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Concept
Material
Summary
Material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified on the basis of their physical and chemical properties, or on their geological origin or biological function. Materials science is the study of materials, their properties and their applications.
Raw materials can be processed in different ways to influence their properties, by purification, shaping or the introduction of other materials. New materials can be produced from raw materials by synthesis.
In industry, materials are inputs to manufacturing processes to produce products or more complex materials.
Materials chart the history of humanity. The system of the three prehistoric ages (Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age) were succeeded by historical ages: steel age in the 19th century, polymer age in the middle of the following century (plastic age) and silicon age in the second half of the 20th century.
Materials can be broadly categorized in terms of their use, for example:
Building materials are used for construction
Building insulation materials are used to retain heat within buildings
Refractory materials are used for high-temperature applications
Nuclear materials are used for nuclear power and weapons
Aerospace materials are used in aircraft and other aerospace applications
Biomaterials are used for applications interacting with living systems
Material selection is a process to determine which material should be used for a given application.
The relevant structure of materials has a different length scale depending on the material. The structure and composition of a material can be determined by microscopy or spectroscopy.
In engineering, materials can be categorised according to their microscopic structure:
Ceramics: non-metal, inorganic solids
Glasses: amorphous solids
Metals: pure or combined chemical elements with specific chemical bonding behavior
Polymers: materials based on long carbon or silicon chains
Hybrids: combinations of multiple materials, for example composites.
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