UNIVERSITY OF ENGINEERING

AND TECHNOLOGY, TAXILA

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
ASSIGNMENT : ENGINEERING
MATERIALS
SUBMITTED BY : TALAL AHMED
REGISTRATION NUMBER: 20-ME-20
SECTION :D
SUBMITTED TO : DR.ANEELA WAKEEL
ASSIGNMENT NAME
Write report on application of polymer and smart
material in daily life along with its basic properties.
DATE OF SUBMISSION : 12-03-2021

S
In this report, I will discuss some of the applications of
polymers and smart materials in daily life and also discuss
some of their properties.

POLYMERS
A polymer is a large molecule or a
macromolecule which essentially is a
combination of many subunits.
Polymers may be natural or synthetic.
Now I will discuss some properties of polymers.
PROPERTIES OF POLYMERS
 They have low densities which makes them light weight and
easy to handle.
 They are resistance to chemicals.
 They are insulators of heat and electricity.
 They do not respond to magnetic field.
 They can be formed into various shapes.
 They have large range of colors.
 They resist to corrosion.
 They are flexible and stretchable.
 They have high toughness.
Now I will discuss some of their applications in daily life.
 APPLICATIONS OF POLYMERS
PVC PIPES
PVC pipes are commonly used for manufacturing sewage pipes,
water mains and irrigation. They have very long-lasting
properties. PVC pipes are easy to install, lightweight, strong,
durable and easily recyclable. They are cost-efficient and
sustainable.

SHOES
Polyurethane (PU) is a common polymers used in shoes. The
reason is that it is lightweight, durable, and waterproof. PU is
also remarkably oil-resistant, which makes it a great ingredient
in boots designed for construction or industrial use.
POLYTHENE SHEETS
Polyethylene or polythene(PE) plays a vital role in plastic
protection. It is used in construction as vapor retarders, window
films, flooring and counter top protection, and even in roofing.
Polyethylene sheet can be used to seal off rooms, cover building
materials, and be used in lead abatement projects.

PLASTIC TOYS
Almost all plastic toys produced worldwide are made from just a
few plastic materials including high- and low-density
polyethylene (LDPE, HDPE), polypropylene (PP),
polyvinylchloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS, ABS), polycarbonate
(PC), and polyester (PET).Some of these are hard and brittle
while others are flexible and stretchable according to
requirement.
NON-STICK PANS
Teflon (Polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE) is a synthetic
fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene. PTFE is used as a non-stick
coating for pans and other cookware because it has very low
friction with other compounds.

Now, I will discuss smart materials.

SMART MATERIALS
A smart material is an object that holds a property
that is susceptible to change with the introduction
of an external stimulus.
These changes can include:
 Electrical
 Chemical
 Thermal
 Mechanical
  Magnetic
First, I will discuss its properties.
PROPERTIES
 They are physically strong.
 They have greater sensitivity and are chemically inert.
 They have high dielectric constant and coupling factor.
 They have high operating temperature.
 They have inexpensive.
 They have a noise-free frequency response.
 They have high density with fine grain structure.
First, I will discuss its applications.
APPLICATIONS OF SMART MATERIALS
Aerial industry
The application of smart materials will enable the wings of
aircraft to be more flexible thanks to shape-memory alloys. The
outer elements of an aircraft will become more skin-like in that
they will have to be strong, hard and rigid, yet flexible.
ENERGY SECTOR
The implementation of printed photovoltaic cells will allow the
energy sector to take solar panels to the next level. Photovoltaic
cells can be painted onto any surface, in any shape. These cells
can transform sunlight and heat into electricity. This will have a
positive impact on residential properties.

MOBILE INDUSTRY
There are devices that contain self-healing materials, restoring
any scratches that occur on the back of the device. The aim is to
invent self-healing glass (for screens) and lithium batteries that
can be housed within mobile devices.
AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
Windscreen chips become cracked due to water molecules
within the air mixing with the chip in the glass, breaking it down
and worsening the condition. Crack-resistant glass is developed
that reacts well with airborne water molecules, resulting in the
glass healing over time instead of deteriorating.

FIELD OF DEFENSE AND SPACE

Smart materials have been developed to suppress vibrations and
change shape in helicopter rotor blades. Shape-memory-alloy
devices are also being developed that are capable of achieving
accelerated breakup of vortex waves of submarines and similarly
different adaptive control surfaces are developed for airplane
wings.
HEALTH
Biosensors made from smart materials can be used to monitor
blood sugar levels in diabetics and communicate with a pump
that administers insulin as required.

THE END