The world of materials is exciting because new materials are evolving daily. After an introduction to materials science, the book addresses the classification and structure of matter. It moves on to discuss crystal and mechanical properties. Next, the book employs various materials such as semiconductors and iron wires to teach concepts such as electrical conductivity, heat conductivity and allotropes. Corrosion is addressed and a chapter dedicated to interpretation of graphs and diagrams in materials science is presented. The book then progresses with chapters on ceramics, biomaterials, polymers and composites. To address the growing importance of recycling materials, polymer identification codes are explained. Interesting topics such as accidental materials discovery and materials failure are included. Each chapter ends with a chapter summary and questions and answers. Illustrations and worked examples are provided throughout. A lab manual is included as well. Presents an broad overview of materials science topics, including such topics as: crystal and mechanical properties of materials, semiconductors and iron wires, corrosion, ceramics, biomaterials, polymers, and composite materials; Examines modern-day materials, their synthesis, properties, alteration, and applications; Includes supplemental material, such as a lab manual and examples.

This book examines ten materials—flint, clay, iron, gold, glass, cement, rubber, polyethylene, aluminum, and silicon—explaining how they formed, how we discovered them, why they have the properties they do, and how they have transformed our lives. Since the dawn of the Stone Age, we have shaped materials to meet our needs and, in turn, those materials have shaped us. The fracturing of flint created sharp, curved surfaces that gave our ancestors an evolutionary edge. Molding clay and then baking it in the sun produced a means of recording the written word and exemplified human artistic imagination. As our ability to control heat improved, earthenware became stoneware and eventually porcelain, the most prized ceramic of all. Iron cast at high temperatures formed the components needed for steam engines, locomotives, and power looms—the tools of the Industrial Revolution. Gold has captivated humans for thousands of years and has recently found important uses in biology, medicine, and nanotechnology. Glass shaped into early and imperfect lenses not only revealed the microscopic world of cells and crystals, but also allowed us to discover stars and planets beyond those visible with the naked eye. Silicon revolutionized the computer, propelling us into the Information Age and with it our interconnected social networks, the Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence. Written by a materials scientist, this book explores not just why, but also how certain materials came to be so fundamental to human society. This enlightening study captivates anyone interested in learning more about the history of humankind, our ingenuity, and the materials that have shaped our world.

Much more than a history of the material sciences, Stuff brims with interviews with cutting-edge experts in the field, many of whom are building new materials literally atom by atom, and describes such astounding achievements as artificial diamonds created from peanut butter and how nanotechnologists are building new-age, state-of-the-art machines no thicker than a few hundred atoms.

This book introduces materials and how advances in materials result in advances in technology and our daily lives. Each chapter covers a particular material, how the material was discovered or invented, when it was first used, how this material has impacted the world, what makes the material important, how it is used today, and future applications. The list of materials covered in this book includes stone, wood, natural fibers, metals, clay, lead, iron, steel, silicon, glass, rubber, composites, polyethylene, rare earth magnet, and alloys.

How much further should the affluent world push its material consumption? Does relative dematerialization lead to absolute decline in demand for materials? These and many other questions are discussed and answered in Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization. Over the course of time, the modern world has become dependent on unprecedented flows of materials. Now even the most efficient production processes and the highest practical rates of recycling may not be enough to result in dematerialization rates that would be high enough to negate the rising demand for materials generated by continuing population growth and rising standards of living. This book explores the costs of this dependence and the potential for substantial dematerialization of modern economies. Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization considers the principal materials used throughout history, from wood and stone, through to metals, alloys, plastics and silicon, describing their extraction and production as well as their dominant applications. The evolving productivities of material extraction, processing, synthesis, finishing and distribution, and the energy costs and environmental impact of rising material consumption are examined in detail. The book concludes with an outlook for the future, discussing the prospects for dematerialization and potential constrains on materials. This interdisciplinary text provides useful perspectives for readers with backgrounds including resource economics, environmental studies, energy analysis, mineral geology, industrial organization, manufacturing and material science.

An eye-opening adventure deep inside the everyday materials that surround us, from concrete and steel to denim and chocolate, packed with surprising stories and fascinating science.

Following the overwhelming success of Material World, European material experts MatériO have compiled and described innovative materials for architecture and design in the sequel: Material World 2. Once again architects, interior architects and designers can look up the ideal manufacturer, and gain inspiration for their building exteriors, interiors, and innovative products. Material World 2 is as comprehensive as the first volume: here architects and designers will find detailed product information, addresses, and contact details of manufacturers for every material featured. In addition, each material entry is accompanied by case studies, which show the material in specific applications.