(Group 14 [IVa] of the periodic table). Silicon makes up 27.7 percent of Earth’s crust; it…

Hot metal (blast-furnace iron) Most blast furnaces are linked to a basic oxygen steel plant, for which the…

Cast iron, an alloy of iron that contains 2 to 4 percent carbon, along with varying amounts of silicon and manganese and…

Coal gasification, any process of converting coal into gas for use in illuminating and heating. The first illuminating gas…

Chemical element, also called element, any substance that cannot be decomposed into simpler substances by ordinary…

Industrial ceramics, Ceramics are broadly defined as inorganic, nonmetallic materials that exhibit such useful properties as…

Man-made fibre, fibre whose chemical composition, structure, and properties are significantly modified during the manufacturing process. Man-made fibres…

Plastic, polymeric material that has the capability of being molded or shaped, usually by the…

Elastomer, any rubbery material composed of long chainlike molecules, or polymers, that are capable of…

Transportation, the movement of goods and persons from place to place and the various means…