The phrase "a certain material" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a specific type of material without naming it directly, often in contexts where the exact material is either unknown or not important to specify.
Example: "The artist chose to work with a certain material that allowed for greater flexibility in her sculptures."
Alternatives: "a specific material" or "a particular material".
Under what circumstances is a certain material (such as metal or rubber cleats) preferable over another?
A certain material girl was the subject of a documentary titled "Madonna: Truth or Dare".
Regarding the use of birdshot it added: Broadly, ammunition for shotguns is referred to as "shot," and consists of pellets of a certain material inside a cartridge.
"I got to do everything – print, wood, fabric and paper – and that meant I am not burdened by what a certain material should look like," she says.
"Every time you pick up a tool or start a process or use a certain material, embedded in that is a very rich, almost unlimited learning experience".
Yes, some artists wanted to use more expensive materials and the budget prohibited it, but on the other hand, city administrators often didn't understand the need for a certain material or colour.
For cracks exceeding a certain material-dependent length, this curve depends only on the load ratio R and is well described by commonly accepted crack growth models such as the Forman/Mettu (NASGRO) equation.
(Such a "MAC clause" allows a buyer to get out of a deal if certain material and adverse events happen to the target company. In this case, if a material adverse change affected Cooper, then Apollo is not required to complete the deal).
In reviewing many of Andy Warhol's works interspersed throughout the exhibit, one begins to recognize a similar strain of reduced material means and a certain abject material quality to the works chosen.
That is, in daily life, people can choose different ideals such as values or beliefs, but certain ideals have the specific tendency of developing an affinity toward certain (material) interests.
An older fashioned nationalism may be the consequence: a movement that can call itself a "struggle" and promises no certain material gain; nothing, in fact, other than the hopefully metaphorical sacrifice of blood, sweat and tears.
