ceramics

• LCD :

  Ceramics can be made to be thin, flat and chemically

  stable, so they are ideal for liquid crystal display screens

  used in televisions, dashboards, calculators, watches and

  clocks.
• Catalytic converters :

  In environmental applications, ceramics help decrease pollution by

  capturing toxic materials and encapsulating nuclear waste. Catalytic

  converters in cars and trucks are made from ceramics and convert

  unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide gases into carbon

  dioxide and water. Ceramic components are being used more and more in automotive engines, both gasoline and diesel. The high temperature and wear-resistant properties result in more efficient combustion and fuel savings.
• X-Ray and CT Scanners :

  Ultrasound and CT systems rely on ceramic components to generate and detect the reflected signals that form the image. More sensitive ceramic X-ray detectors are allowing the use of smaller doses of the potentially damaging radiation, which also increases the sensitivity of

  the equipment to more and more soft tissue.
• Properties of ceramics :

  • High hardness
  • Shape not easily deformed
  • High melting point
  • Thermal insulator
  • Most do not conduct electricity
  • Chemical stable
  • Non-magnetic
  • Brittle
• What is a ceramic ?

  Non-metallic solid with high melting points
• A monomer is is a small molecule with a double bond (C=C)
• A polymer is when many monomers join together to form very large molecule by a process called polymerisation.
• What type of materials make up polymers?? :

  The properties of polymers depend on what monomers they are made from and the conditions under which they are made.

  For example: low density (poly)ethane (LDPE), a type of polymer, is made at a high temperature and pressure whereas high density (poly)ethane (HDPE) is made at low temperature and pressure. LDPE is used for bags and cling film as it is soft and flexible HDPE is used for buckets and plastic bottles as it hard and rigid.
• LDPE is less dense than HDPE because HDPE has fewer branches on its chains.
• If polymers are unreactive, it means that it is very difficult to dispose

  of them. It has benefits, such as the container not reacting to what is

  inside, but ultimately we will struggle to break these down and

  dispose of plastics.

  As the polymers do not really break down chemically, if they end up being disposed of in a bad way they could end up in the ocean or other habitats. This means that they will last a very long time there and cause lifelong damage towildlife.