MINERALS AND CERAMICS PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH IN USE FOR ENGINEERING

 

PROFESSIONAL ENGLISH IN USE FOR ENGINEERING UNIT 15. MINERALS AND CERAMICS

 

A Mineral and ceramic engineering materials A mineral is a natural, inorganic material (one that is not living) which is found in the ground, often within rocks. Minerals are quite pure. Rocks, on the other hand, can be mixtures of several minerals, and may also contain previously organic material. Examples of minerals include different types of ore – from which metal can be extracted – such as iron ore. Non-metallic minerals include: ·           Diamond, an extremely hard from carbon (C), which is used as an abrasive (very hard and rough) material in cutting tools – frequently referred to as industrial diamond when used in engineering. B Glass A technical adviser for a glass manufacturer is giving a briefing to a group of engineers at a trade fair. ‘Sheets of glass, which are obviously flat and think, are called float glass. This refers to the manufacturing technique where molten glass is floated on molten tin, to produce flat sheets.   EXERCISES 15.1 Decide whether the sentences below are true or false. Then, change one word in each of the false sentences to correct them. Look at A opposite to help you. 1. Minerals are organic. 2. Minerals can be found in rocks. 3. Silica is a compound containing silicon. 15.2 Use the words and expressions in the box to describe each photo. You will need to use some words more than once. Look at B opposite to help you. annealed glass safety glass toughened glass laminated glass tempered glass windscreen 15.3 Complete the article about bulletproof glass from a science and technology magazine, using words from B opposite. Sometimes, more than one word is possible. “Bulletproof” is a loosely used word, suggesting something is totally unbreakable. But technically speaking, how accurate is the term “bulletproof glass”? Outside of Hollywood movies, can glass really stop bullets? The answer is, not on its own. But if several (1)_________ of glass are sandwiched with a high-strength polymer to form (2)_________ glass, a bullet-resistant, if not completely bulletproof, barrier can be obtained.

ANSWER KEY