CERAMICS

OBJECTIVES

● To know what is ceramics

● To know its different kinds of products and its application
● To determine how the process works
 INTRODUCTION
Ceramics is one of the areas of interest to a
materials scientist and is the oldest branch of
materials science. A ceramic is a non-metallic
solid made up of either metal or non-
metal compounds that have been heated and
cooled. In general, they are hard, corrosion-
resistant and brittle. ‘Ceramic’ comes from the
Greek word meaning 'pottery’ – these clay-
based domestic wares, art objects and building
products are familiar to us all – but pottery is
just one part of the ceramic world.
 CERAMICS
An organic compound consisting of a metal
(or semi-metal) and one or more non-metals.
examples:
• Silica - silicon dioxide (SiO2), 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, the main
ingredient in most clay products
• Bonding:
- Mostly ionic, some covalent
- ％ ionic character increases with
CERAMIC
difference in electronegativity.
• Large vs small ionic bond character.
BONDING
CERAMIC CRYSTAL STRUCTURES

Oxide structures -
1. Anions are larger than cations.
2. Close packed oxygen in a lattice
( usually FFC).
3. Cations fit into interstitial sites
among anions.
ABX3 Crystal Structures

• Perovskite (calcium
titanium oxide) structure
example: complex oxide
barium Titanate (BaTiO3)
 SILICATE CERAMICS
• Most common elements on earth are Si & O

• SiO2 (silica) polymorphic forms are quartz, crystobalite, & tridymite

• The strong Si- O bonds lead to a high melting temperature (1710 degrees
celsius) for this material
 Glass Structure
● Glass is non crystalline
(amorphous)
● Fused silica is SiO2 to which no
impurities have been added
● Ohter common glasses contain
impurity ions such as Na+, Ca2+,
Al3+, and B3+
 PROPERTIES OF
CERAMIC MATERIALS
• Most ceramics are brittle
• Characteristics fracture surface
• Notch sensitivity causes range of fracture
properties
PROPERTIES OF CERAMIC MATERIALS

●High hardness,electrical and thermal

insulating, chemical stability, and high
meltimg temperatures
●Brittle, virtually no ductility- can cause
problems in both processing and performance
of ceramic products
Processing of Ceramics
1. Slip Casting -
● A suspension of ceramic powders in water, called a slip, is poured into a
porous plaster of paris mold, so that water from the mix is absorbed into the
plaster to form a firm layer of clay at the mold surface.
● The slip composition is 25% to 40% water
 2. Drying and Frying -
● Drying: as water is removed - inter particle spacing decrease
- shrinkage
- drying too fast causes sample to warp or crack due to non-
uniform shrinkage
● Firing:
- heat treatment between 900-1400 degree celsius
Hydroplastic forming-

• Mill (grind) and

screen constituents:
desired particle size

• Dry and fire the formed piece

Powder pressing
used for both clay and non clay
compositions
Ceramic Products
● Clay construction products
● Refractory ceramics ● Ceramic Insulators
● White ware products ● Magnetic ceramics

● Glass ● Nuclear fuels based on uranium

oxide
● Glass fibers
● Bioceramics
● Abrasives

● Cutting tool materials

 Application of Ceramic Materials
Clay - Shaped, dried, and fired inorganic material
Examples: Brick, tile, sewer pipe, chimney, china
porcelain,etc.

Refractory- Designed to provide

acceptable ,mechanical or chemical
properties while at high temperatures
Example: Space shuttle all silica
insulating tiles
 Electrical
Application of ● Resistors- Create desired voltage drops
and limit current
Ceramic ● Application of heat regulates current

Materials
flow
● Rectifiers- allow current to flow in one
direction

● Heating Elements for furnaces

• Alumina is used as insulators in spark plug and
electronic packaging, rocket nozzles,etc.
• Tungsten carbide and Titanium carbide along with
metal binders like Ni, Co, Cr Mo are known as cermets
which are used as cutting tool materials
• Tungsten carbide is used as an abrasive material for
grinding and polishing operations
Thank You For Listening!