DT 2.3 Smart and 2.4 Modern materials

These materials react and change with a physical change in their environment e.g. heat, light, electrical current.

• Smart Materials
• Modern materials
• Nano materials
• New Materials

I  improve the mechanical properties of a material, such as stiffness or elasticity. When incorporated into polymers, I can be used as lightweight replacements for metals. What am I?

• Nano materials
• Smart materials
• New Material
• Modern Materials

This type of material have properties previously unavailable (not present in natural materials) allowing them to be used in new and innovative ways.

• Smart
• Modern
• Innovative
• unnatural

Reactive Pigments which can be incorporated into paints, dyes, inks and plastics are called 

• Smart Colours
• Smart plastics
• Smart inks
• Smart paints

Pigments react to changes in temperature

• Thermochromic
• Photochromic 

Pigments react to changes in Light

• Thermochromic
• Photochromic 

Unlike most plastics I am not a natural insulators. Therefore I can be used in electronics and am lighter and cheaper than metals

• Conductive Polymers
• Biocompatible
• Smart Plastic
• Nano plastic

I am available in small pellets which fuse together when heated to 62˚C. I can be moulded into shape resulting in a very tough polymer. Unused pellets can be re-heated and re-used.

• Polymorphic
• Polyless
• Polymore
• Polyless

I am made from clay, sand and feldspar. These materials are ground to a fine powder, mixed together and fired at high temperatures (700-2000°C)

• Polymers
• Ceramics
• Metals
• Modern Materials

I am a smart material that is easily bent when cool but jump back into shape when heated above a certain temperature eg. nitinol

• Shape memory Alloys
• Nano Materials
• Ceramics
• Cornstarch polymers