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UNIT 2

a
a
o

Describingspecific materiats
Categorising
materials
Specifoingand describing
properties
Discussingquatityr
issues

Describingspecificmateriats
ln pairs, discuss the benefits and problems of
recycling.Use the following examples and your own ideas.
breaking
up ships demol.ishing
buitdings recycling
electronicsscrapping
cars

2a

Read the following web page and complete the missing headings using the
words in the box.
Aluminium Copper Gtass Plastic Rubber 5tecl Timber

1E
c YcLABLE Li!ERl ALs
t

Sfeel
Scrap can be sortedeasilyusing magnetism.lf the metalis galvanised(coated
withzinc)the zinc is u||y
recyc|ab|e'
|it is stain|essstee|,othermeta|smixedwiththe iron,
such as chromiumand nickel,can also be recoveredand recycled.
rE

2 Soding is critical,as thereare key differencesbetweenthe clearand coloured


materialused in bottlesand Jars,and the high-gradematerialused in engineering
applications,which containstraces of metals.
y
3 Scarcitymakes recyc|ingespecia|lydesirab|e,and justiies
the cost of removinginsulation
rome|ectricwires,which are a majorsource of scrap. Pure meta|can also be
recoveredfrom alloysderivedfrom it, notablybrass (whichalso containsquantitiesof zinc,
and oftenlead)and bronze(whichcontainstin).
t4 The cost of meltingdown existingmetalis significantly
cheaperthan the
process of electrolysis,
energy-intensive
which is requiredto extractnew metalfrom ore.

rE

Hardwoodand softwoodcan be reused,However,the frequentneed to


5 removeironmongeryand saw or planeoff damagededges,can make the processcostly.

Tyresare the primarysourceorecyc|ab|e


6 materia|.
These can be reusedwho|e
in certainapplications.They can also be groundintocrumbs which havevarieduses.
y
7 An obstacleto recyclingis the need to son waste carefully.
Whilesome types
can be melteddown for reuse,manycannot,or resultin low-gradematerial.
y
a)

74

Unit 2 Materiatstechnology

Match the materials from the web page (l-8) in Exercise 2 to the
definitions (a-h).
1 stainlesssteet.,''a
2 zinc
I b
\c
3 iron
d
4 bronze
e
5 lead
f
6 hardwood
g
7 ore
h
8 softwood

a metalusedto makebrass,andin galvanisedcoatingson steel


metalin steel
the predominant
a \rpe of steelnot needinga protectivecoating,as it doesn'trust
a dense,poisonousmetal
rocksfromwhichmetalscanbe extracted
an a[[oymadefromcopperandtin
timberfrompinetrees
trees
timberfromdeciduous

Compfete the following sentences using from, with or of .


I Bronze containssignificantamounts o{ copper.
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Calvanisedsteel is steel coated -zinc.


iron.
Steel is an alloy derivedalloys.
Pure metals can usuallybe recoveredother metals.
To producestainlesssteel, iron is mixed
chromiumand nickel.
Stainlesssteel containsquantities
metals,such as lead.
Glass tablewarecontainstraces ore, the costs can be high.
When new metal is extracted

ln pairs, ask and answer questions about different materials using the
following phrases.

lrina, an ecological adviser, is


talking to a group of engineers
on a training course about
environmentally friendly design.
ln pairs, discuss the ideas
from her slide and give some
examples.
)z.t Listen to an extract from the talk and compare your
ideas with what lrina says. What example does she use to
illustrate her main point?
)z.z lrina asks the engineers to do a simplified
environmental audit. Their task is to compare steel and
aluminium car bodywork from an ecological perspective.
Listen to Sophia and Pete, two of the engineers, discussing
the topic and make notes of their ideas.
ln pairs, do an environmental audit for the following
applications and materials. Use the words and phrases in
the box.

Application
wiresin vehicles
I electrical
2 externalwallsin houses

Materials
copperandaluminium
bricksand softwood

I think so / I'd say so I'm (not) sure


as far as I know ...
thats an importantconsideration that needsto be researched
coated derived mixed recovered recycled

Categorisingmaterials
What do you know about braking systems? In pairs, discuss the following
questions.
I
2

5a

Cenerallyspeaking,what do brakes do and how do they work?


What kinds of materialare used in brake pads and brake discs in different
vehicles?

Read the article on braking systems. In the title of the article, what do the
colours green and red refer to?

In pairs, answer the following questions.


I
2
3
4

Why do most braking systemswaste energy?


What are regenerativebraking systems,and how do they save energy?
What characteristicsare requiredof materialsused for the brakes on racingcars?
What is meant by heat soak, and why is it a problem in racingcars?

GREEN BrAKEs

- A RED HOT TOPIC IN MOTOR

RACING

As motor racing goes green,


Formula I is aiming to lead
automotive research in finding
hi-tech efficiency gains. One
of the keys to this ecological
drive is regenerative braking
(also known as kinetic energy
recovery), which
recovers
generated during
energy
deceeration.and stores it as a
source of power for subsequent
acceleration.

materials, and discs made of


feous metal. The resulting
friction generates heat, which
is wasted. In performance cars,
this phenomenon is taken
to extremes, and due to the
high temperatures generated, The potential for recovering
brake discs are often made out energy also extends to the
of ceramics.
heat generated by engines
The carbon discsand pads used and exhaust systems. This
on Formula I cars generate area has also been discussed
so much heat that they glow as a oossible area for future
Regenerative brakes limit red hot. High temperatures exploitation in motor racing.
the energy loss inherent in are, in fact, necessary for the Heat recovery might offer the
traditional braking systems. In effective operation of carbon added benefit of reducing
most vehicles. conventional brakes. But there3 still plenty heat soak therma|absorption
pads of potential for recovering the by the chassisf as delicate
brakes
comprise
previouslymade from asbestos- kinetic energy, rather than alloy parts and sensitive nonbased composites, but now mere|y disspating it n the metallic materials, such as
polymers, are susceptible to
consisting of compounds*
form of heat.
heat damage.
of exotic.
non-hazardous

Match the materiats from the text (l-7)


1
2
3
4
5
6
7

16

to the descriptions (a-g).

compounds1
a
exotic
\ U
\
\ g
ferrous

materialsthat are not metal


iron and steel
combinationsof materials

ceramics
al.Loy
non-metallic
polymers

mixture of metals
plastic materials
mineralstransformedby heat
rareor complex

d
e
f
g

Unit 2 Materialstechnology

ln pairs, take turns to describe an object using the words from Exercise 5c
and the phrases in the box. Ask your partner to guess what it is.
comprise

consistof

madefrom

madeof

madeout of

6 a You are going to give a talk on compositestechnologyat a construction


materialstrade fair. In part of the talk, you focus on reinforcedconcrete
as a well-knownexampleof a compositematerial. Prepare your talk using
words and phrasesfrom this section and the followingnotes.

hmpositematerials
(ammonetample:reinforcedconcrete(verywidelyusedcomposite)
Lement(derived
fron lime)

(qravelor crushed
ftgregate f:i:r:fgrrg"te(und)+clarseaggregate
Water + chemical additives (e.9.plasticiser to improve w1rk^bility)
kinforcement (steel barq fixed together withsteel tie wirQ

ln small groups, take turns to give your talk.

Margit, a sales engineer, is describing a


high-voltage cable. Before you listen, label
the cross-section with the parts (a-e).

a
b
c
d
e

insulation
wateroroof
membrane
outerjacket
armouredprotection
conductor

)z3 tisten to the descriptionand


check your answersin Exercise6c.
Match the parts of the cable (a-e) in
Exercise6c to the followingcategoriesof
materials (l -5). You will need to use some parts more than once.
I non-metallic at
4 non-ferrousmetal
2 metallic
5 polymer-based
3 ferrous metal Imagineyou are presentinga product or applianceyou knowwell to a
potential client. Describethe categoriesof material used to make the
different parts.

Unit 2 Materiatstechnology

t7

Specifyingand describingproperties

I
8a

In pairs, discuss what you know about the properties of Kevlar@and how it
is used.

Read the following extract from DuPont'"'s technical guide to Kevlar@.


Compare the information with your ideas from Exercise 8a.

\^/HATIS KEVLAR,@?
KEVLAB@is an orgarricfiber
DtrPontl'1
The
in the arornaiicpolyanridefanri{y.
properties
lunique
and distinctchemical
Co|-1pos|Llon
ot KEVLRe distingtrisn
tllan nlade
it romothercot-,rtllercia]'
ibers'
KEVLAR@has a uniqueconrbination
nroduius,
toughness,
abrasion
of l'rrgh
resrstance
ar'crIlrernral
stabilty.lt r,vas
industrial
developedfor der-nanciing
applrcations.
arldadvanced-technology
rrany types of KEVLAR@are
Currently.
procluced
to rrreeT
a oroadrirngeof end
usesthatrequirestrong,ltghtwerght.
rraterials.
cltirable
CopyrightDuPontde Nemours

or its affitiates
Company
or trademarks
of E.I.duPontde Nemours
DuPont"andKevtar@
areregistered
trademarks
Find words in the text in Exercise 8b to match the following definitions.
foraghness : the opposite of fragility
1
: resistanceto damage caused by friction
2 3-:reS|Stancetoproblemscausedbytemperaturechange
4 -:
long-lasting
: the opposite of heavy
5 -

9a

Match the automotive parts (l -5) to the descriptions (a-e).


t drivebelts
2 brakepads
3 tyres
4 sealinggaskets
armour
5 butlet-resistant

a
b
c
d
e

sheetsinsertedbetweenpartsto preventgasor fluid leakage


pneumatic
in contactwiththe roadsurface
envelopes
systems
flexiblebandsusedin transmission
gunshots
protective
barriers
capableof resisting
padspressed
againstdiscsto inducedeceteration

Read the information from DuPont'uon the following page explaining some
of the automotive applications of Kevlar@.Complete the text using the
automotive parts in Exercise 9a.

18

Unit 2 Materiatstechnology

(1)haverncorporated
Car and trr-rck
Kevlar@intotheirconstruction
becauseit offers

allolvthernto lastloi'rgand stop the rrelricle


sae|y
and qrtietly.

n ru lr t lavi r( u r roa . oe h
r corlnu'
J<ur frrnco r l _v r p
u rl o

Kev|ar@providesan eectlrle'
1ightweight
(4)for r.'ehrcies
solutiorr
thatrequrre
protectionagains{ballisticattack.allowingcars
and lighttrucksto retainmost of theiroriginal
handiingcharacteristics.

l O rU lHOl 'g)l)iOl

!8,

T h e h r g h| n o d U I U aS n c ja b a S | o lrle s | S t a l l c o
ef
Kevlar@ help (2)
retaintheir or ginal
c,h:np

an.l lprrcrnn n\/Ar lhe tTlrllrgpt Ot

revolrrt,crrts
tlteuno througnoverlhe litespano{
a venrcte.
The frictiona|
orcesthat(3)are designed
t o e n d u r et a k el e s so f a t o l lo r rt l \ o s en ' d d ew r t i r
pulp.The enhancedthernralstability
Kerrlar@
and inherentabrasionresistanceof KevlariS

C h e r n r c .srtl a i l i i i ta\1 o l l r e !! a ' s l a D , l ' ir)e i o


make(5)
reinorced
with Keviar@pulp
strongancjdurable.The gaivaniccorrosion
resrstance
of Kevlar'@
also contributesto
irnprovediong ternrengrneperfonrance.

ln pairs, discuss why the properties of Kevlar@are especially important for


each application described in the text.
)Z.q Listen to a conversation about the properties of materials used in a
specific type of tool and answer the following questions.
1 Where does the conversationtake place?
2 What tool is being discussed?
3 Which materialscan be used for its differentoarts?
Complete the following extracts from the conversation using the properties
in Exercise 8c. Listen again and check your answers.
1
2
5
4

The handle mustn't be heavy.ldeallg, Aou wont it to be


Resistingfrictionis essential.The keg requirementisThe bur has to be built to last. Obviouslg, theg need to be verg
Heat builds up in the bur. You need o good degree of -

Match the words and phrases ( | -5) from Exercise | 0b to the synonyms
(a-e).
1 ideal.ty
2 obviously
3 the lastthingyouwant
4 the keyrequirement
5 a gooddegreeof

a is clearthat
b for the bestresults
c the mostimportant
fuctor
d a lot ofl a hightevelof
e the worstsituation

You work for a manufacturer of


hand tools and have ;;;';;n*
a
investigate using alternative materials
- in your products. ln pui.., ."u tr'"
notes and discuss the main properties
required of the materials used to make
the too|s.

.,-\
a! Joi're"s' hatmme's (tov rattls)
chisels)
ro)Ltau'rp
hatwrmets(fov uaatsorrvy
shart|.
harmwrev
the
at\A
heotA
harr"rmer
the
Co\siev
a| Woo Sarws( o v cta|tirrgwoo)
Satws
b) Harcksarws(fov craffirrg uaetatl)
Coqsiev |he satwb|oA,e aO,|v\e sarwhatr,tleo" varrre.

Harprme's

Think of a product you know well.


ln pairs, discuss the materials used in it and what properties make the
materials suitable. Discuss whether alternative materials could be used.

Unit 2 Materiatstechnology

79

qualityissues
Discussing

I
72

In pairs, answerthe followingquestions.


whathi-tech,high-performance
I ln advertising,
situationsare oftenusedto promotewatches?
2 Whatmessagesare theyintendedto sendaboutthe
qualityof products?
watches
higher-quality
3 What qualityissuesdifferentiate
ones?
from lower-quality
4 What is the differencebetweendescribingsomethingas
and waterproon
water-resistant

13a

)ls touisa, a marketingexecutivefor a watch


manufacturer,is discussingmaterial selectionwith
Tom,one of her engineeringcolleagues.Listen to the
discussionand completethe four quality issues that are
mentionedin the meeting.
I
2
3
4

b
14a

resistance
-resistance
-resistance
-resistance

In pairs, discuss what is meant by each of the quality


issuesin Exercise13a.
)z.s tisten again and answerthe followingquestions.
I What pointdoes Tommakeaboutthe reasonsfor selectingmaterials?
steelto exemplifythe above
2 What does he say aboutsubmarine-grade
point?
of many
3 Whatproblemdoeshe describewithregardto the marketability
materials?
4 What hard commercialfact does Louisagive?
ln pairs, mark the followingstatementsTrue fI) or False (F)accordingto
the viewsexpressedin the conversation.Read the audioscripton page 87
and check your answers.
technically.
materialsare notthat suitable,
I Often,exotic-sounding
2 Peoplethinkthat a submarinesteelwatchmustbe tremendously
water-resistant.
good.
3 The corrosionresistanceof submarinesteelis exceptionally
steellooksfairlygood.
4 Submarine-grade
suitablefor watches.
5 Tomthinkssubmarinesteelis particularly
6 The firm has oftenused materialsthat are not adequatelydurable.
7 Often,the compositionsof good watchmaterialsare relativelycomplex.
8 Materialswith complicatednamesare prettygoodfor marketing.

20
I

E"

Unit 2 Materialstechnotogy

E-.C )z.O Listen to the followingphrasesfrom the conversationand undertinethe


stressed syllable. Practise saying the phrases.
I not patjeularlysuitable
4 tremendously
marketable
2 exceptionally
resistant
5 relativelycomplex
3 notat all suitable
6 notall thatgood
d Completethe followingtable usingthe words in the box.
cxrcia*y fairty insufficientty notadequatety not(alt)that
notpart.culartypetty ntativety tetendousty
extremely

excepfiohrrlly

15

quite

not very

not enough

definitelynot

In pairs, discussthe key propertiesand differenttypes and grades of


the followingmaterials.Give examplesof the propertiesthat make each
material good or bad for watch-making,from a quality perspective.
Materials
steel glass atuminiumtitanium gotd ptastic copper rubber
Properties

water-resistant abrasion-resistant corrosion-resistant shock-resistant touqh


brittLe etastic durable heavy Lightweight thermaltystable

16

ln small groups,choose a well-knownconsumerproduct or applianceand


discuss it from a quality perspective.How suitable are the materials used?
How good is the product,comparedwith others sold by competitors?

Unit 2 Materialstechnology

27

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