BLOCK 3:

TECHNICAL USE
MATERIALS
 PROPERTIES
OF MATERIALS
 PROPERTIES OF MATERIALS

The properties of materials describe the behaviour of the materials in the

presence of an external stimulus.

The properties are divided into three groups:

Physical Chemical Ecological

Mechanic Electrical Thermal Optical Acoustic Magnetic

 1. Physical properties
1.1 Electric properties
- Electrical conductivity (electrical conducting, electric insulating): the
capacity of transmitting/not transmitting electricity.

1.2 Mechanic properties

- Elasticity (elastic): the ability of returning to the original shape after a
deformation.
- Plasticity (plastic): the property of getting permanent deformations
- Malleability (malleable): the property of being stretched into sheets.
- Ductility (ductile): the property of being stretched into cables or wires.
- Hardness/softness(hard/soft): the difficulty/facility of scratching a
material.
- Tenacity (tenacious): the difficulty of breaking a material when it is hit.
- Fragility (fragile): the quality of breaking easily a material when it is hit.
 1. Physical properties
1.3 Thermal properties
- Thermal conductivity (thermal conducting, thermal insulating): the
property of transmitting/not transmitting heat.
- Fusibility (fusible): the quality of changing from solid into liquid state with
heat.

1.4 Optical properties

- Transparency (transparent): the quality of a material which transmits light
clearly through it.
- Translucency (translucent): the quality of a material which doesn’t
transmit light clearly through it.
- Opacity (opaque): impenetrable by light; neither transparent nor
translucent.
 1. Physical properties

1.5 Acoustic properties

- Acoustic conductivity (acoustic conducting, acoustic insulating) : the
quality of transmitting/not transmitting sound.

1.6 Magnetic properties

- Magnetism (magnetic): capacity of attracting metallic materials.
 2. Chemical properties

- Oxidation (oxidable): the quality of oxidizing in presence of oxygen or

water.
 3. Ecological properties
- Biodegradability (biodegradable): capable of being decomposed by
biological agents, especially bacteria.
- Recyclability (recyclable): the quality of used material that can be
processed into new products.
Materials can be recycled in two different ways:
• Chemical recycling: materials are recycled altering their chemical
structure with chemical processes.
• Mechanical recycling: materials are grinded and turned into small
grains to obtain new objects.
- Toxicity (toxic): capable of causing injury or death, especially by chemical
means; poisonous.
 Electric - Electric conductivity

- Elasticity
- Plasticity
- Malleability
Mechanic - Ductility
- Hardness/softness
- Tenacity
- Fragility
Physical
Thermal - Thermal conductivity
- Fusibility
- Transparency
Optical - Translucency
- Opacity
PROPERTIES
OF Acoustic - Acoustic conductivity
MATERIALS
Magnetic - Magnetism

Chemical - Oxidation

- Biodegradability
Ecological - Recyclability
- Toxicity
 PLASTIC
MATERIALS
 A. DEFINITION
Plastics are materials made from long chains of polymers with
carbon (C) and hydrogen (H).
 B. ORIGIN
According to their origin, plastics can be divided into two different
groups:
 Natural plastics: can be obtained from
• Animals: galalith from casein (protein of milk).
• Plants: cellulose, cellophane, latex.

 Synthetic plastics: are obtained from petroleum, coal and

natural gas.
 B. ORIGIN
The process used to obtained plastics is called polymerization and different
substances can be added:

 Loads: different raw materials and materials added to the plastic in

order to reduce the production cost or improve the plastic properties:
glass fibre, carbon fibre...

 Additives: chemical substances added to plastics to improve their

properties or to change different characteristics.
 C. TYPES OF PLASTIC
At present, more than 15.000 different plastics have been discovered but
only a few of them are frequently used.
According to their structures, plastics can be divided into two groups:

 Thermoplastics

Thermosetting
plastics

Elastomers
 Thermoplastics
• Most of them are obtained from petroleum.
• Their structure consists of long weakly-joint chains of polymers.
• They don’t resist heat very well, so they soften at low temperatures and
they can be moulded and melted.
• Thermoplastics are easily formed into shapes.
• They are recyclable.
 Thermoplastics
Name Properties Uses
Vast range of hardness. Pipes, gloves, waterproof
PVC
Waterproof. clothes...
Transparent.
Polystyrene Hard Cellophane
It can be pigmented.Teflon Packaging.
(PS)
Expanded
Expanded
Spongy and soft.
PVCPSPackaging, packing, thermal
and acoustic isolation...
Rigid and resistant.
HD Home gadgets, toys...
Polyethylene Transparent.
(PE) Soft and light.
LD Bags, cups, dishes...
Transparent.
Headlights, windows, lighting
Methacrylate Transparent.
panels, goggles, watches...
LDPEHardHDPE
PS
Kitchen gadgets, pans,
Teflon Sliding and non-adherent.
kitchen worktops...
Cellophane Transparent. Packaging, packing...
Nylon Methacrylate
Translucent, glossy, different
Nylon colours, resistant, flexible and Clothes, tooth brushes,
racket strings...
waterproof.
 Thermosetting plastics
• They all are obtained from petroleum.
• Their structure consists of long strong-joint chains of polymers.
• The links between the chains are so strong that they cannot be broken
when the plastic is heated; they resist heat and fire very well, so they
become hard and rigid.
• They can be moulded by heating only once.
• They are non-recyclable.
 Thermosetting plastics
Name Properties Uses
Mattress foam, sponges, thermal
Spongy, flexible, soft, solid,
Polyurethane (PUR) elastic, adherent. and acoustic isolation, adhesives
and varnish.

It is combined with other

Phenolic resins (PH). materials like glass and Kitchen gadgets handles, gears,
carbon fibres. electrical appliances, telephones,
Bakelite electrical devices.
Electric insulator.
Light, resistant, rather Electrical devices, electrical and
Melamine hard, odourless, acoustic isolation, kitchen
flavourless, thermal
Bakelite worktops, dishes, food
insulator. containers.
Polyurethane
Melamine
 Elastomers
• They are a special kind of thermosetting plastics.
• They are obtained using a chemical process called vulcanization
(discovered by Charles Goodyear). This process turns the thermosetting
plastic into elastic.
Name Origin Properties Uses
Natural Thermal and electrical
Latex Resistant, inert.
rubber isolation, mattress, tyres...
Tyres, steering wheels,
Synthetic Petroleum Chemical agent rubber
resistance. bumpers, floor surfaces,
rubber Natural pipes, hosepipes, sponges,
gloves, mattress...
BetterNeoprene
properties than
Synthetic Diving suits, hosepipes,
Neoprene
rubber Synthetic
synthetic rubber
rubber: harder and
gloves...
more resistant. Waterproof.
D. MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
Extrusion Calendering Vacuum forming

Rotational moulding Injection moulding Blow moulding

Compression moulding Dipping

 E. PLASTIC WORKING TOOLS

They are all the actions that we can do to manipulate plastic materials. These
techniques need the using of different tools and machines.
We can classify the plastic working techniques according to the function of
each tool or machine:

Cutting

Drilling

Joints
 Cutting
Cutter Coping saw Scissors

Power jigsaw Chisel Hot-wire foam cutter

 Drilling

Die cut machine

Power drill
 Joints
DETACHABLE JOINTS
Bolt and nut Threaded joints Joint screw

NON-DETACHABLE JOINTS
2-component epoxy Acrylic cement Contact adhesive Welding