Uses of Materials: Wood, Metal, Ceramics, Rubber & Glass

CONTENT

• Uses of Wood
• Uses of Metal

USES OF WOOD

Wood is used today in the following industries and processes:

1. HOUSING: Wood is used for home furniture such as doors, window and roofing.
2. INDUSTRIAL BUILDING: Many industries are constructed using wood.
3. JOINERY: Wood is used for making staircase in our buildings today.
4. PACKAGING: Packaging technologist cannot do without wood for making crates, pallet, and packaging electronics equipment.
5. FURNITURES: Chairs, bed, ward robes, table, book cases etc
6. TRANSPORT: Railway, train wagons, lorry-body.
7. BRIDGES AND POLES: Most farm bridges and bridges across the roads in villages are made with wood. Some electric poles and railway sleepers are made of wood.
8. PULP AND PAPER: Exercise book, textbooks, magazines etc are made from pulp and paper derived from wood.
9. MEDICINE: People who have their arms and legs amputated (cut off), such are usually replaced by artificial limbs made from wood.
10. CLOTHING: Most heels and some soles shoes are made from wood. The rayon stocking.
11. TOOL MAKING: Handles for hammer, pick axes, felling axes, screw drivers and many other tools are made from wood.

EVALUATION

1. Mention five industries using wood and state the processes they are used for.
   1. State the processes they are used for in (1) above.

USES OF WOOD

EVALUATION

1. Describe the purposes for which the following woods are used :(a) mahogany (b) oak (c) balsa.
2. Mention three soft wood and their uses.

USES OF FERROUS METALS

USES OF NON-FERROUS METALS

EVALUATION

1. Mention three uses each of the following non-ferrous metals. (a) zinc (b)aluminium.
2. State three ferrous metals and their uses

USES OF ALLOYS OF NON-FERROUS METALS

1. DURALUMIN: It is made of 95% aluminium, 4%copper and 1% manganese. It is used to build aircraft bodies, door and window frames, vehicle parts etc.
   1. BRASS: It is made of 35%zinc 65% copper. We use brass to make decorative items, ammunition, plumbing fittings, electrical appliances, etc.
   1. BRONZE: It is made of 10% tin and 90% copper. It is used in carving, statues, plaques, ornaments, ship propellers, gears and some machine parts.

GENERAL EVALUATION

1. Differentiate between hard and soft wood
2. Mention 5 uses of wood

READING ASSIGNMENT

Read “USES OF MATERIALS II”

1. MELROSE, Basic Science and Technology, Book 2 page 63-66
2. NERDC Basic Technology for JSS Book 2. Page 23-27.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

1. The following are hard wood except (a) Balsa (b) Beech (c) Spruce (d) Iroko.
2. The type of hard wood used in making veneer and plywood is called (a) Iroko (b) Oak (c) Teak (d) mahogany.
3. The type of metal that is suitable for moving parts of machinery is (a) cast Iron (b) wrought iron (c) aluminium (d) low carbon steel.
4. The temperature at which wrought iron turns liquid is (a)1240⁰C (b) 2000^oC (c)1500^oC (d) It varies.
5. Aluminium is used for making cooking utensils because a) it is malleable (b) it is a good conductor of heat (c) It is light (d) it is a good conductor of electricity.    

THEORY

1. Mention five (5) industries that use wood and their processes.
2. In tabular form state the melting point, composition and uses of the following metal

(a) Cast iron (b) High carbon steel

CERAMIC

All solid objects made from clay, mud or cement are called ceramics. Ceramics are concerned with clay and clay products, glass and glass products, cements and plasters.

USES OF CERAMICS

1. Ceramics can withstand very high temperature; they are used in making furnaces.
2. Ceramics can carry heavy loads. Thus bricks and cement blocks are used to build houses. The walls carrying the roof of the building.
3. Ceramics do not corrode and they are resistant to chemical attack. It can be used to store chemicals and water.
4. They can be easily moulded and decorated, so can be used for sculpture.
5. They are good insulator of electricity, so can be used as insulation of high-tension voltages. The insulators between the lines are also ceramic.
6. They last longer e.g. Benin head.

EVALUATION

1. Explain why ceramics are used in making furnaces
2. Name three common ceramics and state their properties.

USES OF GLASS

1. Glass is used for making bottles.
2. It is used for making tumblers and mugs.
3. It is used for making flower vases.
4. It is used for making bulbs.
5. Glass is also used to make eyeglasses, magnifying glasses and binoculars.
6. It is also used in mirrors, windscreens of vehicles, television screens and computer screens.

RUBBER

Raw rubber (Latex) is normally too tough and too hard. It is softened by adding certain chemicals and mixed through until it is in a state in which it can be formed.

There are two types of rubber: natural rubber and synthetic rubber.

NATURAL RUBBERS

Are produced from the latex of rubber trees. Natural rubber deteriorates with age and when it is exposed to sunlight. The process of improving the properties of rubber is called VULCANIZING. This is done by adding sulphur to it together with carbon particles and heating it. Vulcanized rubber is much harder and much heat resistant than ordinary rubber.

SYNTHETIC RUBBER

These are manufactured from chemicals.They are forms of plastics. Examples include butyl rubber and neoprene. They have better quality than natural rubbers.  They are resistant to sunlight and temperature changes. They do not age, like natural rubbers and they are resistant to chemicals. Rubber products include: hoses, pipes, belts, tyres, tubes, footwear, rainwear and mounting.

USES OF RUBBER

1. It can be used as an elastic material e.g. for making catapult.
2. Rubber is water proof, so it is used in making sandals and gloves.
3. Rubber has insulating property i.e. it is an insulator. Thus it is used in covering electrical wires that supply electricity to the iron or kettle.
4. Rubber can be used as shock absorber, thus it is used in making bumper of cars, tyres and tubes of cars.

EVALUATION

1. Differentiate between natural rubber and synthetic rubber.
2. List five examples of rubber products.

READING ASSIGNMENT

Read about GEOMETRIC CONSTRUCTION-LINES

1. MELROSE, Basic Science and Technology, Book 2 page 67-69
2. NERDC Basic Technology for JSS book 2 page28-32.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT

1. All solid objects made from clay, mud or cement are called ____(a) plastics (b) rubber (c) semiconductors (d) ceramics
2. The art of using clay to make various objects is called ____ (a) plastics (b) rubber (c) semiconductors (d) pottery
3. Which of the following is not a rubber product? (a) tyres(b) pipes (c) foot wear (d) sculpture
4. One of the differences between plastic and rubber is that RUBBER is more _____ (a) cheaper (b) available (c) elastic (d) tougher
5. Properties of rubber can be improved through the process called (a)extrusion (b)vulcanization (c) injection moulding (d)compression moulding.

THEORY

1. State three properties of rubber
2. List three good qualities of ceramics.