Secondary Research

Primary Research and Material Study

Stage 2

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Initial Material Research:

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What do we need from materials:  We change materials, based on what we are creating and this is due to the specific properties that different materials display. For components with high loads and bearings it is smarter to use materials with high strength and low bend and vice versa for items that have touch points.

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What is the Young's modulus, Tensile strength and Specific heat: The Young's Modulus (or Elastic Modulus) is in essence the stiffness of a material. In other words, it is how easily it is bended or stretched. Tensile strength is the resistance of a material to breaking under tension. Specific Heat is the heat required to raise the temperature of the unit mass of a given substance by a given amount. The combination of these three material properties along with their carbon impact determines how useful the material is for the net zero situation

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How do we study this: I have selected four materials that are a combination of good material properties and a relatively low Carbon footprint and performed the below tests on the. With the usage of tensile and material stress tests, we can determine the mechanical properties of each material. This will then allow us to directly mitigate risks and externalities associated with said material. 

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Acetal Resin detailed study:

Conditions of study:

Linear stress test - 200N 

test condition (f=ma)

a=10m.s.s

m=2kg

surface area =25mmx75mm

Figures to refer to: (2.0, 2.3)

What did I learn: I learned that acetal resin in a recycled form is the lightest material and has a high heat resistance. which essentially means it can be used for potential handles, and touch points. I also learned that it is the most expensive material considered. its Young's modulus is substantially lower than that of the other three materials considered at only 2.9 GPa. This can be seen as both a positive and a negative. Its yield strength at which point it permanently deforms is lower than steel and aluminium which means that it can only be used where low impact and low loads are present. As u can visibly see it starts to deform from the corners which means that rounded objects with chamfers will decrease the chance of deformation.

Potential Uses: casings, handles, touch-points.

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Aluminium detailed study:

Conditions of study:

Linear stress test - 200N 

test condition (f=ma)

a=10m.s.s

m=2kg

surface area =25mmx75mm

Figures to refer to:(2.2, 2.4)

What did I learn: I learned that aluminium is the most versatile metal, with a middle figure youngs modulus still a staggering 35 times stronger than acetal resin. its yield strength is also 30 percent higher. The price of aluminium is all cheaper. The combination of malleability, price and properties allow for it to be an ideal construction material. It is carbon heavy to produce but is very long lasting so recycled aluminium is a great option. It is visible that aluminium does not have a load diagram to see where it starts to deform first and this is not present as the required force to plastically deform aluminium is much higher and negligible when considering the carrying of lighter loads.

Potential Uses: frames, load bearing points, external casings.

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Steel detailed study:

Conditions of study:

Linear stress test - 200N 

test condition (f=ma)

a=10m.s.s

m=2kg

surface area =25mmx75mm

Figures to refer to: (2.1,2.5)

What did I learn: Steel is the strongest material and has a Young's modulus three times higher than aluminium which makes its yield strength approximately two times higher than aluminium. This results in a very strong material that is also quite cheap. It is very carbon heavy to produce again, but lasts a very long time. So the use of recycled steel is a viable option to reduce the impact that it has on the environment. It is visible that steel does not have a load diagram to see where it starts to deform first and this is not present as the required force to plastically deform steel is much higher and negligible when considering the carrying of lighter loads.

Potential Uses: Bases, frames, load bearing touch points. 

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Cork detailed study: 

What did I learn: Cork has the lowest Young's modulus at only 0.025GPa which makes it easily deform. But the special properties of cork outweigh its tendency to be a relatively weak material. These properties include, low density, impermeability, thermal and acoustic insulation. This means that cork can be used for insulation and covering of devices that make noise. they can also be patterned and moulded into forms. Cork is also heat resistant to a great extent and water proof. 

Potential Uses: Overlays, foot holds, hand holds, pathways, primary touch points. 

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Closing comments for Primary and Secondary research: Going forward I will focus on these 4 materials for the fabrication of the transport system. Apart from key electrical components, the system will be developed under the restriction of the usage of these 4 materials, this is in response to cradle to grave response mentioned in the Primary Research section. In regards to the form of power it will be a combination of most likely lithium ion battery packs, and active travel.

Insights: 

Use Steel, Aluminium, Acetal Resin and Cork in combination with energy generation methods of electric power, and human movement. 

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