Top 10 Favorite Materials

1) Stainless Steel 

Processing: Raw Materials are Melted and Formed with each other and goes through heat process and polishing 

Properties: High Resistance to rusting

Applications: Household Appliances, Water Piping, Car Components

Reference: http://www.madehow.com/Volume-1/Stainless-Steel.html

2) Carbon Fiber (CFRP)

Processing: Involves Spinning, Stabilizing, Carbonizing, Treating 

Properties: High Strength Low Weight, Fire Resistance

Applications: Very prominent in Aerospace composites, Emerging Use in Car Body 

Reference: http://zoltek.com/carbonfiber/how-is-it-made/

3) Aluminum Alloys

Processing: Smelting and Forging 

Properties: Low Density High Strength, Low Cost

Applications: Soda Cans, Prevalent in Body of Aerospace Industry, Outer Casing of iPhone

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_alloy

4) Bronze 

Processing: Smelting 

Properties: High Ductility, Good Thermal and Electric Conductor

Applications: Musical Instruments, Coins, Sculptures

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bronze

5) Titanium Alloys

Processing: Smelting 

Properties: High Strength to Density ratio, resistance to corrosion 

Applications: Jet Engines, Medical Implants

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium

6) Bamboo 

Processing: Harvesting --> Carbonizing --> Lamination

Properties: Sustainable Material

Applications: Most common use in floor panels, Can also be used in many applications such as bicycle body 

Reference: https://www.ambientbp.com/how-bamboo-flooring-is-manufactured.php

7) Fly Ash Concrete 

Processing: Coal Combustion Byproduct mixed into cement 

Properties: Increases Workability, Increases Strength, Reuses a Byproduct 

Applications: Used in structures aiming to be more "green" through the reuse of coal by product and less greenhouse gases compared to Portland Cement

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_ash

8) Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Processing: Suspension polymerization, Emulsion polymerization, Bulk polymerization

Properties: Low Cost, Chemical Resistance, High Hardness

Applications: Used in agriculture piping and sewage piping

Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chloride#Properties 

9) Tempered Glass

Processing: Annealing 

Properties: Physically and Thermally Stronger than regular glass,

Applications: Car Side Windows, Phone Screens (Gorilla Glass) and Screen Protectors

References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toughened_glass

10) Aerogel

Processing: Sol-gel process

Properties: Good Thermal Insulators 

Applications: Absorber in Chemical spill, Use in Sports Material, Many other future Uses

References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerogel