However, if material becomes hotter or colder, it might expand or shrink, changing its size and/or shape. This phenomenon is known as thermal expansion. A thermal expansion coefficient is something that is often referred when we talk about thermal expansion. This is a unique number which tells us how much a material will expand (means increase in size) or contract (means decrease in size) on changing temperature. Larger coefficients indicate that the material enlarges more than that with small coefficients. This is a key concept in practice — especially when you are dealing with multiple materials.
Certain materials, particularly those exhibiting a high temperature expansion coefficient, are liable to undergo change of shape with a change of temperature. This implies that these materials, when bolt warmed, could twist in a circular segment, or eventually stretch out of shape, reminiscent of memory polymers. If we rely on these materials to remain in this shape, then this is a huge issue. Let's say we have a bridge built from a material that has a high thermal expansion coefficient. As this temp rises and the bridge warms up, then it's going to be subject to, basically, bending/morphing with the temperature. Now, if its a bypass bridge then these guys have increased the distance around the trip so much that it is endangering any person driving on that bridge. any bridge which doesnt path straigt in sstraightway is not worthy of driving on it.
With an increase in temperature, materials have a tendency to expand more. This is the case with all materials, however even more so with materials having high thermal expansion coefficients. Now, consider this: When we heat up a material with high thermal expansion coefficient, it will expand much more than when we heat up a material with low coefficient. This is especially high on the list when we are selecting materials for different applications. If we want a material that does not deform too much at high temperature, we should choose a low thermal expansion coefficient material. That way, you can be sure that it is fabric of choice that is robust and it is going to maintain its structure.
So if we warm up a material, its basic parts — molecules — become much more dynamic compared to cooling. This additional movement can disrupt the intermolecular forces and damage the overall strength of the material. This is especially the case for materials with large thermal expansion coefficients. When these materials heat up, the bonds that hold the molecules together start to break much more easily, which weakens the material by a lot. This is a grave concern when we want our material to be rigid and robust for some purpose.
In short, in extreme heat or extreme cold, highly thermally expandable things are not so good. Example: Its edge is if we have a material with high coefficient in very the cold environment it will a lot shrink. If, however, we put the same material into an extremely high temperature, it expands significantly. So what this means is that the material could destabilize and deform in ways we do not anticipate. Choosing the correct material for the task at hand is of utmost importance relative to external temperatures we may be working in. To know how this material will interact differently with these conditions, we have to be intentional about how they are put together.
It is tricky to design products with materials that have higher thermal expansion coefficients. We must ensure that the material will hold its shape and not deform with high or low temperatures. And we have to make sure the material is strong enough for what we want to be doing with it. This may be realized using a greater amount of the mentioned material than if we were dealing with a material with low thermal expansion coefficient of material. An increase in the material used will naturally lead to a heavier and, therefore, costlier end product. Another aspect that could complicate things is using special types of manufacturing standards to shape the material right. This is to help guarantee that it will not warp or break through heat.