New & smart materials

Exam expectations

This is a new topic for the examination and it is

likely to be tested regularly. You will be

expected to be able to explain the difference

between a new and a smart material. You will

also be expected to describe an application for

a new or smart material

New modern materials

• There have been massive advances in new

materials that it is difficult to keep up to date with

what is available. These developments are one

of the best examples of technological push as

sometimes the properties of the materials are

discovered through extensive research and

experiments then a useful application found for

them later.

Smart materials

• Smart materials are ones which react and

change their properties in response to an input

such as electrical current, heat, light etc. They

have particularly useful applications in areas of

safety, for example, where they can give off

warnings of heat.

Starch based polymers

Recent experiments in creating biodegradable

polymers from corn, maize or potato starch

have started to have a large impact upon the

packaging industry, for example. Some major

high street stores have already changed to

these materials for food packaging.

Spud forks

• Made from 80% potato starch, 20% Soya oil.

• Can be washed in dishwasher

• Totally biodegradable in just 180 days!

• Made by SpudWare

Compostable tableware

PAPCoRN are two industrial designer who work with materials which are compostable. They work in the latest plastics, which are based on renewable resources such as wheat, maize and lactic acid. All these products have a limited environmental impact, from beginning to end and form part of nature’s own cycle. They aim to combine good design with a vision of reducing environmental damage

Benefits of starch based polymers

As oil based polymers generally do not break

down and give off toxic fumes if burned these

alternative polymers offer a real long term

solution to environmentally friendly packaging

and product needs.

Precious Metal Clays

• The revolution in precious metal clays has

transformed some of the jewellery markets,

opening avenues for creativity which previously

had been hindered by complex manufacturing

processes.

Precious Metal Clays

This relatively new material is made from 99.9%

fine particles of metal (usually silver) mixed with

a binder and water. It looks like and is worked

like clay but when dried then heated to around

800 degrees the metal particles fuse together

and it becomes solid metal.

Quantum Tunnelling Composite

These exciting new materials are metal filled

polymers which have the property of changing

from an insulator to a conductor when pressed.

The more it is squeezed the closer the metal

particles squash together and the easier it

becomes for the electrons to pass between

them.

Quantum Tunnelling Composite

Initially used in space suits to allow control

panels to be integrated into the fabric these

QTCs are being used in clothing so that

devices such as Ipods can be integrated into

the garment.

Quantum Tunnelling Composite

Heating applications such as temperature

controlled clothing and high visibility clothing are

just two of the many applications of incorporating

electronics into textiles.

Carbon fibre

Carbon fibres are usually woven into a fabric sheet

and then impregnated with an epoxy or phenolic

resin and forced into a mould. The material is

then cured (or set) with heated steam to create a

very strong lightweight material.

This is also an

example of a

composite material

Carbon fibre

Formula One racing car bodies, cycle design,

and sports equipment have all benefitted from

the application of this material.

Foamed Metals

Aluminium, for example, can be processed so

that it foams. When sandwiched between two

solid sheets it produces a material which is

lighter, stiffer and more resistant to impact than

solid sheet as the foam core absorbs and

disperses the energy around the small cells

walls. This is particularly useful in vehicle

design, for example.

3D veneers

Usual veneers of different wood species and thicknesses are prepared mechanically to become distortable. This is the basis for 3D forming capabilities (bending in two directions). 3D veneers become more stable if several layers are glued preferably with grains crossing. They can also be applied as a single layer to a carrier panel such as MDF.

Maplex

Maplex looks similar to MDF but is made from 100% pressed wood fibers, with no binding agents. The lack of chemical binding agents makes the material completely biodegradable and recyclable. It can be moulded into interesting forms.

Kevlar

Weight for weight this flexible plastics –based material is five times stronger than steel. It is usually woven and used in layers. Used for body armour and stab-proof vests. Another application is it is used to replace steel in racing tyres.

Breathable fabrics (Gore Tex)

Gore-Tex is manufactured from polytetrafluoroethylene

(PTFE). Used in a wide variety of applications such as

high performance fabrics, medical implants, insulation

for wires and cables, gaskets, and sealants. However,

Gore-Tex is best known for its use in protective, yet

breathable, rain wear.

Polycaprolactone (PCL)

PCL is a low melting point, biodegradable

thermoplastic material widely used in medical

applications. In schools it is known as

Polymorph and can easily be shaped by hand

to resemble injection moulded products

Smart materials

• Colour changing

• Light-emitting

• Moving materials

• Temperature changing

• Thickness changing

These materials can be grouped by how they

react to their environment:

Photochromic materials

• These materials change colour in response to

changes in light.

• Some glasses have reactive lenses which

become darker as the light increases

Thermochromic materials

• These materials change colour in response to

changes in temperature. Kettles and baby

feeding products are just two applications

where it is useful to have a built in

thermometer.

Electroluminescent materials

These materials can produce brilliant light of different colours when an electrical current is passed through them. This produces no heat and is used to create display panels which are just a few millimetres thick.

Fluorescent materials

These materials produce light when exposed to

Ultra Violet (UV) rays. The light stops when the

UV radiation is removed. UV rays are invisible

to the eye.

Phosphorescent materials

These materials produce light after they have

been exposed to a light source, which is later

removed. Warning signs often use these

materials.

Piezoelectric materials

These materials convert mechanical energy to

electrical energy and electrical energy to

mechanical energy. Flashing shoes is one of

many uses.

Shape memory alloys

Some metals can be heat treated so that the metal gains

a memory. One of the most common is called Nitinol

and is an alloy of nickel and titanium. This material as a

wire will shrink by about 5% of its length when an

electrical current is passed through it. It can be

stretched back to its original size once the current is

turned off. This has particular applications in bio-

engineering where is can be placed into collapsed blood

vessels or around broken bones.

Shape memory alloys

Shape memory alloys are also used in some

spectacle frames and these superelastic alloys

can be squashed beyond the point other frames

would snap and will return to their original

shape at room temperature.

Thermoelectric materials

These materials convert body heat into electricity by using a combination of materials (metals or ceramics) that are poor thermal conductors and good electrical conductors. Using body heat to energize small electrical products. This technology has been available since 1989 when Seiko introduced the "Thermic Wristwatch"

Magneto-rheological fluids

These fluids become solids when placed in a

magnetic field. They can be used to construct

dampers which suppress vibrations and are

used on some high performance cars such as

Ferraris.

Microban®

• Microban® is both a company name and a product brand name. It is the brand name for an anti-bacterial system that can be applied to solid plastics and fibres. It was developed by a company called Microban International.

• Developed in 1969 and used in industrial and medical products from 1988. From 1994 its applications were extended to a broader range of consumer products such as socks, shoe inserts, medical dressings etc.

Nanotechnology

This area of science deals with materials at an atomic or

molecular scale and is creating opportunities to develop

materials which just a few years ago would have been

considered as science fiction. Whilst there are some

massive health and safety issues with dealing with

materials which are so small that they could enter the

bloodstream and travel into the brain, this has major

benefits in the delivery of drugs to affected parts of the

body, for example.

Nanotechnology

Anti-microbial agents added in food packaging, UV

protective cosmetics, increasing the strength of polymers

to replicate properties of metals and making surfaces

harder wearing are just some of the current applications

for this technology although it is the development of

newer, smarter, more reactive materials where this is

likely to have the greatest impact.

Nanotechnology – the future

• We can only guess the impact that nanotechnology will have on the products we purchase in the future.

• Products using nanotechnology are doubling each year

• Clothing, cosmetics, dietary supplements, drugs and electronics are areas where there is currently massive investments taking place.

• Pizzas which change flavour according the microwave settings, milk shakes which change flavour according to how much they are shaken seems very much science fiction. However, this technology now exists and the application to food production is one major area of investment.