Plastics, Polymers, Ceramics and Composites

What this unit covers

The resources sit in four families: plastics and polymers, ceramics, composites and smart materials. Many of the mind maps are short overviews, such as Polymers, Types of plastics, Composites and Ceramics. Others go deeper, like the maps on polymer processing, vacuum forming, ceramic powders, flash sintering of ceramics and graphene-based reinforced composites.

Where to start

Begin with the flashcard deck plastics/polymers tech. It defines a polymer, explains where the word plastic comes from and separates thermo-softening from thermo-setting polymers. Then open the Polymers mind map, which describes organic molecules joined by polymerisation and lists general traits such as low density, low stiffness and low strength.

Next, try Plastics part 1. It covers density, specific gravity and the difference between isotropic and anisotropic materials, with molded or cast plastics as the example.

Ceramics, composites and smart materials

1. Use the Ceramics: Mechanical Properties deck for plastic deformation, fracture toughness, flexural strength and the three-point loading test.
2. Move on to the Ceramics structure deck and the Ceramic powders map.
3. Read the Composites and Composite Materials maps, then the Polymer Matrix map.
4. Finish with Smart materials, plus the notes on photochromic ink, thermochromic pigments, Scratch & Sniff and Polymorph.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first to see how the ideas connect. Then take a quiz, such as Composite Quiz or one of the two polymers quizzes, and note what you missed. Go back to the matching flashcards for those gaps. Teachers can use a map as a lesson starter and a quiz as a quick check.

Where it fits

This unit belongs to the Materials strand within Engineering and technology (general or other). Choose a map that matches what you are studying and work outwards from there, or build a deck of your own.