case study on toilet seat

Charlee Enever

Case Study one

The most suitable material to use when in production of a toilet seat.

Wood Toilet seat.

Probably one of the most common materials used in making a toilet seat is wood, pine wood in particular. Wood is extremely popular as most people like the look of a wooden seat. Whether its because it looks more natural or if they are following a theme throughout the room that any other material would not look as appealing.

Another reason for this to be a popular choice is that out of all the other materials wood is the worst conductor. This is useful as it means it doesn’t loose heat and become cold. This is highly regarded in situations when needing to use the toilet it makes it more pleasant to use. Mass production is able to be carried out when pine is used to make toilet seats this is because the material is cheap and easily obtained. However pine is a very soft wood and is not very durable therefore wooden toilet seats have been known to dent and scratch.

Pine is not the only type of wood that can be used for making toilet seats other popular choices are mahogany and oak. These are far more expensive but have a more luxurious feel about them and are less prone to dent or scratch.

Oak is far more durable and can stand the test of time longer then pine. It also has an added feature of the colour slowly turning darker over time. As I said oak is far more stronger however oak is normally varnished so this will be victim to scratches and knocks. The main reason oak toilet seats are not mass produced is because they are far more expensive then pine ones and therefore in less demand.

Mahogany is stronger and more dense then pine but not as strong as oak. This is mainly used for toilet seats for consumers with particular liking to the colour, a deep red which darkens in time. It has to be specially made as it is very expensive and hard to find.

This is a preview of the whole essay

Variations in wood are due to what the wood is composed of. Wood is composed of cellulose, lignin. Ash-forming minerals and extractives made into a cellular structure. Extractives are different substances that are able to be removed from wood by the use of solvents such as water and alcohol. Differences found in these four components and in the cellular structure make the wood different such as lighter or heavier stiff and flexible.

The main characteristics manufacturers look for in finding a good wood to make a toilet seat is smoothness. There are three main factors that determine the smoothness these are: hard deposits in the grain, reaction wood and interlocked and variable grain.

Even though there are many different types of woods that manufacturers could possibly make toilet seats out of the ones I have described are the most common. This is because the ones I have mentioned can allow you to have the smooth finish that is needed where as other cannot. Wood has a low elastic limit, it can hold a lot of weight whenever its limit is reached it will splinter. It also has no plastic region as it breaks before it can reach that point.

Ceramic toilet seat

The term ceramics concerns non materials which are formed by the action of heat.Most ceramic materials are hard, porous, and brittle.

Types of ceramic materials

Ceramic products are usually divided into four sectors, and these are shown below with some examples:

Structural, including , , and
, such as linings, gas fire radiants, and glass making crucibles
Whitewares, including , wall tiles, decorative art objects and sanitary ware
Technical, is also known as Engineering, Advanced, Special, and in Japan, Fine Ceramics. Such items include tiles used in the , gas burner , , nuclear fuel uranium oxide pellets, , blades, and nose cones. Frequently the raw materials do not include clays.

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Examples of structural ceramics

Construction .
Floor and roof .

Examples of whiteware ceramics

, which is often made from clay, and .
, which are often made from
Sewage

Mechanical properties

Ceramic materials are usually or bonded materials, and can be or . It is known that a material held together by either type of these bonds will tend to before any happens. This would results in poor in these materials. Additionally, because these materials tend to be porous, the and other microscopic imperfections act as , reducing the toughness even further, and also reducing the . Combining all these factors together make it a very fragile material.

Cermics as a material for toilet seat.

This is probably known to be the most used and common material used to make toilet seats. This is because this is the material toilets are made from so therefore it is matching and hygenic and easy to clean. This is a major factor as people are very concerned about hygiene. Ceramics have a high heat capacity and low heat conductivity this is a disadvantage as this often means the seat will be cold. They can deal with a lot of strain and weight as they are very strong and hard. However they are known to be brittle they have if any very little plastic region and their elastic region is very short. So therefore there known to be hard and strong they are also very brittle and have a low level of toughness.

Ceramics have been known to have many microscopical imperfections which act as stress points. This makes the toughness level much lower and the tensile strength lower also. This means the material can deteriote quickly and unexpectadly unlike metals which show signs. An example of a ceramic is glass. Glass toilet seats can be very attractive however they can be very dangerous so need to be coated in plastic to make it safer. Ceramics are far more safer and cleaner as no liquids can be absorbed so they can be wiped away. Ceramic seats are normally produced when a toilet is bought but most choose to change them. Separate seats are hard to find and more expensive then say a wood or a plastic one.

Conclusion

After looking at all the research I have collected and evaluated overall I feel that wood toilet seats are the better choice.

This is because of many reasons which I will go through now. Wood toilet seats main advanteage is there cost especially the more renewable trees such as pine. This means that mass and cheap production can be done of them. Making it easy for consumers to get hold of them or replace.

They are very versitile aswell this means customers can ffind a product that fits their needs and style without too much effort. It also is vry durable and will last a long time and wear well and still look attractive.

Lastly it is easy to keep sanitary and hygenic as nothing can be absorbed into the wood as it has been treated with something like a varnish or wax.

However this is the most preffered choice for the home. If however toilet seats were needed for more public areas then I feel ceramics would be a better choice. This is because ceramics are far more durable and will last the test of time. Therefore there will be less replacements meaning they will save money that can be put towards better causes.