9Ec - Composite materials

Textbook: p. 74- 75
About
By the end of this topic you
should be able to:

• Explain composite materials,

giving examples.
• Describe and justify the uses
of some composite materials.
• Explain what happens in
thermal decomposition, and
exothermic and endothermic
reactions.
 Name – Cotton
Name – Rubber
Properties- Lots of colours,
Properties- Waterproof,
comfortable, can be worn,
bouncy, flexible, durable,
washable, lightweight
good grip.
Name – Iron
Name – Plastic
Properties- Strong,
ductile, malleable, Properties – Brittle,
heavy, can rust, lightweight, flexible, colourful,
magnetic transparent, waterproof.
Name – Wood
Name – Leather
Properties- Cheap,
shapable, hard, flammable, Properties- Waterproof,
splinters, weak. expensive, tough, can be
worn, comfortable,
Name – Elastic washable.
Challenge – Can you think of any
Properties- Retains other materials you might want to use
shape, washable, in your new product/material you have
lightweight, bouncy.
made?
Select materials to design your own imaginary product
to be used for either
a] A football
b] A trampoline

• State what properties your design must have

• Describe which materials you are going to mix in
your design.
• Explain how this mix of materials will/will not suit
its use.

e.g A bulletproof vest must be strong enough to stop bullets,

but it must be comfortable to wear, easy to wash,
lightweight and a dark colour for camouflage. I could mix
iron with cotton to make a composite that is strong and
comfortable to wear – but this might make it heavy.
 What is a composite?
A composite is any
material made of at least
two other materials.

Charles Macintosh
sandwiched two layers of
cotton fabric around natural
rubber, making a three-
layered sandwich like the
one you see on your right.

This made for good

raincoats because, while the
rubber made it waterproof,
the cotton layers made it
comfortable to wear.
You see, that's why we make
composites: to make a material that
acts like both of its parts. In this
case, we combine the water-
resistance of rubber and the comfort
of cotton.
More composites. Plywood
Thin layers of wood glued
together

Pykrete - frozen ice

Video:
alloy
wood pulp + saw dust

reinforced concrete
Steel rods + concrete
Composite Materials.
Draw and complete table, using textbook pages 74-75. (You might want
to guess “What it is made up of” or leave that in blank.

Composite What it is made Use Properties that are

Material up of key for this use
Glass Glass fibres
Boat building Strong, lightweight,
Reinforced Polymer resin. flexible, waterproof
Plastic (GRP)
Kevlar Polymer fibres Racing cars, speed Very strong yet
Polymer resin boat bodies very low density.
Safety Glass Layers of glass, Hard / rigid but holds
(Laminated Clear flexible Windscreens together and doesn’t
Glass) polymer shatter on impact.
*Concrete Cement, sand
aggregate Building and
Strong, hard-wearing
(crushed rocks), construction
and easily moulded.
water.
Limestone is an important raw material.
✔Cement is mainly calcium oxide (lime) - made by
roasting limestone. (Endothermic reaction- absorb
energy from the surroundings, and energy is stored in
the products)
✔ Limestone (calcium carbonate (CaCO3) ) has long
been used to construct buildings.
✔Now, it’s used as a raw material to make
composites.
 Disadvantage or Problems
when digging up limestone?

Heat
Calcium carbonate → calcium oxide + carbon dioxide
(Limestone) (Lime)
Above chemical reaction is a thermal
decomposition reaction → Some
compounds break down when heated,
forming two or more products from one
reactant. Energy (ie. heat energy is
needed-Endothermic reaction)
 Calcium oxide (lime) reacts with water.

calcium
oxide
+ water calcium
hydroxide
CaO + H2O Ca(OH)2
✔This reaction releases heat to the surroundings.
✔Reactions that release energy are described as ...
Cement burns ... exothermic.
Recap
● Composite materials: plywood,
concrete, GPR, paper.
● Composite material - combination of
two or more materials.
● The decomposition of calcium
carbonate (limestone) to make calcium
oxide (lime) is a endothermic reaction.
HWK: WS 9Ec4 and 9Ec5