions.
Stress
The force on a material divided by its cross-sectional area.
Strain
Material's deformation response to stress, defined as the change in length divided by the original length.
Young's Modulus
Measures the stiffness of an elastic material as stress divided by strain.
Elasticity
Extent to which a material returns to its original shape after deformation.
Plasticity
Ability of a material to be permanently deformed without breaking, like after reaching its yield point.
Aesthetic Characteristics
Elements like taste, texture, smell, appearance, and color that make a product visually or sensorially appealing.
Piezoelectricity
Materials that produce a small electric discharge when deformed, used in sensors like car airbags.
Shape Memory Alloys (SMA)
Metals that return to their original shape after deformation, used in glasses frames and robotic limbs.
Photochromicity
Materials that change color when exposed to light, such as color-changing sunglass lenses.
Magneto-rheostatic & Electro-rheostatic
Fluids that change viscosity when exposed to magnetic or electric fields, used in shock absorbers and prosthetic limbs.
Thermoelectricity
Direct production of electricity from heat, used in remote areas or space probes for power.
Grain Size (Metals)
Metals have crystalline structures made of grains. Grain size can be modified through heat treatment, influencing properties such as tensile strength, toughness, ductility, brittleness, and flexibility.
Alloying
A process of mixing metals or metals with non-metals to enhance strength and hardness while reducing malleability and ductility.
Work Hardening (Cold Working)
Toughens metals through plastic deformation, such as twisting or bending.
Tempering
Heat treatment that increases toughness and ductility while reducing hardness and brittleness after a metal has been hardened.
Superalloys
High-performance alloys used in aerospace and chemical industries, known for mechanical strength, thermal creep resistance, surface stability, and oxidation resistance.
Creep
The slow, permanent deformation of metals under stress at high temperatures over long periods.
Oxidation Resistance
Ability of a material to resist the corrosive effects of oxygen, such as rust formation.
Recovery and Disposal of Metals
Metals are recyclable, reducing environmental impact and energy usage. Recycled metals like aluminum save up to 95% energy.
Ferrous Alloys
Contain iron, making them magnetic. Examples include Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, and Cast Iron.
Non-Ferrous Alloys
Contain no iron. Examples include Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Silver, and Lead.
Timber
A major building material that is renewable and uses the Sun's energy to renew itself in a continuous cycle. It has less energy use and pollution compared to steel or concrete, but deforestation impacts communities and wildlife.
Structure of Natural Timber
A natural composite material comprising cellulose fibres in a lignin matrix.
Moisture Content of Natural Timber
Refers to the moisture (or greenness) that needs to be removed to make timber usable, achieved through seasoning.
Absorbed Moisture
Moisture contained in the cell walls of timber.
Free Moisture
Moisture contained within the cell cavities and intercellular spaces.
Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC)
The moisture content of wood at equilibrium with the local environment, affected by humidity and temperature.
Seasoning
The commercial drying of timber to reduce moisture content, making it highly usable.
Kiln Seasoning
Drying timber in a thermally insulated chamber, closely controlling heat, air circulation, and humidity.
Air-Drying
Stacking sawn timber in the open or large sheds with little control over the drying process.
Kiln-Drying
Stacking sawn timber in a kiln with controlled heat, air circulation, and humidity to reduce moisture content.
Warping
Distortion in wood caused by uneven drying, resulting in bending or twisting.
Bowing
Warping along the length of the face of the wood.
Cupping
Warping across the width of the face of wood, with edges higher or lower than the center.
Twisting
Warping where the two ends of the material do not lie on the same plane.
Knots
Imperfections in timber from branch growth, reducing its strength.
Natural Timber
Timber sawn from trees and used as is, including hardwood and softwood.
Hardwood Trees
Wood from deciduous (broadleaved) trees, including eucalyptus, elm, maple, oak, and beech.
Softwood Trees
Wood from coniferous (evergreen) trees, including pine, cedar, and cypress.
Tensile Strength
Greater along the grain than across the grain.
Resistance to Damp Environments
Timber's ability to withstand moisture.
Longevity
Hardwoods have very good longevity; softwoods are good.
Aesthetic Properties
Natural colors range from red, purple, cream, and brown, with grain adding to aesthetics.
Grain Direction
Orientation of wood fibers affecting strength and aesthetics.
Man-Made Timbers
Also known as engineered board or composite wood.
Plywood
Layers of veneers glued together perpendicularly.
Particle Board
Made from wood chips joined with glue and pressed.
MDF (Medium Density Fibre Board)
Strands of fiber glued and pressed into sheets.
Lamination
Covering the surface with a thin sheet of another material for protection or aesthetics.
Tensile Strength of Man-Made Timber
Varies; plywood has high tensile strength, while particle board and MDF have very low strength.
Resistance to Damp Environments in Man-Made Timber
Depends on the type; exterior plywood is excellent, while particle board and MDF have very low resistance.
Longevity of Man-Made Timber
Plywood is high; particle board and MDF are low to medium.
Aesthetic Properties of Man-Made Timber
Plywood can look good if the top layer is a nice timber; particle board and MDF require finishing or lamination.
Treating and Finishing Timbers
Involves using solutions to protect wood from insects, weather, and decay, and to enhance aesthetics.
Wood Recycling
The process of turning waste timber into usable products.
Reforestation
Restoring tree cover to areas where woodlands once existed, countering deforestation.
Glass
A transparent, brittle material made primarily from silica sand, limestone, and soda ash, which is melted at high temperatures for use in various applications.
Bendable Glass
A type of glass engineered to be flexible, allowing it to be shaped or curved for innovative design uses, such as in architecture or consumer products.
Transparency
The quality of glass that allows light to pass through, enabling visibility of objects behind it, making it ideal for windows and containers.
Colour
The aesthetic property of glass that can be altered by incorporating specific chemicals during the manufacturing process to create various hues.
Strength
A characteristic of glass defined by its ability to withstand compressive forces (high compressive strength) while being relatively weak under tension (low tensile strength).
Brittleness
The tendency of glass to shatter upon impact due to its low impact strength, which makes it less durable than some other materials.
Hardness
The ability of glass to resist scratches and abrasions, making it suitable for applications where surface durability is important.
Un-reactivity
The chemical stability of glass, preventing it from reacting with acidic or alkaline substances, which is crucial for food storage applications.
Non-Toxic
The safety property of glass, making it suitable for food and beverage storage, as it does not leach harmful substances.
Non-Porous
The characteristic of glass that prevents it from absorbing liquids, ensuring that it holds contents securely without contamination.
Insulator
The ability of glass to resist electrical conductivity, making it useful in various electrical and electronic applications.
100% Recyclable
The ability of glass to be recycled continuously without degradation in quality, promoting sustainability in material usage.
Soda Glass
The most widely used type of glass, known for its versatility and common applications, including window panes, glassware, and drink bottles, with medium thermal shock resistance.
Borosilicate Glass (Pyrex)
A type of glass modified with oxides to enhance thermal resistance, making it suitable for laboratory equipment and cookware that require heat stability.
Toughened Glass
Glass that undergoes thermal treatment to increase its strength, causing it to break into small, safer pieces instead of sharp shards, commonly used in car windows and shower doors.
Laminated Glass
A composite glass made by sandwiching layers of plastic between glass sheets, providing safety by holding shards together when broken, used in bulletproof applications and vehicle windscreens.
Glass Fibre
Thin strands of glass that can be woven into mats, often used in composite materials when combined with resin, applicable in construction and manufacturing for lightweight yet strong components.
Recovery and Disposal of Glass
The process of recycling glass, where it is sorted by color, crushed, and remelted into new products, addressing environmental concerns by reducing waste and resource consumption.
Petrochemicals
Primary raw materials used to produce most modern plastics, derived from oil.
Bioplastics
Plastics made from renewable resources (e.g., corn or potato starch) that degrade under certain conditions but may not fully break down.
Polymers
Long chain molecules that make up plastics, classified into thermoplastics and thermosets based on their structure and properties.
Thermoplastics
Plastics that can be reshaped upon heating due to weak secondary bonds between chains, allowing for easy manufacturing and recycling.
Thermosets
Plastics with strong primary bonds that create a rigid 3D structure, which cannot be reheated or remolded after curing.
Polypropylene (PP)
A type of thermoplastic known for its low density, toughness, and high resistance to temperature, commonly used in containers and household items.
Polyethylene (PE)
A flexible thermoplastic available in various forms (HDPE and LDPE), used in items like plastic bags and food storage containers.
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
A strong and rigid thermoplastic with good thermal resistance, often used for beverage bottles and food containers.
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
A versatile thermoplastic with high impact resistance and good dimensional stability, used in products like luggage and appliances.
High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)
A cost-effective thermoplastic that is easy to fabricate and offers high impact strength, used for toys and kitchen utensils.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
A widely used plastic that can be rigid or flexible, often used in pipes, credit cards, and various household products.
