synthetic materials

Discussion in 'Earth Science' started by Datura, Nov 17, 2002.

  1. Datura surrender to nothing Registered Senior Member

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    where do they come from?
     
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  3. NenarTronian Teenaged Transhumanist Registered Senior Member

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    You have to be way more specific.

    What kinds of synthetic materials? Fibers, synthetic gems, glass, electronic parts, paints, glue, cosmetics, chemicals...
     
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  5. Clockwood You Forgot Poland Registered Senior Member

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    Synthetic is just anything made by man and not by biological or geological processes.

    Plastic is a synthetic material.
     
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  7. Datura surrender to nothing Registered Senior Member

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    glass isn't synthetic...
    I know what the word means I just don't understand where it is derived from. It seems that everything would have to be made from something in the earth itself. Where does one get the materials to construct a synthetic object?

    I'm just speaking on general terms. But if I really need to get specific: styrofoam, teflon, acrylic, polyester. That's all I can think of for now.
     
  8. Gifted World Wanderer Registered Senior Member

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    Metals exist in rock, or ores. The processing removes the metal. Things like cotton adn wool are produced by organic processes without human interferance. Things like styrofoam, teflon, acrylic, and polyester, to use your list, are produced by chemical processes not occuring in nature. It generally involves complete changes in the molecular structure. Any questions?
     
  9. Bebelina kospla.com Valued Senior Member

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    I think polyester is made of oil.
     
  10. goofyfish Analog By Birth, Digital By Design Valued Senior Member

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    Synthetic, boiled down to basics means "man-made". All the materials that are used certainly come from the world around us, but the process that uses them in the case of sythetics don't normally occur naturally.

    Peace.
     
  11. p_ete2001 Registered Senior Member

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    Glass is synthetic datura. Like they said its anything that i man-made. Glass is made from sand. I assume that they take all of the litle clear peices of sand and put them together to make glass. it is definitely man-made though. (i read somewhere that glass is actually a liquid. It moves within itself very very slowly and so is still a liquid.)

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    Last edited: Nov 18, 2002
  12. grazzhoppa yawwn Valued Senior Member

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    In the case of polyester.....humans took ester....then put a bunch of them together (hence the word "poly"). This does not occur naturally so it is a synthetic material.
    This is what polyester is:
    A polymer is just something that has a bunch of stuff hooked up. They put an acid, alcohol, and ester together to get the material of polyester.

    Source: How polyester is made

    Synthetic materials orginally come from natural sources. They are manipulated in a way that does not occur in nature. Just as everybody has been saying.
     
  13. Clockwood You Forgot Poland Registered Senior Member

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    If a material has its molecular structure reshaped by human intent it is synthetic.
     
  14. Datura surrender to nothing Registered Senior Member

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    wow...nobody called me stupid. Thanks for the explanations.

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  15. Clockwood You Forgot Poland Registered Senior Member

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    no problem *begin cough* stupid *end cough

    jk
     
  16. Tristan Leave your World Behind Valued Senior Member

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    Sythetic Gems: Actuall gems. Have the exact same chemical compostion and look to them most of the time. Moissanite for example is sythetic diamond. It really is made of carbon and really is a diamond, however, it is made by man and not nature.

    Simulant Gems: What can I say? Rhinestones sums it up. Also the common CZ or cubic zirconia is a simulant diamond. Though one would not find it in the earth, isn't plastic, its actually a man made gem. As the name suggests it has zircon in it.

    Brought to you by the somewhat knowledgeable one in the jewelery business/ gems.

    Later
    T

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