Smart/Modern materials

A modern material is...

• a material that has been recently developed for specific applications.
  
• a material that reacts to a stimulus
• a material invented since the year 2000
• a material with useful properties

These materials react and change with a physical change in their environment e.g. heat, light, electrical current.

• Smart Materials
• Modern materials
• Nano materials
• New Materials

I am a smart material that is easily bent when cool but jump back into shape when heated above a certain temperature eg. nitinol

• Shape memory Alloys
• Nano Materials
• Ceramics
• Cornstarch polymers

Respond to changes in temperature by changing colour, t-shirts, mugs and temperature strips

• Nanomaterials
• Thermochromic materials
• Integrated electronics
• Thermochronic Materials

Amazing strength to weight ratio and is easily moulded/shaped. Resistant to corrosion, rigid/stiff and quite expensive.

• Kevlar
• Carbon fibre
• GRP
• Tungsten

Glow in the dark, absorbs light during the day and emits it when dark E.G Fire exit signs

• Photochromic Materials
• Thermochromic Materials
• Phosphorescent pigments
• Holograms

They change colour depending on the amount of light hitting the surface. By far the most common use of this is in light-sensitive glasses, such as sunglasses.

• Reflective Films
• Phosphorescent pigments
• Holograms
• Photochromic Materials

Material made from a combination if two or more different materials, in layers or in a mixture

• Lamination
• Layering
• Composite
• Alloy

These are made from either natural polymers (from plant products such as corn starch) or they use these materials to mix with normal plastics to make them break down faster.
.

• Smart materials
• Biodegradable Plastics
  
• Phosphorescent pigments
• Metallic foams

Which one of these is NOT a composite?

• GRP
• laminate wood flooring
• neoprene
• Concrete