Italy Secondaria di secondo grado – classe 4ª Chemistry of materials

1. Chemistry for art materials

General and organic chemistry · Art materials

• General Chemistry: Atoms, Bonds, Names and Carbon – Everything is made of atoms. Electrons in the outer shell decide how atoms join: by giving and taking (ionic bond) or by sharing (covalent bond). The periodic table sorts atoms by atomic number, simple rules give compounds their names, and carbon, with 4 bonds, builds the huge family of organic molecules.
• Materials Science: Why Materials Behave the Way They Do – Materials science links what a material is made of inside (atoms, bonds, crystals, grains) to how it behaves (strong, bendy, brittle, light). The four families are metals, polymers, ceramics and composites. We measure properties with tests: tensile test (stress = force ÷ area, strain = extension ÷ length, Young's modulus = stress ÷ strain), hardness tests and impact tests. Heat treatment and alloying change the inside and so the properties. New materials include composites, nanomaterials, smart materials and biomaterials. Chemistry also explains art materials: pigments, binders, ceramics, glass and metals.