Paper and card

Material/ Name Uses DescriptionLayout and Tracing Paper• Hard and Translucent• Typically 50g/m• Take spirit-based marker pens well

Used during the development stage of designing

Lightweight thin paperTransparent

Cartridge paper• Tough and lightly textured• Often used in a very light cream colour• Takes coloured pencils very well• 100-135g/m

General drawing Good quality white paperAvailable in different weightsGeneral purpose workMedium cost

Cardboard• Can be laminated together to create thicker

boards• From 200g/m upwards• Often made from recycled materials

General modelling and packaging DurableMade by corrugated lines for densityFrom recycled fibre

Solid white board• Stronger, high-quality board• Made from pure bleached wood pulp• Excellent for printing on to

Book coversMore expensive packagingBest card for printing on too

From quality bleached woodDurable Semi- ridged

1.A tree is cut down and the trunk is fed into a chipping machine where it is cut into very small pieces.

2. The wood chips are boiled in water to form a thick wood pulp

3. ingredients such as starch and bonding agents are added. The pulp is poured over a fine mesh and the water escapes leaving the cellulose fibres behind. This forms the paper

Composite materials are materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties, that when combined, produce a material with characteristics different from the individual components. Composite materials consist of:• cements, concrete• Reinforced plastics such as fibre-

reinforced polymer• Metal Composites• Ceramic Composites

Paper and card are the materials that we all throw awaythe most, making up over a third of the rubbish we produce.It is easy to make new paper and card by recycling the oldpaper and card.

Paper is a versatile material with many uses

isometric

Grid

Blotting

coloured

NewsTissueWrappin

g

Blue

print

By Evie Lawrence

By Evie Lawrence

WoodManufactured

Hard wood is a type of wood that comes from angiosperm trees. Some of these trees are called Oak trees, Maple trees and Beech trees. These are some examples of what hard wood looks like:

Hard Wood Soft woodSoft wood is a type of wood that comes from coniferous trees and evergreen trees. Soft wood is the source of around 80% of the worlds production timber. These are a few examples of what soft wood looks like:

Manufactured wood is a type of wood that is man made. Some of the most common types of manufactured wood is plywood and MDF. Here are some examples of manufactured wood.

These are pieces of Plywood

These are pieces of MDF

This is how hardwood floors are manufactured.

There are two types of wood: softwood and hardwood. These names do not refer to the properties of the wood: some softwoods can be hard and some hardwoods can be soft Softwood comes from particular types of trees, it is

made by nature. Softwoods have a particular cellular structure at the microscopic level. Some Softwoods included in that definition are actually harder than some hardwoods. For example Balsa wood is biologically a hardwood, but it is softer for carving and cutting than is the biological softwood.

Hardwood is wood from deciduous trees and broad-leaf evergreen trees. All hardwoods are angiosperms (flowering plants) which are the most assorted and largest group of land plants. Hardwoods all have enclosed nuts or seeds. Hardwood is in contrast to softwood which come from conifers, cone bearing seed plants.

By Evie Lawrence

Metals: pure, alloys, ferrous,

non-ferrous

Metal Property Use

Aluminium Heat Conductor Make Saucepans

Copper Electrical Conductor Make electric wiring

Gold Lustrous (shiny) Make jewellery

Lead Dense To add weight when scuba diving

Platinum High melting and boiling point Electrodes of spark plugs

Steel High tensile strengthStrong

• Makes ropes• Makes bridges• Buildings • cars

Tungsten Hard Make drill pieces

AlloysAn alloy is a material composed of two or more metals or a metal and a non-metal. An alloy may be a solid solution of the elements.

Non Ferrous Metals•Aluminium – An alloy of aluminium, copper and manganese. Very lightweight and easily worked. Used in aircraft manufacture, window frames and some kitchen ware.•Copper – Copper is a natural occurring substance. The fact that it conducts heat and electricity means that it is used for wiring, tubing and pipe work.•Brass – A combination of copper and zinc, usually in the proportions of 65% to 35% respectively. Is used for ornamental purposes and within electrical fittings.•Silver – Mainly a natural substance, but mixing with copper creates sterling silver. Used for decorative impact in jewellery and ornaments, and also to solder different metals together.•Lead – Lead is a naturally occurring substance. It is heavy and very soft and is often used in roofing, in batteries and to make pipes.

Ferrous Metals•Mild Steel – Carbon content of 0.1 to 0.3% and Iron content of 99.7 – 99.9%. Used for engineering purposes and in general, none specialised metal products.•Carbon steel – Carbon content of 0.6 to 1.4% and Iron content of 98.6 to 99.4 %. Used to make cutting tools such as drill bits.•Stainless Steel – Made up of Iron, nickel and chromium. Resists staining and corrosion and is therefore used for the likes of cutlery and surgical instrumentation. See our info graphic celebrating 100 years of stainless steel usage in buildings or the different types of stainless steel.•Cast Iron – carbon 2 – 6% and Iron at 94 to 98%. Very strong but brittle. Used to manufacture items such as engine blocks and manhole covers.•Wrought Iron – Composed of almost 100% iron. Used to make items such as ornamental gates and fencing.

Angel of the north

By Evie Lawrence

Plastics: natural, synthetic, thermosetting or thermoplastic

There are two types of plastics: thermoplastics and thermosetting polymers. Thermoplastics are the plastics that do not undergo chemical change in their composition when heated and can be moulded again and again.

Thermosetting polymers have different properties to thermosetting polymers. Once moulded, they do not soften when heated and they cannot be reshaped. Vulcanised rubber is a thermoset used to make tyres.

NaturalNatural sources of plastics include:plants - from which cellulose can be extractedtrees - from which latex, amber and resin can be extractedanimals - from which horn and milk (used to make glues) are obtainedinsects - from which shellac (used to make polish) is obtained

SyntheticSynthetic plastics are chemically manufactured from:crude oilcoalnatural gas

By Evie Lawrence

A ceramic is an inorganic, non-metallic solid comprising metal, non-metal or metalloid atoms primarily held in ionic and covalent bonds. The crystallinity of ceramic materials ranges from highly oriented to semi-crystalline, and often completely amorphous (e.g., glasses).

ALUMINAAlumina is the most widely used advanced ceramic material. It offers very good performance in terms of wear resistance, corrosion resistance and strength at a reasonable price. Its high dielectric properties are beneficial in electronic products.

Applications include armour, semiconductor processing equipment parts, faucet disc valves, seals, electronic substrates and industrial machine components.

SILICON NITRIDESilicon nitride exceeds other ceramic materials in thermal shock resistance. It also offers an excellent combination of low density, high strength, low thermal expansion and good corrosion resistance and fracture toughness.

Applications include various aerospace and automotive engine components, papermaking machine wear surfaces, armour, burner nozzles and molten metal processing parts.

SILICON CARBIDESilicon carbide has the highest corrosion resistance of all the advanced ceramic materials. It also retains its strength at temperatures as high as 1400°C and offers excellent wear resistance and thermal shock resistance.

Applications include armour, mechanical seals, nozzles, silicon wafer polishing plates and pump parts.

ZIRCONIAZirconia has the highest strength and toughness at room temperature of all the advanced ceramic materials. The fine grain size allows for extremely smooth surfaces and sharp edges.

Applications include scissors, knifes, slitters, pump shafts, metal-forming tools, fixtures, tweezers, wire drawing rings, bearing sleeves and valves.

SAPPHIRESingle crystal sapphire offers superior mechanical properties and chemical stability coupled with light transmission.

By Evie Lawrence

A textile or cloth is

a flexible woven

material consisting

of a network of

natural or artificial

fibres often referred to as

thread or yarn.

Textiles

cottonUsed for making jeans, T-

shirts and towels and has

the following qualities:

•very absorbent, dries

slowly•soft handle•good drape

•durable•creases easily

•can be washed and

ironed LinenUsed for summer clothing,

tea towels and tablecloths

and has the following

qualities:•fresh and cool to wear

•very absorbent, dries

quickly•stiffer handle

•good drape•durable

•creases badly

•can be washed and ironed.

WoolUsed for jumpers, suits and

blankets and has the following

qualities:•warm to wear

•absorbent, dries slowly

•breathable, repels rain

•soft or coarse handle

•can shrink, should be dry

cleaned•good drape•not durable

SilkUsed for evening wear

and ties and has the

following qualities:

•warm to wear

•absorbent•soft handle

•durable creases drop out

•dry clean

NaturalSynthetic fabrics are textiles

made from man-made rather than natural

fibres. Some examples of synthetic fabrics are

polyester, acrylic, nylon, rayon, acetate,

spandex, latex and Kevlar. Synthetic fibres are

made by the joining of monomers into

polymers, by the process of polymerization.Bonded

fabric is a fabric-like

material made from

long fibres, bonded

together by chemical,

mechanical, heat or

solvent treatment.Woven fabrics are

made up of a weft - the yarn

going across the width of the

fabric - and a warp - the yarn

going down the length of the

loom. The side of the fabric

where the wefts are double-

backed to form a non-fraying

edge is called the selvedge.

By Evie Lawrence

FoodCarbohydrates

Protein

Dairy

Fibre and Vitamins

Water is a transparent fluid which forms the world's streams, lakes, oceans and rain, and is the major constituent of the fluids of living things. Its used for drinking or keeping clean.

Fibre is found in the indigestible parts of plants, good source of fibre include wholegrain foods, fruits and vegetables.

Minerals In the diet, certain substances necessary for the maintenance of life and good health. Some are essential components of bodily substances, such as the calcium in bones and the iron in haemoglobin, whereas others help regulate the activities of metabolism.

vitamins in food is a complex organic compound that are needed in small amounts by the body for normal growth and metabolism. An important part of a balanced diet, vitamins occur naturally in foods and may be added to processed foods to increase their nutritional value.

Fats are made of three fatty acids. Dietary fat supplies humans with essential fatty acids, such as linoleic acid and linoleic acid. Fat also regulates cholesterol metabolism and is a precursor of prostaglandins. See more at saturated fat, unsaturated fat.

Carbohydrates come in simple forms such as sugars and in complex forms such as starches and fibre. The body breaks down most sugars and starches into glucose, a simple sugar that the body can use to feed its cells.

Protein from animal sources, such as meat and milk, is called complete, because it contains all nine of the essential amino acids. Most vegetable protein is considered incomplete because it lacks one or more of the essential amino acids.

Starch• thickens a liquid by forming a suspension such as a sauce• forms a gel when the suspension is heated, like adding corn flour to a custard powder and milk mixSugar• flavours by sweetening• colours by caramelising when heated• aerates when beaten with a fat such as in a cake mixProteins• can coagulate which is when a liquid becomes firmer, for example when an egg is heated• can aerate a mixture, like whisking egg whites in a meringue mixFats• shortens pastry (makes it more crumbly) by making it less stretchy• can act as an emulsifying agent to stop two liquids from separating• moistens a baked mixture such as a cake!

By Evie Lawrence

A standard component is usually an individual part which is manufactured in thousands or millions, to the same specification (such as size, weight, material). A good example is a steel bolt. Bolts are available in a vast range of standard sizes. However, each size will be manufactured to an internationally accepted standard.

For example a typical steel M20 bolt is a specific length, diameter, quality of steel and pitch of thread.To ensure that each bolt is the same a small number, are selected from a batch and checked for quality and tolerance, before being sold to customers. Each sample bolt must fall within certain tolerances before being passed.

STANDARD COMPONENTS

Disadvantages of using standard components• less reliable - one manufacturer depends

on another• components can be more expensive• sensory qualities may not be as good as

fresh ingredients• large amount of storage space• time needed for ordering and delivery