A Material World
Modern materials can be described using a wide variety of adjectives. For example, materials can be:
resilient
Titanium alloys are used, amongst other things, as materials for surgical implants. Such implants are corrosion-resistant and virtually indestructible within the body. By applying specific surface coatings, they can be made particularly biocompatible.
mobile
Lithium is the lightest metal and also one of the most reactive elements. It forms the basis of modern lithium-ion batteries, in which the tiny lithium ions are highly mobile and can transport charge between the battery’s electrodes.
inconspicuous
Indium is a component of indium tin oxide, or ITO for short. ITO is the best-known member of the class of transparent conductive oxides, which are used as thin, transparent layers in displays and solar cells. The demand for these mass applications is depleting the world’s indium reserves, particularly as there are currently hardly any recycling processes for ITO, and the search for alternatives is a key priority.
resourceful
Most plastics are essentially based on carbon or hydrocarbons. The chemistry of carbon is particularly complex, and this characteristic forms the basis for the diversity of polymer-based plastics. Their properties can be tailored to specific needs, and so polymers have found their way into our lives in many different ways. By the way, wood is a particularly sophisticated (bio)polymer.
transparent
Glass mainly consists of silicon and oxygen. By adding other elements and varying the manufacturing process, glass can be tailored to specific applications such as window panes, spectacle lenses or decorative glass. New applications are constantly emerging.
indestructable
Iron is an essential component of all steels and thus forms the basis of many solid structures. Modern steel consists of several phases and is a ‘cocktail of elements’. By adding small amounts of other elements, such as Mn, Cr, Ni or C, the properties of steel can be adjusted over a wide range, and steel can thus also be made stainless.