Materials sourcebook for design professionals Rob Thomson and photography by Martin Thompson

Today's designers are often presented with a seemingly infinite number of creative choices, with the ability to push their materials to the limits of what they can do. Understanding these materials properly helps designers make inspired decisions in a practical and confident manner. 'The Materials Sourcebook for Design Professionals' is the one-stop resource for all design professionals, providing comprehensive, accurate information about the basic materials with which they work on a daily basis, as well as a complete breakdown on new and exciting developments in high-tech materials. This invaluable book comprises six main parts on all the major "design" material groups. These parts are then divided into chapters that examine the properties of individual types of materials, e.g. Iron, Steel and Aluminums

Introduction : Inspirational materials, processes and knowledge for design professionals
1. Metal : Ferrous metal : Cast iron ; Steel
Non-ferrous metal : Aluminium ; Magnesium ; Titanium ; Copper, brass, bronze and nickel silver ; Zinc
Precious metal : Silver ; Gold
2. Plastic : Thermoplastic : Polypropylene (PP) ; Polyethylene (PE) ; Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) ; Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ; Acid copolymers and ionomers ; Polystyrene (PS) ; Styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) and acrylic styrene acrylonitrile (ASA) ; Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) ; Polycarbonate (PC) ; Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyester ; Polyamide (PA), nylon ; Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), acrylic ; Polyacrylonitrile (PAN), acrylic fibre ; Polyoxymethylene (POM), Acetal ; Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) ; Fluoropolymer ; Thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)
Thermoset : Polyurethane (PU) ; Polysiloxane, silicone ; Synthetic rubber ; Formaldehyde-based: melamine (MF), phenotic (PF) and Urea (UF) ; Unsaturated polyester (UP) resin ; Polyepoxide, epoxy resin
Super fibre : Carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) ; Aromatic polyamide, Aramid ; Polyphenylene benzobisthiazole (PBO)
Bio-derived : Natural rubber and latex ; Cellulose acetate (CA) and viscose ; Starch plastic ; Polylactic acid (PLA)
3. Wood : Wood products : Wood pulp, paper and board ; Bark ; Cork ; Veneer ; Engineered timber
Softwood : Spruce, pine and fir ; Hemlock ; Larch ; Douglas fir ; Cypress family
Hardwood : Poplar, aspen and cottonwood ; Willow ; Maple ; Birch ; Beech ; Oak ; Chestnut ; Walnut ; Hickory and pecan ; Ash ; Elm ; Cherry, apple and pear
Tropical hardwood : Acacia ; Iroko ; Teak ; Mahogany family ; Exotics ; Balsa
4. Plant : Stem and leaf : Rattan ; Bamboo ; Grass, rush and sedge ; Leaf fibres
Bast fibre : Flax, linen ; Jute and kenaf ; Hemp ; Ramie ; Seed fibre : Cotton ; Coconut
5. Animal : Animal fibres : Silk ; Wool ; Hair
Bone and horn : Horn ; Bone and antler
Leather and fur : Cowhide ; Sheepskin and goatskin ; Pigskin ; Horsehide ; Deerskin and kangaroo hide ; Exotics ; Fur
6. Mineral : Rock : Stone ; Diamond and corundum
Ceramic : Clay ; Plaster ; Cement ; Technical ceramic
Glass : Soda-lime glass ; Lead glass ; High-performance glass