Materials resources
Advice
MKTN 'ask an expert': free advice from materials experts www.materialsktn.net
Protomold design resources: design guides and regular emails giving practical advice to designers specifying moulded plastic parts www.protomold.co.uk
Organisations
Institute of Materials: UK hub for materials knowledge www.IOM3.org
ASM (American Society for Materials) International: International hub for materials information and knowledge www.asminternational.org
British Plastics Federation (BPF): Industry org. for plastic with good contacts and material knowledge www.bpf.co.uk
Sample collections and databases
Cambridge Engineering Selector (CES) and Eco-selector: popular database for materials data - requires subscription www.grantadesign.com
Materials and Design Exchange: collection of materials samples at the Institute of Materials (London), excellent knowledge transfer and networking events, and design magazine www.iom3.org/made
Computer Aided Material Preselection by Uniform Standards (CAMPUS): Online database for polymers www.campusplastics.com
Materia: Excellent materials information organisation including expertise, events and materials samples collection (in NL) - requires subscription www.materia.nl
Material explorer: Online materials database including good images and regular email updates, run by Materia www.materialexplorer.com
Ecolect: Online database for eco-materials www.ecolect.net
Ecospecifier: Online database for eco-materials (focussing on construction) www.ecospecifier.org
IdeMat: materials database incl. sustainability data - requires subscription www.idemat.nl
London Met. University materials library: University-based collection of materials samples www.londonmet.ac.uk/services/sas/library-services/commercial/materials-products
MatData: Online materials database www.matdata.net
Material connexion: the original materials sample library in US, IT & FR, online database and new Cradle 2 Cradle feature - requires subscription www.materialconnexion.com
Material Lab: Material sample collection in London www.material-lab.co.uk
Materials Library: materials sample collection based at Kingston College London, the founders use the samples in fabulous events aimed at getting people interested in materiality www.materialslibrary.org.uk
Matweb: Online materials database www.matweb.com
Rematerialise: Online database of recycled materials, including great interface and images www.rematerialise.org
Forums
Material Resources: regular updates about materials development and application written by an expert from the Materials KTN http://materialresources.blogspot.com
Books and journals
There are loads of good materials books - too many to list here, type 'materials' into Amazon!
Materials and Design, Ashby & Johnson 2002: fantastic and easy to read guide to the use of materials in design, writen by an IDEO material expert and the co-developer of CES
Materials World: The Institute of Materials journal about new material innovations www.iom3.org/materialsworld
New Materials International: the ASM's journal covering international events in material development www.newmaterials.com
Transmaterial: organisation and book showcasing loads of different materials, great for inspiration www.transmaterial.net