EGM241 Assignment

MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY
Pursing the frontiers of knowledge
School of Science, Engineering and Technology
Department of Engineering
NAME: BWALYA BENARD
STUDENT NUMBER: 201902585
COURSE : EGINEERING MATERIALS I (EGM 241)
ASSIGNMENT#: 1
DUE DATE: 30TH SEPTEMBER,2022

PROPERTIES OF ADVANCED MATERIALS
Materials utilized in high-technology (or high-tech) applications are sometimes termed

advanced materials. By high technology, we mean a device or product that operates or
functions using relatively intricate and sophisticated principles, including electronic
equipment (camcorders, CD/DVD players), computers, fiber-optic systems, spacecraft,
aircraft, and military rocketry. These advanced materials are typically traditional mate
rials whose properties have been enhanced and also newly developed, high-performance
materials. Furthermore, they may be of all material types (e.g., metals, ceramics,
polymers) and are normally expensive. Advanced materials include semiconductors,
biomaterials, and what we may term materials of the future (i.e., smart materials and
nanoengineered materials), which we discuss next. The properties and applications of
a number of these advanced materials—for example, materials that are used for lasers,
integrated circuits, magnetic information storage, liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and
fiber optics—are also discussed in subsequent chapters.
Some of these materials are;

- Semi-conductors
- Smart materials
- Biomaterials
- Nanomaterials
SEMI- CONDUCTORS
Semi-conductors have combined properties of conductors (metals and metal alloys) and
insulators (polymers and ceramics). Thus these materials are intermediate between the electrical
conductors and insulators.Furthermore, the electrical characteristics of these materials are
extremely
sensitive to the presence of minute concentrations of impurity atoms, for which the con
centrations may be controlled over very small spatial regions. Semiconductors have made
possible the advent of integrated circuitry that has totally revolutionized the electronics
and computer industries (not to mention our lives) over the past four decades.
SMART MATERIALS
Smart material implies that these materials are able to sense change in their environment and
respond in a predetermined manner. Components of a smart materials (or system) include some
type of sensor (that detects an input signal) and an actuator (that performs a responsive and
adaptive function). Actuators may be called upon to change shape, position, natural frequency,
or mechanical characteristics in response to changes in temperature, electric fields and/or
magnetic fields.
Four types of materials are commonly used for actuators: shape-memory alloys,
piezoelectric ceramics, magnetostrictive materials, and electrorheological/magnetorheo
logical fluids. Shape-memory alloys are metals that, after having been deformed, revert to
their original shape when temperature is changed. Piezoelectric ceramics expand and contract in
response to an applied electric field (or voltage); conversely, they also generate an electric field
when their dimensions are altered. The behavior of magnetostrictive materials is analogous to
that of the piezoelectrics, except that they are responsive to magnetic fields.
Also, electrorheological and magnetorheological fluids are liquids that experience dramatic
changes in viscosity upon the application of electric and magnetic fields, respectively.
BIOMATERIALS
The length and the quality of our lives are being extended and improved, in part, due
to advancements in the ability to replace diseased and injured body parts. Replacement
implants are constructed of biomaterials—nonviable (i.e., nonliving) materials that are
implanted into the body, so that they function in a reliable, safe, and physiologically
satisfactory manner, while interacting with living tissue. That is, biomaterials must be
biocompatible—compatible with body tissues and fluids with which they are in contact
over acceptable time periods. Biocompatible materials must neither elicit rejection or
physiologically unacceptable responses nor release toxic substances. Consequently, some
rather stringent constraints are imposed on materials in order for them to be biocompatible.
Suitable biomaterials are to be found among the several classes of materials dis
cussed earlier in this chapter—i.e., metal alloys, ceramics, polymers, and composite ma
terials. Throughout the remainder of this book we draw the reader’s attention to those
materials that are used in biotechnology applications.
Over the past several years the development of new and better biomaterials has
accelerated rapidly; today, this is one of the “hot” materials areas, with an abundance
of new, exciting, and high-salary job opportunities. Example biomaterial applications in
clude joint (e.g., hip, knee) and heart valve replacements, vascular (blood vessel) grafts,
fracture-fixation devices, dental restorations, and generation of new organ tissues.
NANOMATERIALS
These have structural features on the order of a nanometer, some of which may be designed on
the atomic/molecular level.
it has become possible to manipulate and move atoms and molecules to form new
structures and, thus, design new materials that are built from simple atomic-level
constituents (i.e., “materials by design”). The ability to carefully arrange atoms provides
opportunities to develop mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and other properties that are not
otherwise possible.
We call this the “bottom-up” approach, and the study of the properties of these materials is
termed “nanotechnology”.
(ii) APPLICATION OF SMART/ADVANCED MATERIALS

- Smart Materials are used in constructing smart structures and which are capable of sensing
minute structural cracks and flaws.
- Smart Materials are used in the designs of Smart buildings. They are used for vibration control,
noise mitigation, safety and performance.
- Smart Materials are used to monitor the integrity of bridges, dams, where the fibre-optic
sensors are embedded in the structures, are utilized to identify the trouble areas.

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MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY

Pursing the frontiers of knowledge

School of Science, Engineering and Technology

NAME: BWALYA BENARD

STUDENT NUMBER: 201902585

COURSE : EGINEERING MATERIALS I (EGM 241)

DUE DATE: 30TH SEPTEMBER,2022

Materials utilized in high-technology (or high-tech) applications are sometimes termed

Some of these materials are;

(ii) APPLICATION OF SMART/ADVANCED MATERIALS

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