Ceramic Materials

CERAMIC MATERIALS

Most of the ceramics are compounds of metallic and non-metallic elements. The crystal structure of ceramics is more complex because at least two elements are involved in making a ceramic compound. Ceramics can be used at low as well as high temperatures.

Ceramic materials are obtained by firing them at high temperatures. Traditional ceramics are clay products like bricks, tiles and porcelain. China ceramics are obtained by firing clay products.

A new generation of ceramics have been developed recently which are used in electronic, computer, communication and aerospace industries.

• Advanced ceramics are developed for use as tools, rockets, missile applications and wear coating on components subjected to high stresses.

• Powders of ceramic materials like SiC, WC, Al₂O₃ and TiC are mixed and glued with the help of glass powder (vitrification) and pressed in mould and then sintered.

• These ceramics possess high Young's modulus, high eldalisys strength and high fracture toughness, and can at high and low temperatures.

• Major applications of ceramic are in furnaces, ovens as Innoitib insulators and crockeries. Other important are

• in artificial limbs and teeth.

• as super conducting materials,

• in explosive forming,

• as ferrites in microwave gyrators,

• as memory cores of computers,

• as garnets in microwave isolators and

• in sonar devices.