Properties And Applications Of Materials Assignment 2

Properties and applications of Materials
Assignment 2
Task 1 (P1)
I. Describe the structure including the atomic structure of the element copper.
Copper has a symbol Cu. It is a metal with a very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable when it is freshly exposed the surface has a reddish-orange colour. It has an atomic mass of 63.546 g.mol -1 and an atomic number of 29. The electrons per energy level for copper go 2,8,18,1. Copper has an atomic number of 29, thus meaning it contains 29 protons and 29 electrons. Copper has 35 neutrons.
It has many uses such as for conducting electricity and heat but it is also used as a building material and it is part of many metal alloys. Due to the fact that Copper does not react with water, it makes it very useful for plumbing. Copper has been known since prehistoric time. It has been mined for more than 5000 years. Copper has a melting point of 1083.4 +/- 0.2°C and a boiling point of 2567°C. It is second only to silver as an electrical conductor. In addition to many other uses, copper is used in for cookware. Brass and bronze are two important copper alloys. Copper (I) burns blue in a flame test and Copper (II) burns green in a flame test. Copper has two electrons on its innermost shell, on the next shell out it as eight electrons. Copper has eighteen electrons on the third shell and just one in the fourth shell. Due to the first three shells all having their full capacity of electrons and the fourth shell only having one electron although it can actually hold up to 32 electrons thus meaning that this last electron can separate itself easily from the rest of the atom. This causes copper to be a very good conductor.

II. Describe the structure including the molecular arrangement of polyethylene and the atomic structure of each element.
Polyethylene is one of the most popular and versatile plastics and probably the most common polymer you seen in day-to-day life. It is used in all sorts of things for example, shopping bags, shampoo bottles, children toys and even as far as bulletproof vests. Polyethylene has a very simple structure. A molecule of polyethylene is just long chain of carbon atoms, with two hydrogen atoms attached to each of the carbon atom. Polyethylene can be a bit more complicated, sometimes instead of the carbon atoms having hydrogen attached to them, they may have long chains of polyethylene. This is called low-density polyethylene (LDPE). When there is no branching it is called linear polyethylene or HDPE. HDPE is far stronger than LDPE, but LDPE is much cheaper and easier to manufacture.

III. Describe the structure including the atomic structure of Silicon Nitride
Silicon Nitride is a chemical compound of Silicon and Nitrogen. The formula for Silicon Nitride is Si3N4. Silicon Nitride is a white solid, which has a high melting point. Silicon Nitride is a hard, dense, refractory material. The structure is rigid by the necessity of nitrogen forming three rather than two bonds. The nitrogen atoms are arranged roughly tetrahedral around the silicon, which makes it rigid.

IV. Describe the structure including the atomic structure of Timber.
Timber has a fibrous structure and is made up of long slender cells, which are aligned with the tree trunk. These cells create the grain of the timber. Timber is strong along the grain but weak across the grain. Timber is a porous and fibrous structural tissue, which is found in the stems and roots of trees. Lignin is a complex polymer made of aromatic alcohols known as monolinguals. It is most often found in wood, and is an key part of the secondary cell walls of plants and some algae. Cellulose fibres are made with ether or esters of cellulose, which can be attained from the bark, wood or leaves of plants, or from a plant-based material. Other than cellulose, these fibres are compound of hemicellulose and lignin, and different percentages of these components are responsible for different mechanical properties observed. The main application of cellulose is as a chemical filter in the textile industry.

V. Describe the atomic unit cell structure of lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric smart material.
Atomic Structure of Lead
Lead is a chemical element which is in the carbon group and it has the symbol Pb. Lead is soft, malleable and heavy. Lead is metallic and has a bluish-white colour after being freshly cut, but lead soon tarnishes and becomes a greyish colour when it is exposed to air. Lead has a shiny chrome-silver sheen when it is melted into a liquid. Lead is also the heaviest non-radioactive element. Lead has 82 protons and electrons and it has 126 neutrons. Lead has an Atomic Number of 82 and an atomic Mass of 207.2 AMU. Lead has a melting point of 327.5 °C. The boiling point for lead is 1740.0 °C. Lead has 6 energy levels and the electrons are sorted like this:
First Energy Level: 2
Second Energy Level: 8
Third Energy Level: 18
Fourth Energy Level: 32
Fifth Energy Level: 18
Sixth Energy Level: 4

Atomic Structure of Zirconium
Zirconium is a chemical element which has the symbol Zr. It is a shiny, grey-white, strong transition metal which is mainly used as a refractory and opacifier, although it can be used in small amounts as an alloying agent as it is strong in its resistance to corrosion. Zirconium forms a variety of inorganic and organometallic. Zirconium has an atomic number of 40 and an atomic mass of 91.224 AMU. It has a melting Point of 1852.0 °C and a Boiling Point of 4377.0 °C. Zirconium has 40 Protons and Electrons. It has 51 Neutrons. It has 5 energy levels and the electrons are sorted like this:
First Energy Level: 2
Second Energy Level: 8
Third Energy Level: 18
Fourth Energy Level: 10
Fifth Energy Level: 2

Lead zirconium titanate is an intermetallic, inorganic compound. It is a ceramic material that shows a marked piezoelectric effect, which finds practical applications in the area of electro-ceramics. PZT is a white solid that is insoluble in all solvents.
Being piezoelectric means it develops a voltage across two of its faces when compressed, which makes it very useful for sensor applications, or it can physically change its shape when an external electric field is, applied which can also make it very useful for actuator applications.

Task 2 (P2)
Metals
Non-Metals
Gold
Formica
Carbon Steel
Paxolin
Cast Iron
Epoxy Resin
Copper
Wool
Tin
Urethane
Aluminium
Silica
Zinc
Bakelite
Uranium
Glass
Potassium
Argon
Nitinol
Aramid

Polypropylene

Polyamide

Tufnol

Zirconia

Task 3 (P3)
I / II List two properties for each of the groups of materials listed. For each material, suggest one engineering application.
1) Metals: Malleable and they react with oxygen to form basic oxides. One engineering application for some metals could be in the aerospace industry for example the use to build aircraft.
2) Polymers: These have a low density and a poor tensile strength. One engineering application of polymers could be automobile parts.
3) Ceramics: Two properties of ceramics are that they are hard and brittle. An engineering application of ceramics is that they can be used for thermal barriers for high-speed and high-stiffness spindles, bushes, gears.
4) Composites: They have a high strength to weight ratio and they can be very lightweight. An engineering application for composites is that they can be used in manufacturing many things from boats to pipes and even spacecraft.