EVERYDAY MATERIALSAtlas
Words that make the connections clearer

Name the right thing.

An ore is not a metal. A polymer is not a product. Keep these levels of description separate and the story of everyday materials becomes much easier to follow.

Ore

A rock or other natural material from which useful substances can be extracted economically under specified conditions. An ore is not the same thing as a pure metal.

Mineral

A naturally occurring substance with a characteristic composition and ordered internal structure. A rock can contain several minerals. Quartz is a mineral form of silica.

Element

A chemical substance defined by atoms with the same number of protons. An element can be present in a compound without appearing as a pure substance: lithium in a battery electrode is an example.

Metal

A broad class of materials typically associated with electrical conductivity, metallic bonding and the ability to deform. Many useful metal parts are alloys rather than pure elements.

Alloy

A metallic material made with two or more elements. The amounts, processing and structure matter: stainless steel and carbon steel are different alloy families.

Polymer

A substance built from large molecules with repeated structural units. Natural cellulose and synthetic polyethylene are both polymers. A finished plastic usually contains a polymer plus additives.

Composite

A material combining distinguishable constituents to obtain useful properties. Fibres can reinforce a resin, for example. An object assembled from separate parts is not necessarily a single composite material.

Finished material

Material after its composition, structure and shape have been engineered for use: a strengthened glass sheet, an alloy extrusion, a dyed fabric or a cured composite.

Thermoplastic

A polymer material that can soften with heat and be shaped. Repeated processing can change its properties. Being thermoplastic does not mean a local recycler accepts every product made from it.

Thermoset

A polymer system that forms a crosslinked network during curing. It cannot simply be remelted into the original uncured resin. Some specialised recovery processes exist.

Production

Output over a stated time period, at a stated stage. Mine output, refined metal and primary smelter output measure different things. Always read the definition and unit.

Reserves

The economically extractable part of an identified resource under the reporting conditions. Reserves can change; they are not a fixed countdown or a measure of annual output.

Recyclable

Capable of a recovery process under specified conditions. A practical claim also needs collection, sorting, processing capacity and a market for the recovered material.

Provenance

The documented origin and journey of a particular material or product. A global production map describes a pattern; it cannot establish an individual product’s provenance.

The atlas uses simplified educational definitions. Engineering specifications and scientific classifications can be more precise for particular contexts.

Follow the evidence

Original explanations informed by the sources below. Technical and industry sources support material behaviour; industry environmental marketing is not treated as a universal comparison. Read our editorial method.