Impact of Materials on Society (IMOS) - Ceramics

Summary

This script explores the evolution and versatility of ceramics, from ancient tools to modern high-tech applications. It highlights their unique properties, such as strength in compression and energy conversion, exemplified by Corning ware's resistance to breaking. The discussion delves into advanced materials like thermoelectrics, which convert temperature differences into electricity, and piezoelectrics, found in gas grills. The script also touches on biomedical applications, including magnetic nanoparticles for separating cancer cells and detecting biomarkers. The potential for future ceramics to transform society is vast, with applications ranging from energy storage in smart cards to harnessing waste heat in vehicles.

Takeaways

• 🏺 Ceramics have been integral to human society for at least 20,000 years, starting with the production of tools for food processing, storing, and serving.
• 🔬 The electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of ceramics have become increasingly important in our high-tech world, beyond their traditional uses.
• 💡 Ceramics can convert energy from one form to another, exemplified by Corning ware's design that utilizes the material's strength in compression to create durable cookware.
• 🧲 The unique property of ceramics to be strong in compression and weak in tension can be manipulated to create materials that are less prone to breaking under certain conditions.
• 🔋 Thermoelectric materials, a type of ceramic, can convert temperature differences into electrical energy, which has potential applications in various devices and systems.
• 🌐 The ability to tailor ceramics with specific properties, such as combining thermal, electrical, magnetic, and mechanical properties, opens up new possibilities for advanced materials.
• 🌐 Multiferroic materials, which are a class of ceramics, can have their electric properties controlled by a magnetic field, showcasing the versatility of ceramics in technology.
• 👟 Piezoelectric materials, which can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, have practical applications like ignition in gas grills and potential uses in energy-harvesting shoes.
• 🧬 In biomedical engineering, magnetic nanoparticles in ceramics are being used for innovative applications like separating circulating tumor cells and detecting biomarkers for diseases.
• 💳 Modern ceramics are used in smart cards for data storage, demonstrating the evolution from simple household items to sophisticated, multifunctional materials.

Q & A

What is the historical significance of ceramics in human society?

Ceramics have played a huge role in society throughout history, dating back at least 20,000 years. They were used to create tools for processing, storing, and serving food, which were essential to the economic foundation of early civilizations.

How do ceramics exhibit strength in compression and tension?

Ceramics can be very strong in compression but weak in tension. This property is utilized in the design of products like Corning ware plates, which are made to withstand compression forces, making them less likely to break when dropped.

What is the advantage of a Corning ware plate when it comes to durability?

Corning ware plates are designed with a clay ceramic inner part that contracts a lot when cooled, and an outer glass layer with a lower thermal expansion coefficient. This creates a state of compression in the outer layer, making it very strong and less likely to break when dropped.

Why might a scratched Corning ware plate shatter when dropped?

A scratched Corning ware plate can shatter because the scratch releases the stored mechanical stress energy within the plate, which is designed to withstand compression but not tension forces when intact.

How do magnetoelectrics and multiferroics materials differ from traditional ceramics?

Magnetoelectrics and multiferroics materials are a new class of ceramics that can be tailored to have properties such as thermal, electrical, magnetic, and mechanical properties. They can also exhibit coupling between these properties, allowing for unique functionalities like controlling electric properties with a magnetic field.

What is a thermoelectric material and how does it work?

A thermoelectric material is capable of converting a temperature difference into electrical energy. It works by generating an electrical current when there is a temperature gradient across the material, which can be used to power circuits or devices.

How are piezoelectric materials used in everyday life?

Piezoelectric materials convert mechanical energy into electrical energy. An example of their use is in gas grills, where pressing a button generates a voltage that creates a spark to ignite the grill.

What is the concept of magnetic buoyancy and how can it be applied in biomedicine?

Magnetic buoyancy is the principle where magnetic materials can cause objects to float in a magnetic field. In biomedicine, it can be used to separate circulating tumor cells from blood by applying magnetic nanoparticles and using a magnet to push the larger cells to a different exit.

How are magnetic nanoparticles used for detecting early-stage biomarkers for arthritis?

Magnetic nanoparticles can be used in assays to detect and monitor the progression of diseases like arthritis by capturing biomarkers associated with the disease from a blood sample, allowing for early detection and monitoring of the condition.

What role do ceramics play in modern technology, such as smart cards?

Modern ceramics, specifically ferroelectric ceramics, are used in smart cards to store information. They have the ability to maintain a polarization, which represents data like a one or a zero, and is crucial for the card's functionality.

What potential future applications are envisioned for ceramics?

The future of ceramics is vast and includes multifunctional applications such as energy transduction, information storage, waste heat conversion to electricity, and biological applications like separating cancer cells or detecting disease biomarkers.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 The Evolution and Versatility of Ceramics

This paragraph delves into the historical significance and modern applications of ceramics. It traces the use of raw materials like clay, sand, and water to create ceramics, which have been integral to human society for at least 20,000 years. The discussion highlights how ceramics have evolved from simple tools to complex materials with electrical, optical, and magnetic properties. The paragraph explains how the strength and compression properties of ceramics are utilized in products like Corning ware, which is designed to withstand breakage. It also touches on the ability of ceramics to convert energy, mentioning thermoelectric materials that can generate electricity from temperature differences. The potential of piezoelectric materials to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy is also explored, with examples like gas grill igniters and the concept of energy-harvesting shoes.

05:02

🧲 Innovative Applications of Magnetic Nanoparticles in Biomedicine

The second paragraph focuses on the cutting-edge research and applications of magnetic nanoparticles in the field of biomedicine. It introduces the concept of magnetic buoyancy, demonstrating how a ferrofluid can make a dense object float in response to a magnetic field. This principle is then applied to the development of microfluidic devices for separating circulating tumor cells from blood, leveraging the magnetic properties of nanoparticles to isolate cancer cells based on size differences. Another application discussed is the use of magnetic microparticles for biomarker scavenging to detect early-stage indicators of diseases like arthritis. The paragraph also connects the discussion back to everyday technology, explaining the role of ferroelectric ceramics in smart cards, which store information through electric field polarization.

Keywords

💡Ceramics

Ceramics are inorganic, non-metallic materials made by heating raw materials such as clay, sand, and water to high temperatures. In the video, ceramics are highlighted for their historical significance as well as their modern applications in high-tech fields. They have been used for over 20,000 years, initially for creating tools, and now for their electrical, optical, and magnetic properties in advanced technologies.

💡Thermal Expansion Coefficient

The thermal expansion coefficient is a material's tendency to change in size with temperature. In the context of the video, Corning ware plates use this property by combining a clay ceramic with a high thermal expansion coefficient for the inner part and a glass with a lower coefficient for the outer part. This design creates a state of compression that makes the plates resistant to breaking when dropped.

💡Compression and Tension

Compression and tension are forces that act on materials. In the video, it is explained that ceramics are strong under compression but weak under tension. This property is utilized in the design of durable ceramic products like Corning ware plates, which are made to withstand compression forces, thus reducing the likelihood of breaking.

💡Piezoelectric Materials

Piezoelectric materials generate an electrical charge in response to mechanical stress. The video gives an example of piezoelectric materials being used in gas grills to convert the mechanical action of pressing a button into the electrical spark needed to ignite the grill. It also suggests future applications, such as converting the mechanical energy from running shoes into electricity.

💡Thermoelectric Materials

Thermoelectric materials are capable of converting temperature differences directly into electrical energy. The video demonstrates this with an experiment where a temperature gradient across a thermoelectric material generates an electric current that powers a fan. This property is significant for energy harvesting applications, such as converting waste heat into electricity.

💡Magnetic Nanoparticles

Magnetic nanoparticles are tiny particles that respond to magnetic fields. In the video, they are used to illustrate the concept of magnetic buoyancy, where a plastic piece floats due to the attraction of a ferrofluid containing magnetic nanoparticles. This principle is explored for potential biomedical applications, such as separating circulating tumor cells from blood.

💡Magnetic Buoyancy

Magnetic buoyancy is a concept where magnetic materials can cause objects to float or move in response to a magnetic field. The video shows an experiment where a magnet attracts a ferrofluid, causing a plastic piece to float. This effect is proposed for use in separating cells based on their magnetic properties, such as in detecting cancer cells.

💡Ferroelectrics

Ferroelectric materials are a type of ceramic that can maintain an electric polarization, allowing them to store information. The video mentions that smart cards use ferroelectric materials to store data, such as a user's bank balance, demonstrating how modern ceramics are integral to everyday technology.

💡Multiferroics

Multiferroics are materials that exhibit more than one type of ferroic order, such as magnetic and electric properties simultaneously. The video briefly mentions these materials in the context of using a magnetic field to control the electric properties, indicating a potential for advanced material science applications.

💡Smart Card

A smart card is a plastic card with embedded integrated circuits. The video explains that smart cards utilize ferroelectric ceramics to store data, such as account information, which is crucial for their operation in devices like ATMs. This example ties the ancient technology of ceramics to modern, sophisticated applications.

Highlights

Ceramics have been a significant part of human society for at least 20,000 years.

Early civilizations used ceramics for processing, storing, and serving food.

Ceramics can convert energy from one form to another, showcasing their versatility.

Corning ware plates are designed to be strong in compression, reducing the likelihood of breaking.

Scratching or nicking a Corning ware plate can release stored mechanical stress, leading to shattering.

Materials can be tailored by combining different properties like thermal, electrical, magnetic, and mechanical.

Magneto electrics and multiferroics are new classes of materials that respond to magnetic fields.

Thermoelectric materials can convert temperature differences into electrical energy.

Piezoelectric materials convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, used in gas grills.

Future applications of piezoelectrics could include converting the impact energy from running shoes into electricity.

Magnetic nanoparticles can be used in biomedical applications, such as separating circulating tumor cells.

Magnetic buoyancy can be used to separate cells based on their magnetic content.

Magnetic nanoparticles can also be used for biomarker scavenging to detect early-stage biomarkers for diseases like arthritis.

Smart cards use ferroelectric ceramics to store information, demonstrating the modern applications of ceramics.

Modern ceramics have the ability to transduce energy and store information, showcasing their multifunctionality.

The potential for future ceramics is enormous, with applications in energy conversion and biomedical detection.

Transforming ceramics at the atomic scale has unleashed new potential for their use in society.

Transcripts

throughout history humans have taken raw

materials from the earth and turned them

into useful tools and as science is

advanced we now use these same types of

materials in entirely different ways

from ancient times until now ceramics

have played a huge role in society go to

any Natural History or art museum and

you'll see early civilizations

discovered when you take clay sand and

water from the earth and apply heat you

can transform not just the materials but

societies to ceramics are one of the

most ancient technologies of human

history going back at least 20,000 years

if not more and one of the largest

applications in ceramics is the

production of tools used for processing

storing and serving foods so making

ceramics was never really the endgame in

and of itself it is a tool that's used

for harnessing the energy potential of

foods that were the you know economic

foundation for civilization what is the

electrical optical and magnetic

properties of ceramics that have made

them so important to our high-tech world

we all know ceramics breaks but they

also can convert energy from one form to

another what do I mean ceramics have an

interesting property and that they can

be very strong and compression very weak

in tension but strong in compression so

ideally if you want to design a plate or

a cup that doesn't break then what you

want to do is take advantage of that

strength and compression so that's what

Corning ware did when they designed

their plates they took a green body or

they a clay ceramic that they used for

the inner part that has a high thermal

expansion coefficient many would

contract a lot when you cool it down and

then they put a glass on the outside of

it that had less of a thermal expansion

coefficient so as it's cooling down the

outside doesn't want to compress as much

as the inside does so the inside pulls

it into a state of compression and that

makes that outer coating very very

strong so when you drop a pointing where

plate it actually tends to not break and

that's a real advantage if you're a

consumer of these types of products

however if you scratch or Nick a Corning

ware plate and then you drop it well it

could shatter into a million pieces and

what you're effectively doing is

releasing all that stored mechanical

stress

energy inside the glaze well now we can

tailor a material by intentionally

combining different types of properties

such as thermal electrical magnetic and

mechanical and in some cases we can even

get coupling between these different

properties for example in a new class of

material referred to a magneto electrics

or multiferroics we can now use a

magnetic field to control the electric

properties of a material in

thermoelectric materials for example we

can now use a thermal gradient to

generate an electrical potential or to

power a circuit the thermoelectric

material has this ability to convert a

temperature difference into electrical

energy so what we have here is a device

in which the thermoelectric material is

sandwiched between these two metal

probes alright so as I generate a

temperature difference between these two

the electrical current that's being

generated should run up and run through

that motor so in order to generate the

temperature difference I could either

heat one side and keep the other at

ambient temperature or in this case I'm

going to go ahead and cool one side and

keep the other one at room temperature

so what I have here are some liquid

nitrogen so as I pour this in if the

temperature difference should start to

generate an electric current which will

then make the fan blade run

it takes a little while for that metal

to cool down once I put it in there so

we'll let this thing slowly come down in

temperature and you can see this is

filled with liquid nitrogen so this is

at 77 Kelvin this side over here is at

300 Kelvin which is room temperature

there it goes

so now what's happened is that this side

has gotten cold enough relative to room

temperature to generate the voltage

that's necessary to actually run the fan

have you ever used a gas grill well if

so you probably use the piezo electric

material without even knowing it

piezo electric materials are those that

can convert a mechanical energy into an

electrical energy so for example in your

gas grill you may push a button that's

your mechanical energy that then leads

to a voltage between these two wires

that can cause the spark that leads to

your gas grill lighting

imagine a world where the foam in your

running shoes did more than just cushion

impact as you run imagine if instead it

could absorb that mechanical energy and

converted into electricity this is just

one of the many future applications of

piezo electrics

my name is Carlos Rinaldi I'm a

professor of chemical engineering and

biomedical engineering here at UF my lab

works with magnetic nanoparticles in

general suspensions of magnetic

nanoparticles in terms of functional

ceramics the idea here is that the

materials are functional from the point

of view of having a magnetic property

that allows them to respond to an

applied magnetic field in a certain way

either by rotating translating or

dissipating energy when I illustrate

here is is the concept of magnetic

buoyancy and the idea here is that I

have a ferrofluid in this case it's

about 10 nanometer particles and in an

oil-based old medium and I have a little

piece of plastic here and it's too dense

so it doesn't float it sinks all the way

to the bottom and I'm gonna use a a

rare-earth permanent magnet to generate

a magnetic field and what's gonna happen

is that the magnet will attract the

fertile fluid towards it and in doing so

it'll displace the plastic and therefore

make it float and this is similar to the

concept of buoyancy with gravity and and

a liquid let's say water except that

here instead of being mass that's

relevant what's relevant is the content

of magnetic materials in the fluid and

so as I as I approach it you'll see that

the the plastic piece floats and the

actual position of the of the black

thick plastic piece depends on the

relative positions of the ferrofluid and

the magnet so a very simple and very

exciting I think example of how this

principle magnetic buoyancy can be used

in biomedicine is in in separating

circulating tumor cells so the idea here

is that with very small concentrations I

mean really surprisingly slow

concentrations of magnetic nanoparticles

in the liquid you can generate a

microfluidic device you have a stream of

cells coming in

and you have an outlet and then you you

use a magnet to push to both because of

the buoyant the magnetic buoyancy effect

push larger cells to come out another

exit in the top and so this takes

advantage of the magnetic buoyancy

effect that I've Illustrated and also of

the differences in the size of

circulating tumor cells versus non

cancer cells or in the bloodstream so

another application that we're

developing is using magnetic

nanoparticles or magnetic micro

particles for biomarker scavenging as a

way of detecting early-stage biomarkers

for arthritis who we're trying to

develop is a is a is an assay if you

will a way of detecting and monitoring

progression of the disease by by

monitoring you know expression of

biomarkers are associate with the

disease so at the beginning of the video

you saw Amina used first smart card in

an ATM

now the question you have to ask

yourself is where's the ceramics

implication in this thing right and so

it turns out that a smart card uses

what's called ferroelectric gram

sometimes ferroelectric is a ceramic

that has this unusual property and that

you can store a polarization like a one

or a zero with an electric field that

means I can store in the ceramic the

information necessary to make that smart

card work so it can tell you what your

balance is when you log into the

computer

we've gone from ancient ceramics that

were just basically coffee cups and

bathtubs to modern ceramics which have

the ability to be multifunctional so

they can actually transduce energy from

one form to another they can be

ferroelectrics so they have the ability

to store information like in your smart

card they can be thermal electrics so

they can convert waste heat into

electricity and harness that in your car

they can be magnetic oxide particles

that can be used for biological

applications such as separating cancer

cells or detecting arthritic biomarkers

in your bloodstream so the opportunity

for future ceramics is enormous and it's

just beginning to be tapped so ceramics

have changed a lot over history but now

transforming them at the atomic scale

has unleashed revolutionary new

potential what do you see as their

ability to transform lives and society

in the future