Rheological properties and shaping of plastic materials : Our Knowledge Publishing : 9786207013494 : 6207013492 : 03 Jan 2024 : Materials have been with man since the beginning of his existence on Earth. They are solids that we have been able to use not only to make our homes, clothes, means of transport (cars, planes, boats, spacecraft), communication and information, but also to build our industrial equipment and develop our environment (public facilities, roads, bridges, urban planning). The mastery of new materials has led to real revolutions in the history of technology. The great periods of prehistory are defined by the materials mastered: Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age. Today, the number of materials, or at least the number of references, is considerable and constantly increasing. Materials science enables us to design new materials adapted to each new technological application. The design of a new technical object may involve selecting a material from an existing base, or desi