I am a Materials Girl

Author: Kate Quinlivan

their story

More than half of my extended family lives in Virginia, and it is always fun to travel up there. I recently spent a week with my grandparents, which, as expected, involved a lot of card playing. They are a part of a church who decided it was their mission to collect plastic bottle caps, and through a program, create a bench. We went to their church to check out their collection, and there were more than fifteen trash bags filled with caps from bottles and containers. A nearby church had completed benches so we went and checked them out. They gave my grandparents the inspiration to do it themselves. Through Green Tree Plastics’s ABC Program my grandparents and their church are currently collecting two hundred pounds of plastic bottle caps to transform into a bench. As easy as it may sound, there are many details that are required to fulfill this final goal.

the details with the bottles

Two hundred pounds is a lot of bottle caps. That requires a lot of time and participators to obtain this much plastic and ultimately obtain a bench.

Step 1: Fill out a registration, like the Facebook page, and promise care for the Earth and the people who are helping with the work.

Step 2: Collect the caps by following the acceptable caps list. (Acceptable ex: milk cartons, detergent, drink bottle. Unacceptable ex: metal, soap pumps, any container). Caps must be clean and dry.

Step 3: Weigh sorted bottle caps.

Step 4: Make an appointment 3 weeks in advance, confirm the order, and contact the office through email.

Step 5: Deliver the caps and take a bench home.

This is a great program helping our Earth repurpose a material of great use and reuse: plastic. Check them out at: www.greentreeplastics.com/abc-program/ to help bottles turn to benches.

Here are bags filled with bottles in my grandparents’ church. Once they reach two hundred pounds, they will take it to Green Tree Plastics and get a bench in return.

This is what a completed bench looks like. These two benches were at a nearby church who had also done this project. Typically, the benches are grey, but there is a color option if the customer is willing to pay more.

source

“ABC Promise Partnership.” Greentreeplastics, 30 Dec. 2021, www.greentreeplastics.com/abc-program/.

the sustainable shoes

I am a 14 year old girl, so it is not exactly a surprise if I said I loved shoes. I think that the variety of shoes is so fun to match with different outfits and different occasions. There are so many shoes out there, it is incredible. I am sure people are very familiar with the more popular brands like Nike or Converse. What some may not recognize are Allbirds and Rothy’s. Rothy’s are made 100% from recycled materials and Allbirds are made from fully sustainable wool. Plastic and other materials are being used all over the world and polluting the Earth. Plastic takes about 500 years to decompose, but even then, it never fully disappears. This is why it is important to repurpose plastic, and instead use more sustainable products, rather than let it go to waste. There is a huge patch of garbage in the Pacific Ocean about twice the size of Texas that just sits there because most of the trash is not biodegradable. For these reasons, plastic must not go to waste, and this is why companies such as Rothy’s and Allbirds set out to fix this sustainability problem by creating sustainable shoes.

the materials

In 2016, Allbirds were created to make environmentally friendly and sustainable shoes. They use a soft New Zealand merino wool to create part of the shoe. They also use Allbirds Plant Leather which is said to be a sustainable alternative leather that is 100% plastic free and only contains natural materials like rubber, plant oils, and agricultural byproducts such as rice hulls and citrus peels (Husband). For the midsole of the shoe they use Allbirds’s SweetFoam derived from sugarcane. These materials help Allbirds achieve their mission of sustainable footwear for a better future. Also launching in 2016, Rothy’s has a similar goal, but instead they create their shoes from recycled materials. Rothy’s are made from single-use plastic water bottles and marine plastic (McFadden). It is said that they have helped keep 100 tons of plastic from entering the ocean (McFadden). Our environment is slowly getting covered in waste. If there are things we can do now to prevent it, we should, even if that entails buying yet another pair of shoes.

These are Rothy’s sustainable shoes and the materials used to make the shoes. Source: https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Rothys-ingredients-900×540.jpg

source

Husband, Laura. “Allbirds, NFW Unveil Plastic-Free Plant Leather ‘Material First’ for Footwear.” Just Style, 13 Sept. 2022, www.just-style.com/news/allbirds-nfw-unveil-plastic-free-plant-leather-material-first-for-footwear/.

McFadden, Mimi. “Rothy’s Review: Are They Worth the Cost?” The Atlas Heart, 15 Feb. 2023, theatlasheart.com/rothys-review/#:~:text=Unlike%20other%20shoe%20brands%20that,in%20their%20shoes%20and%20handbags.

The Ancient City: Edinburgh, Scotland

This question has countless answers depending on where these buildings are today. Stones used in European cities are fascinating in particular. Some cities have been around for thousands of years, and it is remarkable how there are still structures around today. A very important factor of this is the stones being used to build these specific buildings. I recently went to Edinburgh, Scotland, which has records dating back to 8500 BC, and was able to witness such old landmarks firsthand. When I visited Paris, the buildings were rarely discolored and something I did not pay much attention to. When I was in Edinburgh, though, the discoloration in the stone was fascinating to me. I was not sure if this was because of the city’s age or some other factor that affected the stone.

This is a picture I took while we were in Edinburgh, Scotland of noticeably darker stones. – March 2023

The Stones

Edinburgh is made of something called craigleith sandstone which is sturdy and already fairly different in color. These stones are typically grey or brown and desirable for building structures because it is easy to work with but also reluctant to weathering (“Interesting Facts”). This allows for such ancient cities to still be around today. As for the color of the stones in Edinburgh, knowing some were already grey to begin with made sense, but still did not explain why some looked black. According to Katie Welsh, it is actually just pollution. Up until the 20th century, coal was burned in house fires and railways and thus covered buildings in soot (Welsh). This grime and soot still covers the sandstone today, which helps protect it from corrosion. I find it fascinating how all cities have different stories to share, even within the architecture. I assumed this Scottish city looked old thanks to only its age, but there are so many more factors. It is important to remember to leave no stone unturned, literally.

Source

“Interesting Facts – Sandstone.” Banas Stone. Banas Stone, 2023, www.banasstones.com/interesting-facts/309-interesting-facts-sandstone/. 
Welsh, Katie. “Edinburgh’s Iconic Scott Monument and the Reason it Can Never Get Cleaned.” edinburghlive. MGN Limited, 29 June 2021, www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/edinburghs-iconic-scott-monument-reason-20931701.

The Rock

I play soccer and have been playing ever since I was four years old. I have tried numerous sports since then, but I have always loved soccer the most. I started playing competitively in third grade and am still on a travel team today. I also play on the varsity team for my school, The Benjamin School. I am in ninth grade, so this is my first year on this team, but last year, they made it all the way to the State Championship. This year though, we lost in penalty kicks, in the State Semi-Finals, with a disheartening loss to the NSU Sharks. With the competitive club team I am on, we participated in the Gulf Coast Invitational in Wesley Chapel, Florida. While we were driving across the state, a rock hit our car windshield and cracked a part of the glass. We continued to drive, but the crack continued to grow. I wondered why this was happening, and what made cracks expand in this type of glass. What affects cracks in car windshields?

This was the crack in our car window that continued to spread as we drove. – February 2023

The Reason

Cracks in car windshields spread and grow because of extreme temperatures (“5 Types”). As temperatures rapidly increase or decrease, the tempered or laminated glass of cars expand and contract. When this happens too quickly, stress cracks form or add on to already damaged glass (“5 Types”). Exposure to sun and wind also causes cracks to grow (“How Do”). When driving, the wind hitting the glass does not help prevent the broken glass from spreading. Thanks to excessive sunlight, wind, and increases/decreases in temperature, cracked glass can only get worse.

Source

“5 Types of Windscreen Cracks, and What They Mean for You.” Novus Glass. NOVUS Glass, 25 June 2021, www.novusglass.com/en-au/industry-insight/5-types-of-windscreen-cracks-and-what-they-mean-for-you/. Accessed 19 February 2023.

“How Do You Stop a Windshield Crack From Spreading?” BEMAC. Bemac Collision Group, 23 August 2018, www.bemac.ca/blog/how-do-you-stop-a-windshield-crack-from-spreading/. Accessed 19 February 2023. 

This is an image of the Challenger explosion in 1986. Source: https://i.natgeofe.com/n/20a3d8bf-9cca-49af-9f13-05e9c537a5aa/31734_3x2.jpg

THe Shuttle

I know I have mentioned him before, but I have a younger brother who is now 10 years old. I feel like all boys of his age have similar interests of dinosaurs, cars, space, and pretty much all sorts of vehicles. Since it is just him and me, he knows a lot about what I am interested in and I know a lot about what he is interested in. He knows a lot about space and rockets of all sorts, but it also helps that we live near the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. I have gone there countless times as they have many sites to explore. One main attraction of theirs is the Atlantis Space Shuttle, one of only four left in the world. The Discovery Shuttle is at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC, which is another shuttle I have had the privilege of seeing. The other two, the Endeavour and the Enterprise, are in other museums in California and New York. With that being said, there were actually six shuttles built by NASA. The Challenger exploded during launch on January 28, 1986 and the Columbia exploded during re-enter on February 1, 2003.

The Cause

It is known by all that the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded resulting in the deaths of seven passengers, but not everyone knows the real cause of this casualty. A tiny rubber part of the shuttle called the O-ring was the source of the problem. It served as a seal between parts of the solid rocket boosters, but lost its elasticity when exposed to cold temperature (Teitel). The O-ring only works properly above 54 degrees and on January 28, 1986, it was 36 degrees (Teitel). The temperature was so cold, the O-ring did not expand properly and could not prevent the leak (Teitel). The liquid-hydrogen leaking from the booster mixed with the liquid-oxygen tank and the shuttle exploded (Teitel). The Challenger explosion was an unforgettable incident and has taught NASA a lot so that history will not repeat itself.

The Source

Teitel, Amy Shira. “What Caused the Challenger Disaster?” History. A&E Television Networks, LLC., January 28, 2022, www.history.com/news/how-the-challenger-disaster-changed-nasa. Accessed 2 January 2023.

The Titanic

I have a younger brother who is four years younger than me. He is interested in a variety of subjects, one of which being the sinking of the Titanic. I found this really interesting as well, as I am also a fan of the 1997 cinematic masterpiece: Titanic, directed by James Cameron. At 2:20am on April 15, 1912, the Titanic ship sank. Carrying 2,200 passengers and crew mates aboard, this massive ship hit an iceberg sitting just 100 feet above sea level. Just recently we were on a long car ride and had endless hours to pass when we stumbled across a podcast called: Materialism: A Materials Science Podcast, hosted by Taylor Sparks and Andrew Falkowski. Episode 42, What Really Sunk the Titanic?, goes further into detail about the reasons behind the ship’s sinking, which, of course, is something I was curious about learning.

This is a picture of the Titanic. Source: https://cdn.britannica.com/79/4679-050-BC127236/Titanic.jpg

The Metals

In 1912, metal had higher concentrations of certain elements than it does today, in 2022. When the Titanic was being built, the metal used had a higher concentration of sulfur, whereas today’s metal has a higher concentration of manganese (Falkowski and Sparks). This affects the brittle/ductile point of the metal. Brittle shows how breakable something is, and ductile shows its ability to bend. Today’s metals have a much lower point at which something goes from brittle to ductile because of the concentration of manganese. Manganese increases the ductility of metals, suggesting with less manganese, like the metals from 1912, the more brittle it is. This shows how if the metal of the Titanic had more manganese, it would have had a higher chance of withstanding the iceberg. If there was less sulfur, the Titanic would not have sunken, and so many lives would not have been lost. With that being said, we would not have the privilege of watching Cameron’s sensational film: Titanic. 

SOurce

Falkowski and Sparks, Andrew and Taylor. “What Really Sunk the Titanic?” Materialism: A Materials Science Podcast, Episode 42, 18 June 2021, materialismpodcast.com. 

Even though I did not take this picture, we did have the privilege of seeing this statue while we were in Paris.

The Venus de Milo

Paris is filled with various well known landmarks and artifacts, including the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and, of course, the Louvre. The Louvre, famously known for the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory, and Aphrodite of Milos, is in the center of the beautiful city. Better known as the Venus de Milo, the statue represents Aphrodite, the goddess of love (“Venus de”). It stands 6 feet, 8 inches tall, absent of arms, in one of the most visited places in the Louvre (Richman-Abdou). The figure itself was carved around 150 BC, and was found on April 8, 1820 on the Aegean island of Melos (“Venus de”). Even though the sculpture was found in pieces, the material needed to be sturdy enough to last nearly two thousand years. The Venus de Milo is said to be built out of marble, but marble is a very brittle stone. With that being said, it is easy to carve but it is hard to believe the statue has lasted all these years. It was originally carved in two parts: the torso and the legs (“Venus de”). These two parts were then connected at the hips, hidden by drapery.

The MAterials

The material used to build the structure, Parian marble, is similar to limestone. A largely known fact is that limestone is never a great material to use for building or foundation. What if the Venus de Milo was not built out of marble? Would we know what the arms were doing? When building sculptures, there are many other more sustainable materials to use. It is no surprise that metals are the best, most durable option to use when building a statue. The hardness and lack of corrosion of specifically stainless steel and bronze, are the best substances to use when creating a sculpture. Who knows? If the Venus de Milo was built out of steel, we might have the answers we are looking for. 

Source

Richman-Abdou, Kelly. “The Mysterious History of the Marble ‘Venus de Milo’ Statue.” My Modern Met. 20 May 2022, mymodernmet.com/venus-de-milo-statue/. Accessed 5 August 2022. 

“Venus de Milo.” Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2022, www.britannica.com/topic/Venus-de-Milo. Accessed 5 August 2022.

I took this picture as we were waiting to go up the famed Eiffel Tower – March 2022

Paris, France

In the spring of 2022, we traveled to Europe. Only so much can be done in a single week, so unfortunately we could not visit everywhere we wanted. If it were up to me, we would have spent a lengthy time in Europe and visited all over the continent, spending time in Italy, England, Austria, Sweden, and Switzerland. With that being said, I was able to travel to one of the prettiest cities in the world: Paris, France. Paris, known worldwide for the Cathedral of Notre Dame, the Louvre Museum, and of course, the Eiffel Tower, is France’s capital city and one of the major cities in Europe.

The Eiffel Tower

Not many people know this, but the Eiffel Tower actually gains height during the summer, so if it appears taller, you are not crazy. (“Why Does”). The tower itself is made out of puddled iron, which like many other metals, adapts to its environment (“Why Does”). When the outside temperature reaches high enough, it causes the metal to expand and causes the tower to grow taller (“Why Does”). When metal heats up, the particles start moving, and start taking up more space. It can grow up to six inches each summer (“Why Does”). On the contrary, at extreme low temperatures, the metal contracts and results in the Eiffel Tower decreasing in height (“Why Does”). As the metal cools down, the particles slow down. Material science is all about understanding and applying the properties of matter. With this new information about the metal of the Eiffel Tower, it can be beneficial towards understanding different metals, and how to use them appropriately.

Source

“Why Does The Eiffel Tower Change Size?” Toureiffel.paris. Sociéte d’Exploitation de la tour Eiffel, www.toureiffel.paris/en/news/history-and-culture/why-does-eiffel-tower-change-size. Accessed 5 August 2022.