Materials of the future

Fabricating and repairing complex materials systems. Mechanical methods currently in use (e g., riveting of metals) cannot be applied reliably to the composite materials of the future. Chemical methods (e g., adhesion and molecular self-assembly) will come to the fore. 

This chapter is devoted to a miscellaneous group of aqueous acid-base cements that do not fit into other categories. There are numerous cements in this group. Although many are of little practical interest, some are of theoretical interest, while others have considerable potential as sustained-release devices and biomedical materials. Deserving of special mention as biomedical materials of the future are the recently invented polyelectrolyte cements based on poly(vinylphosphonic adds), which are related both to the orthophosphoric acid and poly(alkenoic add) cements. 

As fossil fuel resources dwindle, there is growing interest in developing new raw materials for future polymers [121]. As A. Gandini has stated polymers from renewable resources are indeed the macromolecular materials of the future [122]. Between the different renewable resources, carbohydrates stand out as highly convenient raw materials because they are inexpensive, readily available, and provide great stereochemical diversity. 

Composite materials have been acclaimed as the Materials of the Future. A key question is whether composite materials will always remain the materials of the future or if the future is here. Advanced polymer composites, once destined for stealth military aircraft or aerospace uses, are beginning to be used in down-to-earth structures, such as bridges, buildings, and highways. However, there are still considerable impediments to wider use, and composite manufacturers need to make great strides in the development and manufacturing of composite materials. 

It is evident from the above discussion that lignin is still a material of the future in the areas of structural plastics and as a source of chemicals. However, the ever-increasing demand for a clean environment hastens the day when lignin is used on a large industrial scale. This day is much nearer than was predicted only a few years ago. From this point of view, it is evident that research should continue and more funds should be allocated to research work on lignin modification. 

Laine, R.M. Reach Sand Material of the Future Advanced Mutetiah dr Processes, 6 (February 1992). 

This section is about an age-old material, glass, which will undoubtedly be the building material of the future - and for several reasons. The transparency of glass makes it the ideal medium for solar cells, and embedding these in a window would seem a logical step to take and such material is now being manufactured. 

Glass may be the cladding material of the future, thanks in no small part to titanium, but this element may well have an enchanting future in store. 

Phenolic resins continue to be an important material at both the commercial and the research levels. These complex systems are fascinating not only because of their current usefulness, but also because of their potential to become even more useful materials of the future. The classical phenol-formaldehyde system is deceptively simple and lends itself to much variation depending on factors such as pH, molar ratio of reactants, preparation/cure temperature, and curing agents. The desire to enhance the properties of phenolic resins and expand the processing options has led to considerable work on modified-classical and nonclassi-cal phenolic resins. 

Perhaps a bit more visionary, many of the everyday materials of the future may be grown — self-assembled from a purpose-designed genetic blueprint — rather than hammered out in Blake s satanic mills. And doubtless, as with GM foods, some latter-day Blakes will see this as even more satanic, the polluting clouds made more frightening by their invisibility. This too, both benefits and worries, will be the province of Chemical Engineering. 

A strong incentive for the fast development of technologies for the production of high quality diamond films arose from their prognosticated outstanding electronic properties. Diamond is considered by many to be the material of the future for... 

Polymer flammability continues to be an important field of research even though it is reasonably well understood at present. Current efforts will contribute to the design of safer polymeric materials of the future. 

Traditional ceramics have served humanity well for at least the past 10 millennia. However, the nature of modern technology, with its ever-mounting demands on materials, has prompted researchers to take a second look at these stone-age materials, and it now appears that our oldest material is shaping up to be a material of the future. It is my sincerest hope that this book will inspire a new generation of talented and dedicated researchers to embark on a voyage of discovery in this most exciting of fields. 

Tolgyessy, J. and Piatrik, M. Wastes - Raw Material of the Future. Obzor, Bratislava 1984 (in Slovak). 

Grafted Polysaccharides Smart Materials of the Future, Their Synthesis and Applications... 

These make up the elementary bricks of the materials of the future. They can be composed of an assembly of atoms such as a cluster, metallic nanoparticles or the elementary stage of a mineral combination. It can often be a question of a molecule specifically synthesized with the objective of obtaining a particular property, when may be optical, magnetic, electric, chemical (catalysis, separation), mechanical etc. In all cases the property must be precise, able to be measured, and controllable the synthesis of the nanoobject must be focused on the property with which it is wished to enhance it. 

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