40 Examples of Natural and Artificial Materials


The materials are those elements or substances that are used to make a certain object. According to their origin, the materials can be:

  • Natural materials. They are those that are obtained directly from nature and can have animal, vegetable or mineral origin. For instance: earth, silver, wool.
  • Artificial materials. They are those that are obtained from the transformation of natural materials and that are used to make products. For instance: paper, plastic, rubber.

All the objects that surround us are made of one or more materials. The characteristics of the object vary according to the type of material used to make it. Some of the most used materials are: glass, paper, plastic, wood and metal.

All materials have properties that distinguish them from others. Some typical properties of materials are strength, flexibility and elasticity. It is important to know these properties because they are what allow you to choose one material over another when making an object.

Types of materials

Materials can be classified based on different criteria:

According to its state of aggregation:

  • Solid materials. They are materials that are in solid state. For instance: the cotton.
  • Liquid materials. They are materials that are in a liquid state. For instance: Water.
  • Gaseous materials. They are materials that are in a gaseous state. For instance: butane gas.

According to its composition.

  • Simple materials. They are materials formed by a single element. For instance: Water.
  • Composite materials. They are materials that are formed by the union of two or more materials. For instance: the Adobe.

According to its properties:

  • Malleable materials. They are materials that can be molded without breaking. For instance: the plastic.
  • Brittle materials. They are materials that can break easily. For instance: Glass.
  • Elastic materials. They are materials that can undergo deformation if a force is applied to them, but when that force ceases, they return to their original state. For instance: lycra.
  • Hard materials. They are materials that are characterized by their resistance and have little or no flexibility. For instance: the steel.
  • Soft materials. They are materials that can deform. For instance: the eraser.
  • Waterproof materials. They are materials that do not allow the passage of water or other liquid substance. For instance: Glass.
  • Permeable materials. They are materials that allow the passage of water or another substance. For instance: the cotton.
  • Transparent materials. They are materials that allow the passage of light. For instance: Glass.
  • Opaque materials. They are materials that prevent the passage of light. For instance: timber.
  • Conductive materials. They are materials that allow the passage of electricity. For instance: Copper.
  • Insulating materials. They are materials that do not allow the passage of electricity. For instance: the plastic.

Natural materials

The natural materials are those that exist in a raw state in nature. They may only become useful to humans when they undergo a purification process, but they are still natural. Natural materials are also called natural resources and have three different origins:

  • Natural materials of animal origin. They are those materials that are obtained from the body of an animal. For instance: leather and wool.
  • Natural materials of plant origin. They are those materials that are obtained from a plant. For instance: wood and linen.
  • Natural materials of mineral origin. They are those materials that are minerals that are obtained from the earth’s crust. For instance: gold and silver.

Some of the natural resources have the characteristic of being renewed in a very fast frequency of time, such as trees, while others take a long time to renew. These resources are called non-renewable and one of the most prominent examples is oil.

Examples of natural materials

  1. Iron
  2. Wood
  3. Land
  4. Gold
  5. Zinc
  6. Mercury
  7. Water
  8. Silver
  9. Peridot
  10. Cast
  11. Coal
  12. Cobalt
  13. Platinum
  14. Aluminum
  15. Copper
  16. Cotton
  17. Leather
  18. Uranium
  19. Petroleum
  20. Marble
  21. Sand
  22. Mushrooms

Artificial materials

The artificial materials are those elements that are manufactured by humans from natural materials. With this type of materials goods and final products are made that are purchased by consumers. These goods can be made up of a single material, such as a glass, or more than one, such as a house.

Some of the most used artificial materials are:

  • Plastics. They are those materials made from petroleum and that have the characteristic of being malleable, which is why they are used to make products and containers such as bottles, bags, tuppers, footwear, utensils, among others.
  • Glass. It is a material obtained with the mixture of silica sand, sodium carbonate and limestone (among other materials). Glass is used to make bottles, spotlights, jars, glasses, among many other goods for daily use.
  • Textiles. They are those materials made with woven fibers, which can be obtained from nature or manufactured industrially. Some of these materials are polyester and nylon.
  • Paper. It is a material that is manufactured from cellulose fibers and with which products such as boxes, bags, trays, containers, among others, are made.

Examples of artificial materials

  1. Plastic
  2. Paperboard
  3. Stoneware
  4. Stainless steel
  5. Brass
  6. Polyester
  7. Lycra
  8. White gold
  9. Neoprene
  10. Bronze
  11. Glass
  12. Ceramics
  13. Paper
  14. Sterling silver
  15. Nylon
  16. Porcelain
  17. Crockery
  18. Concrete
  19. Rubber
  20. Terracotta