Types of materials (metals, ceramics, polymers,composites) - Essay Example

Hexagonal and cubic close packed are the most efficient ways with coordination number of 12. Metals have metallic bonding that occurs as a result of electromagnetic attraction between electrons and protons. The metallic bonds are strong and provide metals with great strength and localized atoms at solid state but have delocalized electrons. The electrons are usually delocalized with the ability to move that makes metals have good conductivity of heat and electricity (Reger, Goode, & Ball, 2010).

The arrangement of these electrons in the metallic bonding is usually in an orderly manner. The numbers of delocalized electrons depend on the valence of specific metal element. The orderly arrangement of the atoms in metals provides the crystalline structure with many crystals bordering each other. The presence of the positive and negative forces in the metals also assists in the reactivity of metals with non-metals to form covalent bonds. These are materials made of inorganic molecules through heating of the powder or slurry that are commonly thermal and electrical insulators.

The composition of ceramics may contain atoms of metalloid, nonmetal and metals. Ceramics are not metals, polymers nor semiconductors. At least one of the elements in ceramics must be nonmetallic. The application of heat to the powder fabricates it to form ceramics. Sometimes there is use of pressure and heat together in forming ceramics. Ceramics are mostly composition of two or more elements hence they are compounds in nature. Most of the ceramics are made of compounds containing nitride and oxides which are highly crystalline.

Others may also contain borides, carbides and silicide from reaction with metals. Examples of ceramics include aluminum oxide, silicon nitride and magnesium oxide. Ceramics have a varied structure that range from simple to being very complex. Ceramics exhibit short range