LESSON 10

• Ceramic - An inorganic compound consisting of a metal (or semi-metal) and one or more nonmetals.
• Silica - silicon dioxide (SiO2 ), the main ingredient in most glass products.
• Alumina - aluminum oxide (Al2O3 ), used in various applications from abrasives to artificial bones.
• More complex compounds such as hydrous aluminum silicate (Al2Si2O5 (OH)4 ), the main ingredient in most clay products.
• Brittle, virtually no ductility - can cause problems in both processing and performance of ceramic products.
• Some ceramics are translucent, window glass (based on silica) being the clearest example.
• Some ceramics are translucent, window glass (based on silica) being the clearest example.
• CERAMIC PRODUCTS

  Clay Construction Products

  Refractory Ceramics

  Cement used in concrete

  Whiteware Products

  Glass

  Glass Fibers

  Abrasives

  Cutting Tool Machine

  Ceramic Insulators

  Magnetic Ceramics

  Nuclear Fuels

  Bioceramics
• Clay construction products - bricks, clay pipe, and building tile.
• Refractory ceramics - ceramics capable of high temperature applications such as furnace walls, crucibles, and mold.
• Cement used in concrete - used for construction and roads.
• Whiteware products - pottery, stoneware, fine china, porcelain, and other tableware, based on mixtures of clay and other minerals.
• Glass - bottles, glasses, lenses, window pane, and light bulb
• Glass fibers - thermal insulating wool, reinforced plastics (fiberglass), and fiber optics communications lines.
• Abrasives - aluminum oxide and silicon carbide.
• Cutting tool materials - tungsten carbide, aluminum oxide, and cubic boron nitride.
• Ceramic insulators - applications include electrical transmission components, spark plugs, and microelectronic chip substrates.
• Magnetic ceramics –example: computer memories.
• Nuclear fuels based on uranium oxide (UO2 ).
• Bioceramics - artificial teeth and bone.
• Three Basic Categories of Ceramics

  Traditional Ceramics

  New Ceramics

  Glasses
• Traditional ceramics - clay products such as pottery and bricks, common abrasives, and cement.
• New ceramics - more recently developed ceramics based on oxides, carbides, etc., and generally possessing mechanical or physical properties superior or unique compared to traditional ceramics.
• Glasses - based primarily on silica and distinguished by their noncrystalline structure.
• Glass ceramics - glasses transformed into a largely crystalline structure by heat treatment