Material Science Final Exam

Group 10: Koo Ferdy

Nicholas Agave
Darnell

1)
Cell Phone Batteries
Cell phone batteries usually use lithium ion batteries as the power source. Lithium ion batteries are composed
of a cathode, anode, electrolyte, and separator. Cathode materials include lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4),
lithium manganese oxide (LiMn2O4), Lithium cobalt oxide (LiCoO2), lithium nickel cobalt manganese oxide
(also known as “NMC”) (LiNiMnCoO2), lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (LiNiCoAlO2), and lithium titanate.
Cathode determines the capacity and voltage of a Li-ion battery. Lithium here is used as the cathode because
it is a highly reactive element, meaning that a lot of energy can be stored in its atomic bonds. This translates
into a very high energy density for lithium-ion batteries. Anode materials are typically graphite. It is chosen
because of graphite’s optimal qualities such as structural stability, low electrochemical reactivity, conditions for
storing much lithium ions and price.
Separators are typically microporous polypropylene or polyethylene film. And electrolytes are typically lithium
hexafluorophosphate (LiPF6) in ethylene carbonate (EC). While the cathode and anode determine the basic
performance of a battery, electrolyte and separator determine the safety of a battery. Electrolytes serve as the
medium that enables the movement of only lithium ions between the cathode and anode. For the electrolyte,
materials with high ionic conductivity are mainly used so that lithium ions move back and forth easily. The
separator functions as a physical barrier keeping cathode and anode apart. It prevents the direct flow of
electrons and carefully lets only the ions pass through the internal microscopic hole.

Wind Turbine Blade

Materials used to make wind turbine blades must be of low density and possess high strength, fatigue
resistance and damage tolerance. Large parts of the blades are made of composite materials, such as long
aligned fibers embedded in a continuous phase called the matrix material.The shells that define the
aerodynamic blade profile are typically constructed using polymer matrix composites (PMCs) (e.g. glass fiber
reinforced polyester) and sandwich structures consisting of PMC face sheets and lightweight closed-cell
polymer foam. Because blade mass is a critical design consideration, more expensive carbon fiber composites
are used because of its low mass and it has great elastic modulus, strength and fatigue life. Because of their
low mass, these blades can be produced in thinner profiles which further reduce rotating mass. In addition to
that, carbon fiber which is known as a highly stiff material, will provide better effiiency for the blades to capture
more energy in areas with high intensity of wind as it will bend less compared to fiberglass ones.
2)
- Condensing heat exchanger for steam
Stainless steel has proven to be a particularly reliable and durable material. Heat exchangers made of
stainless steel are particularly resistant to corrosion and deposits of limestone and other residues are
minimised.

Aluminium is another alternative as it has optimum thermal properties and is corrosion resistant. Another
advantage of aluminium is that it is lightweight and malleable so it can be designed efficiently and also it is
cheap to produce

- Jet engine turbofan blades

Titanium alloys are the best choice for high-speed aircraft jet engine turbofan blades because they are
lightweight, strong, and are resistant to corrosion. However, one drawback is their cost and it is very difficult to
shape. Therefore, to improve its malleability titanium is often alloyed with other metals such as aluminum.
These 2 materials have a high strength/weight ratio which is needed in the aerospace industry.

- High-temperature furnace elements to be used in pyrolysis process

Platinum is the best choice for high-temperature furnace elements to be used in oxidizing atmospheres
because it is very ductile, has a relatively very high melting temperature, and is highly resistant to oxidation.

Titanium can also be another alternative to Platinum because of it’s high corrosion resistance, fatigue
resistance, high crack resistance and ability to withstand high temperatures without creeping.