Definitions (Materials Used in Daily Life)

MATERIALS USED IN DAILY LIFE

Cement: A mixture of fine grey powder of calcium silicate and calcium aluminate is called cement.

Slurry: For the manufacture of cement, the raw materials are crushed into powder forms and are mixed with water stirring properly to get the paste is called slurry.

Cement clinkers: The red coloured pea-sized balls which consist of calcium silicate and calcium aluminate is called cement clinkers.

Mortar: A mixture of cement, sand and water is called mortar.

Concrete: A mixture of cement, sand and gravel is called concrete.

Reinforced cement concrete: A mixture of cement, gravel, sand and water which is present in the framework of iron rods is known as RCC.

Gypsum: A Widespread colourless, white or yellowish minerals, CaSO₄.2H₂O used in the manufacture of various plaster products and fertilizer.

Glass: An amorphous transparent homogeneous mixture of silicates of alkali metals(Na and K) and silicates of other metals such as calcium (Ca) and lead (Pb).

Quartz glass: The glass that is obtained by heating pure silica at 1600 °C.

Water glass: The glass that is obtained by heating the mixture of silica and sodium carbonate or potassium carbonate above 800 °C.

Ordinary glass; The homogeneous mixture of sodium silicate and calcium silicate is called ordinary glass.

Hard glass: The homogeneous mixture of potassium silicate and calcium silicate.

Lead crystal glass: The homogeneous mixture of potassium silicate and lead silicate.

Boro-silicate Glass: The glass which obtained by heating the mixture of silica along with sodium carbonate, calcium carbonate and boric oxide.

Coloured glass: A glass made by adding small amount of various metallic oxides to the hot molten raw materials used to manufacture glass.

Ceramics: Hard, heat-resistant materials made by heating special clay (kaolin), feldspar and flint (silica) at high temperature.

Kaolin: The pure white clay formed by the weathering of feldspar is called kaolin (china clay).

Porcelain or bone china: A type of ceramics made from the white clay and feldspar.

Fibre: A thread like strands of a substance that is extremely long and strong.

Natural fiber: The fiber which is obtained from natural sources are called natural fiber.

Artificial fibre: The man-made fibre which are made by artificial methods.

Recycled fibers: The fibres made by processing used or waste fibres and plastics into new fibres.

Rayon: The artificial silk prepared from cellulose, sodium hydroxide, carbon disulphide and sulphuric acid.

Plastic: synthetic polymers which are made from polymerization of carbon containing monomers.

Polymers: The complex organic molecule which are formed by the combination (polymerization) of a large number of small organic molecules either of same or different compounds.

Monomers: The small molecule of organic compounds from which polymers are made.

Polymerization: The process of formation of a polymer from monomers is called polymerization.

Synthetic fiber: Artificial fibers like rayon, nylon, polyester, and olefin that are prepared by chemical process is called synthetic fibre.

Nylon: The first man-made synthetic polyamide fibre made up of adipic acid and hexamethylene diamine.

Terylene/ polyester: A synthetic fibre prepared by the reaction of terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol.

Thermoplastic: The plastic which softens on heating and can be set into desirable shape repeatedly.

Thermosetting plastic: The plastic that does not soften on heating and cannot be re-moulded into desirable shape.

Bakelite: A thermosetting plastic made by condensation and polymerization of formaldehyde and phenol.

Polyvinyl chloride: A strong thermoplastic which is prepared by polymerization of vinyl chloride is called PVC.

Polythene: A thermoplastic prepared from the monomers of ethylene.

Polystyrene: A hard, transparent and light plastic made by polymerization of styrene.

Soap: The sodium salt of a higher fatty acid which has cleansing property in water is called soap.

Detergents: The sodium salts of a long chain of benzene sulphonic acid or long-chain benzene sulphate which have more cleansing property in water are called detergents.

Saponification: The process by which soap is prepared by the reaction of animals or plants fats with sodium hydroxide solution is called saponification.

Pesticides: The chemical compounds which are used to control or kill the pests.

Insecticides: A man-made poisonous chemicals used to control or destroy harmful insects.

Organic insecticides: Insecticides made of carbon compounds, e.g. DDT and malathion.

Inorganic insecticides: Insecticides which are usually made from minerals is called inorganic insecticides.

Fertilizer: The water soluble substances rich in nutrients which are added to increase the fertility of soil.

Organic fertilizer/ manure: An organic substance, obtained from the decomposition of animal remains, poultry droppings and dead plants is called organic fertilizer or manure.

Chemical fertilizer: An artificially prepared inorganic chemical compound added to the soil for making up the deficiencies of primary nutrients.

Nitrogenous fertilizer: The fertilizer rich in salts of nitrogen.

Phosphorous fertilizer: The fertilizer rich in salts of phosphorus.

Potassium fertilizer: The fertilizer rich in salts of potassium.

NPK fertilizer: The fertilizer which contains all the three primary nutrients i.e. nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium is called NPK Fertilizer.

Chemical Pollution: The environmental deteriorations due to unscientific and improper use of chemical substances.