Chapter 18 p43 Modern Materials.
click to edit
Corn-starch polymers
• Corn Starch polymers are sustainable
• They have been around for a while but have only recently become ‘commercially viable’ due to the drive for a more sustainable design.
• As they are more sustainable manufacturing and retail industries prefer to use them as an alternative to synthetic plastics, compared to the fossil fuels that we rely on for making materials like synthetic plastics, which it’s waste often pollute the Earth.
• The examples of corn starch polymer materials, are all made from vegetable starches and are fully biodegradable if composted as the natural bacteria in soil break down plastic quickly (unlike petrochemical based polymers) CSP are not toxic to environment, can’t be recycled since readily decompose although small amounts of CSP plastics if mixed with other recyclable thermoplastics can leave batch unusable.
Examples of Corn Starch Polymers;
• Polyactic acid (PLA); smooth OR textured finish due to production method, easily coloured (insert image) Are used in 3D printers as reels of filament, is non-toxic , easily moulded, fully biodegradable. Used for Bottles, pots, disposable food and drink containers, pens, phone cases and 3D printed items.
• Polyhydroxybutyrate (BHB) (Biopol™); smooth OR textured finish, easily coloured (insert image) are stable, stiff, quite brittle, non-toxic, easily processed and moulded, has limited chemical resistance, fully biodegradable. Used for bottles, pots , household items disposable food containers.
click to edit
Flexible MDF
Flexible MDF
• Made from wood pulp fibres similarly to standard MDF but has grooves cut across width or length.
• Grooves go through most thickness leaving 2mm of MDF intact.
• Process allows board to be flexible and retain high quality surface that is covered with desired finish.
• Has become popular with architects and interior designers, uses to create large natural curves. Furniture manufacturers uses create novel organic designs.
Flexible MDF
• Flexible MDF (Medium density fibreboard); Light brown, routed or cut on one side and smooth on other. Is flexible in one direction along cut groove, easily shaped into natural curves, waves, easily finished, laminated and veneered available, not good if gets wet. Used for modern furniture, curved / waved shaped forms for interior walls and room dividers.
click to edit
Titanium
• Very versatile material metal
• Usually alloyed with other metals to enhance properties
• Pure titanium doesn’t react with human body, used extensively by medical profession for artificial joints, other ortherpaedic applications, dental implants.
• High strength to weight reatio
• Excellent corrosion resistance.
• Can be alloyed in many proportions, most common form contains 90% titanium, 6% aluminium, 4% vanadium, 0.25% iron and 0.2% oxygen, combination allows alloy to have added strength over pure titanium, retains other features, workability, corrosion resistance.
Titanium example
• Titanium; Light grey, can be polished to mirror finish, has high strength to weight ratio, anti-corrosive, can be easily formed and welded, hypoallergenic. Used for jewellery, watches, medical uses ie. Joint, dental implants, aircraft, spacecraft, sports car parts.
Liquid Crystal display
click to edit
Fibre Optics
• Allow digital information to travel as pulses of light along thin glass strands at high speeds.
• Carry much more information than traditional copper wire, don’t suffer from electromagnetic interference that distorts signal.
• Inner glass core little thicker than human hair, can transmit light along its length by reflecting off the wall of cladding
• FO used transmit phone signals, internet comm., cable TV signals.
Fibre optics information
• Fibre optics, clear glass fibre core in glass cladding, covered with strengthening fibres and plastic jacket. Flexible cable capable transferring digital data fast speeds, light + images sent and received. Used for data transfer cables, endoscopic cameras, novelty and bespoke lighting displays.
click to edit
• Commonly found in household appliances
• LCD, monochrome versions have solid areas placed in predetermined positions and appear dark when voltage is applied. Colour versions have RGB pixels that offer full screen images. Low power consumption compared to older CRT monitors, crisp images, thin, compact, colour LCD screens be very bright, contrast not good, have restricted viewing angle. Uses; Small low-powered electronic devices, watches, clocks, microwaves, satellite navigation systems, in-car entertainment, flat computer / TV screens.
Nanomaterials
• Materials normally between one and 100 nanometres, could be up to 1000 nanometres in at least 1 dimension. Include carbon nanotubes, fullerene, quantum dots. Exist on an atomic or molecular scale, have potential benefits for scientific studies and areas of engineering and electronics and others. Helped aid miniaturisation and improves conductivity. Textiles industry uses as protective coatings, films or particles to improve water resistance as UV protection or anti-bacterial agent in footwear.
click to edit
Polymorph
Polycaprolactone (PCL) An off white mouldable translucent pellet which can be hand shaped. Can be coloured with pigments. Easily mouldable and remould able at low temperature in hot water, non-toxic, reusable, fully biodegradable. Uses, Repairs, hand shaped artefacts, jewellery, modifications, personalisation’s, and personalisation of products, prototyping and modelling.
Metal foams
Can have closed or open cell structure, are same colour as base metal. Strong lightweight, electrically and thermally conductive, very porous, good sound absorption. Uses, Medical implants, aircraft, car parts, lightweight load-bearing structures, impact absorption in vehicles.
Graphene
• A million times thinner than human hair, 200 times stronger than steel.
• Graphene, an ultra-thin layer of graphite just one atom thick, transparent. Highly conductive, flexible, stretchable, incredibly strong, lightweight, impermeable to all known substances. Uses; be developed but potential use in medical, electronic and energy industries and others.