REVOLUTIONARY MATERIALS

Introduction

A material's properties, or characteristics, determine how the material reacts under certain conditions. They also determine what that material can be used for. Researchers often experiment to discover a material's limits. They test the material until it fails to perform. Researchers may also combine it with other materials and test the combination for different uses. Perhaps the greatest innovations occur, however, when people want to make a product for which no known material is suitable. A new material must be invented.

Have you ever heard of amorphous metals? When metals are melted and then cooled under ordinary conditions, their atoms lock into patterns, or crystals, like bricks in a wall. Amorphous metals are those that have been cooled so quickly that their atoms don't have time to form into patterns. As a result, the metals’ internal structure is still like that of a liquid, even though the atoms have stopped flowing. Amorphous metals can be twice as strong as steel and much more elastic. As a result, knives can be made super sharp, and spacecraft can be lighter in weight.

New kinds of glass are being formed in space where microgravity allows strange things to happen. On Earth, molten glass must be held in a mold of some kind while it cools. Unfortunately, the glass picks up impurities from the mold. In space it can be formed with almost no impurities because no mold or other container has to be used. When glass is made in space from special chemicals, it can be used for unusual purposes, such as to repair broken bones.

You've probably seen crime shows on TV in which the police wear bulletproof clothing. Today bulletproof clothing is made from Kevlar®, a polymer fiber five times stronger than steel of the same weight. Other new fibers include those that are retro-reflective. They can be woven into camouflage gear. When under computer control, the gear can make the wearer invisible.

Do you know what nanomaterials are? Nanotechnology is the science of developing materials at the molecular or atomic level. They are built, so to speak, from the ground up. The result can be anything from a golf ball that spins less to a truck that is lighter and stronger.

Learn more about these and other amazing materials by going on this WebQuest.

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Your Task

For this WebQuest, your job is to investigate some of these new materials and find out what makes them so special. To demonstrate what you have learned, you will answer the questions included here. You will also complete one of the activities described at the end of this WebQuest.

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Process

Read through the following questions. Then research the Internet resources that are provided for you. As you explore the sites, look for answers to the questions. Keep a record of any sites where you find answers by noting the title and URL (Internet address). For example:

            (title) Technology Student Association
            (URL) www.tsaweb.org

1. What is the difference between glass and most other solids?
   
   
2. What is an undercooled liquid?
   
   
3. When glass is formed in space, how is it held in place?
   
   
4. How large is a nanometer?
   
   
5. One type of nanomaterial has been used as a coating on refrigerator interiors. What is its purpose?
   
   
6. In general, how do retro-reflective materials work?
   
   
7. As what kind of item did Kevlar go to Mars?

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Internet Resources

Visit the Web sites listed here to find information that will enable you to answer the questions. Be sure to keep a record of any sites you use.

• NASA: Liquids on Pause explains how amorphous metals work.
  
  
• National Nanotechnology Initiative features frequently asked questions on nanotechnology.
  
  
• NASA: Glass from Space discusses how glass can be formed under microgravity.
  
  
• Materials Science Overview—Metals and Alloys is an article on NASA research.
  
  
• HowStuffWorks: How Invisibility Cloaks Work explains the science of optical camouflage.
  
  
• Dupont: What Is Kevlar? explains how it works and what it can be used for.
  
  
• Kevlar—the Wonder Material discusses its molecular structure.
  
  
• Samsung Press Center provides information on the new technology the company is using in refrigerators.
  
  
• What Is Materials Science? is a fun site that explores what materials scientists do and how the properties of materials vary. The site includes activities.
  
  
• Materials Research Society: Fun & Newsworthy is a list of links to fascinating articles about materials.
  
  
• New Materials, New Products is an article on nanotechnology and its uses.
  
  
• The Businesss of Nanotech discusses nanomaterials.

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Activities

Several activities are described below. Complete one of these activities (your choice) to demonstrate the understandings you've gained by going on this WebQuest.

• Each of the following Web pages features an activity that helps explain how Kevlar works. Complete both activities. Then describe your experiences to the class.
  - Polymer Modeling Activity
  http://www.lbl.gov/MicroWorlds/Kevlar/KevClue1Act1.html
  - Polymer Fiber Orientation Activity
  http://www.lbl.gov/MicroWorlds/Kevlar/KevClue2Act1.html
  
  
• Do research and prepare a display showing the evolution of a traditional material into a newer one. Explain why the traditional material was changed.
  
  
• Research and write a short report on “smart” fabrics that can be used to create a shirt that monitors the health of heart patients.

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