Materials
Know your
Woods
Metals
Plastics
Composites (see http://www.technologystudent.com/joints/joindex.htm )
Modelling materials (smart materials)
http://www.technologystudent.com/joints/joindex.htm
There are some excellent worksheets to print and complete. If you want to have them marked please feel free to see your teacher.
They will be over the moon that you are revising and will only be too happy to give you some feedback.
Know where materials come from
Know how each type of material can affect the
environment.
Possible responses:
• Pine
• Beech
• Oak
Possible responses:
• Ash
• It has an attractive grain
• It looks good
• It is durable
• It will last a long time
• It is strong
• It is renewable
• It is environmentally friendly
Gold or brass
Do not answer with:
•Cheap unless you give a reason
•Lightweight unless you give a reason
•Not easy to work unless you give a
reason
Possible responses:
• Durable, it will last a long time
• High resistant to corrosion
• Attractive, it is colourful and shiny
• ABS
• Polypropylene PP
• PVC
• HIPS
• Polythene (HDPE)
Possible responses:
• It is tough
• It is durable/last along time/strong
• It is waterproof
• Doesn’t corrode(rust)
• It is hygienic
• It can be moulded
• It is lightweight
• Self finished
Do not answer with:
Possible responses:
• Pine
• Beech
• Oak
• Ash
•Cheap unless you give a reason
•Lightweight unless you give a reason
•Not easy to work unless you give a
reason
Possible responses:
• It has an attractive grain
• It looks good
• It is durable
• It will last a long time
• It is strong
• It is renewable
• It is environmentally friendly
Trees
• ABS
• Polypropylene PP
• PVC
• HIPS
• Polythene (HDPE)
Crude Oil
Possible responses:
• It is tough
• It is durable/last along time/strong
• It is waterproof
• Doesn’t corrode(rust)
• It is hygienic
• It can be moulded
• It is lightweight
• Self finished
Composite materials
• Carbon fibre (Kevlar)
• Aluminium
Possible responses:
• Strong, it will withstand hitting tennis balls
• High resistance to impact
• Lightweight, it doesn’t take much strength to use it
• Durable, it will last a long time
• High resistant to corrosion
• Capable of being manufactured quickly in large quantities
Where do Materials come from
• Obviously, wood come from trees
• Plastics comes from crude oil.
• Metals come out of the ground
Know how the processing of all these
materials can effect the environment
Possible responses:
• Metal is a non renewable resource.
• The extraction of metal ore from the earth creates scars in the landscape.
• The production of metal from ore uses vast quantities of energy.
• The production of metal from ore pollutes the atmosphere
• The manufacture of metal products uses vast quantities of energy
• The manufacture of metal products pollutes the atmosphere
• Pollution of the atmosphere leads to global warming
• Metal products are can be repaired.
• Metal is capable of being recycled.
• Some metals are biodegradable.
• All metals are infinitely recyclable. (they can be melted down and re-used
again, eg. An aluminium coke can could end up being part of a car)
Wood is a sustainable resource as it can be reproduced.
• Wood should only be used from managed forests where trees are replanted once
they have been cut down.
• Wooden products are relatively easy to repair.
• Wood is capable of being recycled into chipboard, mdf, card and paper.
• Wooden products can be re used to manufacture other wooden products.
• Wood has the less effect on the environment than many other resistant
materials.
• Wood is biodegradable and will return nutrients back into the soil
• Wood should not be burned as it will give off carbon dioxide leading to a
reduction in the ozone layer and adding to global warming.
• Wood should not be used from unknown sources as it may have harmed the
environment when it was cut down.
• Used wooden products can fuel bio mass power stations
These are from the last two years, so it is safe to assume that they
will ask you to discuss the environmental impact of using plastic to
manufacture products.
Effects of Plastics on the environment
Possible responses:
• Plastic is a non renewable resource.
• The extraction of crude oil from the earth creates scars in the landscape.
• The extraction of crude oil from the sea can damage marine life if it is spilled.
• The production of plastic from crude oil uses vast quantities of energy.
• The production of plastic from crude oil pollutes the atmosphere
• The manufacture of plastic products uses vast quantities of energy
• The manufacture of plastic products pollutes the atmosphere
• Pollution of the atmosphere leads to global warming
• Plastic products are difficult to repair.
• Plastic is not currently capable of being recycled.
• Plastics are not biodegradable. (Although some manufacturers have developed
plastics that are biodegradable this is not in enough quantity to be considered as
good for the environment. BUT anything is better than nothing and eventually we
might be able to recycle all plastics as technology develops in the future.)