All page references are from the revision guide unless in brackets in which case they are from the textbook. 1
Core
Basic Timbers
Basic Hardwoods pg 44
● Hardwoods come from deciduous trees and they shed their leaves each autumn.
○ Oak → very strong and hard → high-quality furniture
○ Birch → hard yet easy to work with→ furniture and cabinets
○ Teak → durable → outdoor furniture
○ Balsa → soft → modelling
Basic Softwoods pg44
● Softwoods come from coniferous trees and maintain foliage all year round.
○ Pine → fairly strong, durable → construction work
○ Cedar → lightweight → lining drawers
○ Spruce → strong, hard → general construction
Manufactured Boards pg 45
● Made from glueing wood fibres or veneers together. Available in standard
thicknesses. No grain.
○ MDF → easily manufactured, no grain (not aesthetically pleasing)→
interior panelling, furniture
○ Plywood → layered → boat building (marine plywood)
○ Blockboard → similar to plywood with central strips of timber → shelving
,All page references are from the revision guide unless in brackets in which case they are from the textbook. 2
Basic Metals
Making Metals pg 46
● Ore is mined or quarried from the ground.
○ Requires lots of energy
● After extraction it is either cast into product or shaped into stock forms.
● Can be recycled.
Ferrous and Non-Ferrous pg 46
● Ferrous metals contain iron.
○ Prone to rusting and corrosion
○ Magnetic
■ Cast iron → good compressive strength and hardness → engine
blocks, cook ware
■ Mild-steel (low carbon) → low cost, tough → car body panels, nuts
and bolts
■ Stainless steel → corrosion resistant → kitchen and medical
equipment
● Non-ferrous metals do not contain iron.
○ Good corrosion resistance
○ Non-magnetic making it easier to separate recycling
■ Aluminium → light → drinks cans
■ Copper → good conductor → electrics
Alloys pg 47
● Mixture of two or more metals which enhances the properties
○ Created by melting metals and adding them together
■ Brass → zinc and copper → corrosion resistant → locks
■ Solder → tin and lead → good conductor, low melting point →
attaching electrical components in a circuit
,All page references are from the revision guide unless in brackets in which case they are from the textbook. 3
Basic Polymers
Making Polymers pg 48
● Made from chains of similar small chemical units called monomers.
● The process of attaching monomers is called polymerisation.
● Most commonly used polymers are synthetic and are manufactured from
carbon-based fossil fuels.
○ Affects environment
○ Not normally biodegradable (synthetic polymers)
Thermosetting Polymers pg 48
● Thermosetting polymers cannot soften when heated.
○ Permanent chemical bonds
○ Commonly available in liquid form (as resin) or powdered
○ Typically are disposed of in landfills
■ Silicone → non-reactive → medical implants
■ Urea formaldehyde → insulator → plug sockets
Thermoplastic Polymers pg 49
● Thermoplastics soften when heated and can be shaped when hot.
○ Can be reshaped
○ Available in sheets of standard thicknesses, rods, blocks, pellets or
granules for (injection moulding) and powders for (drip moulding)
○ Can be recycled
■ PET→ polyethylene terephthalate → transparent → drinks bottles,
food packaging
■ LDPE → low-density polyethylene → flexible, tough → plastic bags
■ HIPS → high-impact polystyrene → light, strong → packaging
,All page references are from the revision guide unless in brackets in which case they are from the textbook. 4
Basic Textiles
Woven and nonwoven pg 50 (47-48)
● (Woven) Warp and weft yarn on a loom to interlock fibres
○ Properties → cheap, strong, simple, different thicknesses, rips in
straight lines
■ Shirts and curtains
● (Nonwoven) Webs of fibres are glued, compressed or melted together
○ Properties → radom fibres, visible fibres, small holes on surface,
available in multiple thicknesses and colours
■ Felt
Knitted pg 50 (48)
● Rows of interlocking loom
○ Properties → can be warp knitted or weft knitted,
available in variety of textures and colours, patterns,
warm, stretchy, strong
■ Jumpers and knitwear
Mixed and blended fabrics pg 51 (47)
● Polyester + cotton
○ Properties → (P) strong, durable, cheap, cooling (N) stains easily,
flammable
■ Shirts, blouses, bed sheets
● Cotton + elastane
○ Properties → (P) cooling, flexible (N) dries slowly, expensive
■ Leggings, sports wear
● Acrylic + wool
○ Properties → cheap, chemical and crease resistant
■ Yarn, gloves, hats
, All page references are from the revision guide unless in brackets in which case they are from the textbook. 5
Natural fibres pg 50-51 (46)
● Cotton
○ Properties → Strong, burns easily, easy to handle and sew
● Silk
○ Properties → Low stretch, high natural shine, good insulation for all
seasons
● Wool
○ Properties → Strong, insulator, shrinks easily
Synthetic fibres pg 51 (47)
● Polyester
○ Properties → strong, melts easily, durable
■ Clothing, boat sails, bedding
● Acrylic
○ Properties → Water resistant, strong, insulator
■ Fleeces, ski jackets, outdoor furniture
● Nylon
○ Properties → strong, durable, chemical and perspiration resistant
■ Seat belts, tents, tights
