Classification of Materials

Metals - Ferrous, Non-Ferrous, Alloy

Woods - Hardwood, Softwood, Manufactured Board

Polymers - Thermoplastic, Thermosetting Polymer, Elastomer

Papers and Boards

Composites - Fibre Based, Particle Based, Sheet Based

Smart Materials

Modern Materials

Ferrous: a metal containing mostly iron and carbon (magnetic, rusts)

• e.g. low carbon steel, medium carbon steel, cast iron

Non-Ferrous: a metal that does not contain iron (not magnetic, doesn't rust)

• e.g. aluminium, copper, zinc, silver, gold, tin, titanium

Alloy: metal made of 2 or more metals

• ferrous alloy - e.g. stainless steel, die steel
• non-ferrous alloy - bronze, brass, duralumin, pewter

Hardwood: a wood from a broad leafed (deciduous) tree

• e.g. oak, ash, mahogony, teak, birch, beech

Softwood: a wood from a cone bearing (coniferous) tree

• e.g. pine, spruce, douglas fir, redwood, cedar, larch

Manufactured Board: a man-made wood based composite material

• e.g. plywood, marine plywood, aeroply, flexible plywood, chipboard, mdf

Thermoplastic: material which can be reheated and reshaped repeatidly (recyclable)

• e.g. LDPE, HDPE, PP, HIPS, PVC

Thermosetting Polymer: material which when heated goes through chemical change - cross links

• e.g. urea formaldehyde (UF), polyester resin, epoxy resin

Elastomer: material which at room temperature can be deformed under pressure and released

• e.g. natural rubber, polybudiene, neoprene, silicone

Papers and Boards: compliant materials which can be scored, folded and cut with basic tools

• e.g. cartridge paper, layout paper, tracing paper, watercolour paper, corrugated card, mount board, duplex card, foil backed and laminated card, moulded paper pulp

Composite: a material made of 2 or more different materials, resulting with enhanced properties

• fibre based - e.g. carbon/glass fibre reinforced plastic, fibre concrete
  
• particle based - e.g. tungsten carbide, concrete
• sheet based - e.g. aluminium composite board, engineered wood (glulam)

Smart Material: a material whose physical properties change in response to an input or change in the environment - e.g. electricity, temperature, pressure, light, etc.

• e.g. shape memory alloys (SMA), thermochromatic pigment, phosphorent pigment, electroluminscent wire

Modern Material: a material developed through the invention of new or improved processes - do not react to external change!

• e.g. kevlar, precious metal clay (PMC), high density modelling foam, polymorph