Technology

New materials are being invented each day which are changing the lives of people. These new materials have revolutionized the world and thus are changing our lifestyles. Moreover these new materials have brought numerous benefits to the society and thus have become an indispensible part of our lives. The material world has progressed immensely and thus we are now on the forefront of this rapidly changing world. Radical material advancements have driven the creation of new and innovative products or even new industries.

Composite materials are basically engineered materials which are made from two or more than two constituent materials. In the modern world composite materials have gained a lot of popularity and acceptability in the manufacturing of high performance products. These products require strong and lightweight materials and thus composite materials fulfill those requirements effectively (Anonymous, 2010). Aerospace is one such industry where composite materials are in high demand and thus have revolutionized their products. Modern airplanes use composite materials extensively which enables them to lower their weight and thus increase the efficiency. Apart from this, airplanes made from composite materials are very much strong and thus can sustain harsh conditions.

Furthermore, composite materials are used extensively in the production of space crafts. These crafts have to sustain the harsh and unfriendly environment of outer space and thus need to have a strong and lightweight body. Thus composite materials properly cover those needs. Moreover composite materials have a longer life span as compared to iron or steel and thus are more suitable for building airplanes and spacecrafts. The only disadvantage of using composite materials is their high cost.

Although composite materials are expensive to make and their manufacturing process is time consuming but their advantages outweigh their disadvantages. Thus these composite materials have revolutionized the aviation industry and have led to the creation of newer airplanes which are lighter and more efficient than before.

Glass reinforced plastic or GRP material is also a composite material which is used in the manufacturing of doors. Inheriting the general properties of composite materials, these doors have high strength and light weight which makes them the ideal choice for being used as an entrance door.  These doors also offer adequate level of security and thus serve a double purpose. This is another illustration of composite materials being used to make new and efficient products.

Liquid Crystals basically are state of matter. These special crystals have mixed properties of both the conventional solid and liquid crystals. Moreover, these crystals have been most commonly used in the modern electronic displays known as LCDs. LCDs are very much common in our modern world. From televisions to mobile phones, one can see LCD as being the primary display device. These devices have revolutionized the television industry. Gone are the days when we used to have bulky old television sets which would give blur and fuzzy pictures. LCDs have reduced the size of the television to a photo frame. This has made the modern LCD based televisions both convenient and stylish. Apart from their overall look, LCD televisions are also very much bright and sharp as compared to their conventional counterparts.

Furthermore, LCDs are also used extensively in mobile phones. These phones offer different kinds of games and movies which are only possible due to their LCDs. Thus LCDs hold an integral part in all these devices. Apart from that, these devices hold a special place in the instruments panel of most of the modern airplanes. This allows the pilot to get the latest information.

New materials also help in the saving of the environment. Many of the new materials are environment friendly and thus help in the conservation of environment. These new materials are thus being used on a wide scale as the worldwide awareness towards environment increases. Moreover as the world is getting more educated towards the ozone layer issue and the greenhouse effect thus such materials are very much in demand now.

Many new materials are replacing the CFC gases which were used in aerosol sprays. These gases are very much harmful to the ozone layer and thus make the ozone layer thinner. Thus new materials have replaced these harmful gases and are being used as their alternatives. Apart from this many materials have the properties of being recycled. This allows them to be reused a number of times and thus saves the environment. Aluminum is one such material which can be easily recycled. This allows the aluminum to be used a number of times. Such a practice helps in the conservation of the environment.

Similarly glass materials can also be recycled through proper system. Recycling glass also helps in the conservation of environment. Moreover individuals can save costs and thus benefit from the recycling. Plastics materials have revolutionized the way things have been made. These synthetic materials are used in a number of consumer and industrial products. These materials have changed our lifestyles and increased our living standards. By just taking a casual look around one is able to see how has plastic taken over our world. Moreover the uses of these materials are increasing with each passing day.

By just taking an example of an automobile one can see that the automobiles of the 60s and 70s had very little plastic components. The bumper was made of metal and the dashboard also had very few plastic components. If we compare those automobiles with the current production models one is able to see that the majority of the interior parts are made up of plastic. From the dashboard to the door handles, everything is made up of plastic.

Apart form this looking at the exterior one is also able to see that from the lights to the bumpers, plastic has taken over everything. Plastic materials have also decreased the overall cost of production for a variety of items and thus have made them affordable to the masses. Apart from this plastic materials are very much durable and long lasting and thus can be used over a long period of time. With each passing day, more and more devices are being made from plastic. The ease of customization and the durable characteristics make the plastic materials an ideal choice for a variety of purposes (Mishori, 2008). The early plastic materials had invited various criticisms regarding their environmental impact.

It was said that plastic materials with a number of advantages were not environmental friendly and thus were very difficult to recycle. Moreover when those materials were burned they produced poisonous gasses which were harmful to the environment. Those criticisms were addressed by the introduction of biodegradable plastic. These plastics are made from specific materials and are very much environment friendly. They act as normal plastic materials but when they are left in the natural environment, these materials decompose naturally and thus do not harm the environment.

Furthermore certified biodegradable plastics combine the utility and properties of normal plastic materials such as being lightweight, strong and having low cost but are able to decompose naturally at proper disposal sites. Thus these kind of plastic materials make up the ultimate combination and have a bright future. Fire retardant materials are those materials which are able to resist burning and withstand heat.

Such materials are very helpful in harsh and extreme conditions and thus are mostly used by firefighters so protect themselves from the fire (Berger, 2007). Moreover these special materials are also used to produce fire retardant fabrics. These special types of fabrics offer protection against fires and thus have a number of uses (Indian Patents News, 2010). Such fabrics are used in places where there is a fire hazard and thus proper safety measures are needed to be in place.

For instance in various public places such as schools, libraries, hospitals etc one can see these fire retardant fabrics being extensively used and properly applied. Especially the curtain fabrics are made up of fire retardant materials so that to minimize the fire hazard. Non conducting materials are those materials which do not allow the passing of charge and thus they resist the flow of electrical current and heat. Such materials are used in a verity of places. Electrical insulators are one such example in which non conducting materials are used. These insulators resist the flow of electrical current. Such insulators are used for wire coating so that the current does not flow outside the wire.

Electrical insulators are used in a number of home based devices to save the user from the electrical shock. Glass, Teflon and paper are some of the examples of electrical insulators. Moreover plastic materials are also used extensively as electrical insulators. As with any material, these insulators have a certain limit to which they can withstand the electrical current. Once that limit exceeds they do not stop the electrical charge from flowing outside and harm the user.

Thus each electrical insulator has a certain limit and thus they are used according to the requirement. For high voltage certain insulators such as liquid insulator oil is used to prevent electrical sparks. Apart form this other materials that are used to insulate high voltage systems are glass of ceramic based materials which prevent the flow of current to move outside.

Another type of materials is known as semi conducting materials. These materials can be controlled to allow a limited passage of charge or current (Fishlock, 1967). By having a controllable system, numerous functions could be performed and thus properly executed. Thus the applications of such materials are endless. Popular uses of such materials are in transistors and lasers.

Transistors are semiconducting devices which are used to change the electrical signals according to the requirement. These devices form an integral part of the modern electronic devices and thus without them the electronic devices would be useless. Computers are one such example where transistors play an active role and thus hold a central position. Transistors are also used as amplifiers to increase the voltage and thus are again used in a number of devices. Lasers also work on the principles of the semiconducting materials and thus perform a number of practical purposes. Medical lasers are used to perform complex surgeries and therefore act as accurate tools with precision skills.
The material science has become so advanced that one is able to see new materials being made with extra strength. The research in these materials has made some incredible advances and thus we are now able to take advantage of these super strong materials. Super strong plastics are an example of such materials. These plastics can be used in the places which require extra strength and durability. Moreover with these plastics being light weight in nature thus they offer the best possible solution and therefore are being used in a variety of places and products. Many new materials perform a number of safety related tasks and thus are being used extensively in many key areas. Bullet proof materials are very tough and rigid. By using those materials to make up special cloths and vests, they can be used to prevent the bullet from passing through. Therefore they help to save the user from serious injuries or death. These materials are used specially by the law enforcement agencies and the militaries around the world.

The same kind of materials can also be used to make bullet proof glasses. These special glasses are transparent like ordinary glass but have extra ordinary strength. This strength is particularly useful in preventing a bullet from passing through. As the technology is improving with each passing day one is able to see the development of one-way bullet proof glass. This special glass is able to stop a bullet from penetrating it from the outside but at the same time the person inside can fire back and thus the bullet will pass through the glass.

Such extra ordinary qualities of this glass make it an ideal choice for being used in armored cars. These cars are used by security companies to transfer the cash from different locations or by the law enforcement and military agencies. While discussing the security applications of new materials one can also discuss the benefits of these materials while securing the bank vaults. The bank vaults are used to store valuable items and cash and thus need to be highly secure in order to prevent a break-in.
Therefore recent advancements in the material technology have brought new materials which are able to secure the bank vault thus reducing the chances of a burglary. For instance fire-retardant materials are used in the bank vaults to prevent someone from using fire to open up the vault. Apart from that materials having strong strength are used in the construction of these vaults to further secure them against any forced entry.

These materials have changed our living standards and thus have enabled us to enjoy a variety of luxuries. From the mobile phones that we use to the cars we drive one is able to see how materials are working in connection with each other to perform numerous tasks. Environmentally speaking these new materials are helping the conservation of the environment. Moreover as the world is getting more and more populated these materials are enabling us to increase our food productivity and thus enable us to feed our future generations. Genetically modified foods are one such example which can enable us to increase our food productivity.

These crops are able to produce more than the conventional crops (Financial Times, 2010). By transferring genetically modified materials to the crop one is able to remove the natural defects within them. This can ensure that the crops would be error free and thus will have zero defects.

Other than this, the genetically modified crops hold a lot of potential for the third world countries which are facing huge food shortages (Salem, 2010). These crops can ensure that everyone in this plant has something to eat and no one dies of hunger and malnutrition.  Future developments in the genetically modified organisms promise a number of applications. For instance the banana plants would be able to produce vaccines for diseases such as Hepatitis B. Apart from this the genetically modified organisms also promise better varieties of fishes which would be able to grow quickly and newer varieties of plants that would be able to produce fruits and vegetables in a short span of time. Such radical inventions are possible due to these genetically modified organisms. These organisms also hold the potential of eradicating the various diseases that plague the planet. Through proper research and development many new species of crops and plants could be made which could help develop solutions to a number of problems. The future is full of hope and anticipation and these new materials could help to fulfill those aspirations. The current pace of development and the research and development that is going on in these new materials will allow many different kinds of materials to be developed.

Other than this these advancements also promise newer type of trees which would be able to produce new varieties of plastics which would offer certain type of benefits. Thus the overall benefits of such materials are far reaching. Currently we have only touched the tip of the iceberg as these new materials promise to take us into a future where everything is possible. These new materials will be the building blocks on which future developments would occur. Moreover these new materials would allow the development of various new technologies and products which would help us live a more relaxed and better life.