Rather than copying and pasting tons of information its of more use to me copy links for future reference of useful sites.

Metals:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/resistantmaterials/materialsmaterialsrev5.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal

http://www.design-technology.org/CDT10metalslesson.htm

http://www.technologystudent.com/designpro/metals1.htm

http://www.steelforge.com/ferrousandnonferrousoverview.htm

Plastics:

http://www.plastics.co.uk/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Different-Types-of-Plastics-and-Their-Uses&id=1572569

Composites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_material

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-composite-materials.htm

Ergonomics and Anthropometrics:

http://www.ider.herts.ac.uk/school/courseware/ergonomics/

http://www.mr-dt.com/websiteprintablepdfs/ergonomics.pdf

Key words for future research:

-Blow moulding

-Thermoforming and Vacuum forming

-Compression moulding

-Elastomers

-Liquid silicon rubber

-Inject moulding

Cutting processes

-Blanking and Piercing

-Plasma cutting

-Laser cutting

Heat treatments

-Annealing

-Hardening

-Tempering

-Normalising

-Quenching

-Age hardening

-Case hardening

-Carburising

-Nitriding