CES SOFTWARE GUIDEMATERIAL SCIENCE ENGINEERING
M A T E R I A L   S C I E N C E  &  E N G I N E E R I N G      

Background
Material Classes

Metals

Ceramics

Polymers


Composites
Material Structure

Physical Properties

Material Selection

Material Processing

Example Case Studies


Material Classes

 Polymers
Polymers are substance that are solid and nonmetallic; a polymer is composed of small molecules that repeat like links in a chain. These repetitve units are called monomers (see covalent bonding). A rubber band gets its stretch because of this structure.

Since the beginning of time, polymers have been around in the natural world. Many of them are organic compounds that are chemically based on carbon, hydrogen and other metallic elements. These metals typically have low densities and may be extremely flexible.

Organic examples can include starch, cellulose, and rubber. Man-made polymers have been studied since 1832. Today, the polymer industry has grown to be larger than the aluminum, copper and steel industries combined. Plastics and plastic products are examples of a large portion of the polymer industry.

Polymers, compared to any other class of material, has the most vast range of application known to man. Current applications extend from adhesives, coatings, foams, and packaging materials to textile and industrial fibers, composites, electronic devices, biomedical devices, optical devices, and precursors for many newly developed high-tech ceramics.

Polyurethane (PUR) wheels revolutionized skate board and roller skate technology.

Rubber tires are of polymer material (butyl-rubber).

 

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