History of materials

111 invenções por ano: do que cada uma evoluiu e a que levou.

AnoInvençãoO que éEvoluiu deLevou a
400000 a.C.LeatherHide treated by tanning.
40000 a.C.GizSoft limestone for writing.
30000 a.C.AbrasivoA hard material for grinding (corundum, carborundum).
18000 a.C.PotteryObjects made of fired clay.Saucepan
9000 a.C.CobreOne of the first metals mastered by humans.
6000 a.C.KilnA furnace for firing pottery, bricks and lime.
5000 a.C.SmeltingExtracting metal from ore by heating it with a reducing agent.
4500 a.C.GoldA precious metal for jewellery and coins.
4000 a.C.Potter’s wheelA spinning disc for shaping vessels; one of the first uses of rotation.
3500 a.C.GlassAn amorphous material made from molten silica.
3300 a.C.BronzeAn alloy of copper and tin that gave its name to an age.
3300 a.C.TinA metal added to copper to make bronze.
3300 a.C.Liga metálicaA mixture of metals with new properties.
3200 a.C.FundiçãoMaking an object by pouring molten material into a mould.
3000 a.C.SilverA precious metal, the best conductor.
3000 a.C.SolderA low-melting alloy for joining parts.
3000 a.C.BetumeA viscous mixture of hydrocarbons.
3000 a.C.SinteringCompacting a powder by heating it below its melting point.
1600 a.C.Natural rubberThe sap of the rubber tree; balls among the Mesoamericans.
1500 a.C.FoleA device for blowing air into a forge.
1500 a.C.BigornaA massive support for forging.
1500 a.C.MercuryA liquid metal; thermometers and barometers.
1500 a.C.Blacksmith’s tongsHinged tongs for holding red-hot metal.
1500 a.C.ForjaA hearth for heating metal before forging.
1200 a.C.IronThe metal of the Iron Age; the basis of steel.
1200 a.C.Forno de reduçãoA furnace for producing iron from ore without melting it.Alto-forno
700 a.C.Wire drawingPulling metal through a die.
600 a.C.Permanent magnetA material with stable magnetization.Lodestone
600 a.C.LodestoneA naturally magnetic mineral.Permanent magnet
500 a.C.LatãoAn alloy of copper and zinc.
500 a.C.Ferro fundidoAn iron alloy with a high carbon content.
500 a.C.CortiçaThe bark of the cork oak.
50 a.C.GlassblowingBlowing objects from molten glass with a blowpipe.
300Aço de DamascoPatterned steel famous for the strength of its blades.
600PorcelainFine ceramics made from kaolin (China; Meissen in 1708).
600KaolinA white clay for porcelain.
1150Alto-fornoA shaft furnace for smelting pig iron.Forno de redução
1565GraphiteA form of carbon; pencil leads, a moderator, a battery anode.Graphene
1590Rolling millRolls that squeeze metal into sheet and sections.
1709CoqueBaked coal; Darby used it to smelt iron.
1735Cobalto
Georg Brandt
A metal in the cathodes of lithium-ion batteries.
1746ZincA metal for brass, batteries and galvanizing.
1748Platinum
Julius Caesar Scaliger, Antonio de Ulloa
A precious metal — a catalyst.
1751Nickel
Axel Fredrik Cronstedt
A metal for alloys and batteries.
1783Tungsten
Juan José Elhuyar, Fausto Elhuyar
The most refractory metal; lamp filaments.
1784Wrought ironLow-carbon iron (Cort).
1784Puddling
Henry Cort, Samuel Baldwin Rogers
Converting pig iron into wrought iron in a reverberatory furnace.
1789Uranium
Эжен Пелиго, Martin Heinrich Klaproth
A heavy metal — nuclear fuel.
1794Rare-earth metalsA group of elements for magnets, phosphors and catalysts.
1797ExtrusãoPushing material through a die (Bramah).
1797Cromo
Louis Nicolas Vauquelin
A metal that makes steel resistant to corrosion.
1817Lithium
Johan August Arfwedson
The lightest metal — the basis of lithium batteries.
1821BauxitaThe ore of aluminium.
1824Silicon
Jöns Jacob Berzelius
A chemical element, the main material of microelectronics.
1826Powder metallurgySintering metal powders (Sobolevsky).
1834SandpaperAn abrasive on a paper backing.
1837GalvanizationCoating steel with zinc against corrosion.
1839Vulcanized rubber
Charles Goodyear
Natural rubber strengthened with sulfur (Charles Goodyear).
1839Steam hammerA hammer with a steam cylinder (Nasmyth).Trip hammer, HammerPrensa de forja
1843Gutta-perchaA natural polymer — the insulation of the first undersea cables.
1855Inner tubeThe rubber bladder of a ball or tyre (Goodyear).
1856SteelAn alloy of iron and carbon; mass production came with the Bessemer process.
1856Conversor Bessemer
Henry Bessemer
Blowing air through pig iron to make steel.Open-hearth furnace
1860CésioAn alkali metal; the transition frequency of the caesium-133 atom defines the second in atomic clocks.
1861Prensa de forjaA hydraulic press for forging.Steam hammer
1865Open-hearth furnaceThe Siemens–Martin regenerative furnace.Conversor Bessemer
1870Steel worksA full cycle: blast furnace — steel — rolling.
1874SemiconductorA material whose conductivity can be controlled; the basis of the transistor.
1881WeldingJoining metals permanently by melting them; Benardos’s arc welding.
1886Alumínio
Hans Christian Ørsted, Humphry Davy
A light metal; cheap production came with the Hall–Héroult process.
1886Germanium
Clemens Winkler
The semiconductor of the first transistors.
1888Liquid crystalsSubstances that rotate the polarization of light in an electric field.
1898High-speed steelSteel for cutting tools (Taylor, White).
1903Gas weldingAn oxy-acetylene flame.
1903Ferrocério
Carl Auer von Welsbach
An alloy that sparks when struck (Auer von Welsbach).
1905NichromeA nickel–chromium alloy with high resistance and resistance to oxidation.
1907Forno de arco elétrico
Carl Wilhelm Siemens
Melting steel with an electric arc (Héroult).
1909Duralumínio
Alfred Wilm
A strong aluminium alloy for aviation (Wilm).
1910Titanium
William Gregor, Martin Heinrich Klaproth
A strong, light metal for aviation and medicine.
1913Stainless steel
Harry Brearley
Steel with chromium that does not rust (Brearley).
1916Método CzochralskiGrowing a single crystal from a melt.
1926Carboneto cementadoTungsten carbide with cobalt (Widia).
1926Gallium arsenideThe semiconductor of laser diodes and microwave circuits.
1936Fibra de vidroA composite of glass fibre and resin.
1945Radar-absorbing materialA coating that absorbs radio waves.
1946Steel cordSteel cord in a tyre’s belt.
1950Dopagem de semicondutoresAdding impurities to create p- and n-regions.
1950Lingotamento contínuoCasting billets in a continuous stream.
1957Plasma cuttingCutting metal with a plasma arc.
1958Fibra de carbonoA super-strong, light fibre made of carbon.
1959Vidro floatSheet glass made on molten tin (Pilkington).
1962Chemically strengthened glassGlass strengthened by ion exchange (Corning).
1965Laser cuttingCutting materials with a laser.
1969Gallium nitrideThe semiconductor of blue LEDs and power electronics.
1970Waterjet cuttingCutting with a jet of water and abrasive.
1981Quantum dots
Alexey Ekimov, Louis E. Brus
Nanocrystals that glow in a set colour (Ekimov).
1982Neodymium magnetThe strongest permanent magnet (Sagawa).
2004Graphene
Andre Geim, Konstantin Novoselov
Single-layer carbon (Geim, Novoselov).Graphite
2007Tampa de vidroChemically strengthened glass on top of the screen.
WoodThe oldest structural material: it made handles, boats, wheels, looms and buildings.
StoneRock as a material for tools, millstones, walls and monuments.
ArgilaA plastic rock that hardens when fired.
OssoAnimal bone and horn — the material of needles, harpoons, flutes and ornaments.
Plant fibreFibres of bast, grass and leaves, twisted into threads and ropes and woven into baskets.
Silica (sand)Silicon dioxide — the raw material of glass.
SílexA hard rock with a sharp fracture; the main material of stone tools.
ReedThe hollow stem of water plants for baskets, boats, pipes and writing pens.
SinewStrong fibres of animal tendons: bowstrings, bindings, torsion springs.
TallowRendered animal fat — the fuel of the first lamps and candles.
DiamanteA super-hard form of carbon; synthetic since 1954.
Cera de abelhaWax from honeycomb for candles, lost-wax casting and waterproofing.

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