Ceramics are compounds between metallic and nonmetallic elements which can be oxides, nitrides, and carbides.

The wide range of materials that falls within this classification includes ceramics that are composed of clay minerals, cement and glass. Up until past 40 or so years, the most important materials in this class were termed the traditional ceramics, those for which the primary raw material is clay. Products that are considered to be traditional ceramics are china, porcelain, bricks, tiles and in addition, glasses and hightemperature ceramics.

Over the years, significant progress has been made in understanding the fundamental character of ceramics and of the phenomena that occur in them that are responsible for their unique properties. Consequently, a new generation of these materials has evolved, and the term ceramic has taken on much broader meaning. These new materials have a rather dramatic effect on our lives; electronics, computer, communication, aerospace and a host of other industries rely on their use.

Since the atomic bonding in ceramic materials is either partially or totally ionic, most ceramic crystal structures may be thought of as being composed of electrically charged ions instead of atoms. The metallic ions are positively charged cations and the nonmetallic ions are negatively charged anions. Ceramics are composed of at least two elements and their crystal structures are far more complex than those of metals

Na+
Cl

Unit Cell for the rock salt (NaCl) structure

Examples for Ceramic Materials

Alumina Tungsten Carbide

Boron Carbide
Chromium Carbide Graphite Magnesia Silicon Carbide

Zirconia
Clay Brick Limestone Granite

Properties of Ceramic Materials

Crystalline and noncrystalline states High melting temperatures (varying from 3500 to 7000 o F) All ceramics are brittle at room temperatures

Very low resistance to tensile loads. Very low fracture strengths. Microcracks are formed very easily under tensile stresses. Stronger under compressive loads and microcracks are not formed as easily as in tension.

Properties of Ceramic Materials (Contd)

High hardness nd good wear resistance. High toughness Low thermal and electrical conductivity. High creep resistance at elevated temperatures Capacity to remain unreactive and inert when exposed to severe environments Can be magnetized and demagnetized, some can be permanently magnetized

At room temperature ceramics almost always fracture before any plastic deformation can occur in response to an applied tensile load. The measure of ceramic materials ability to resist fracture when a crack is present is specified in terms of fracture toughness. Table 1 shows a comparison between the toughness of ceramics and other materials.

Material Material
Metals Alloy steel (4340 tempered) Titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) Ceramics Aluminum Oxide Soda-lime glass Polymers Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) Polystyrene (PS)

Fracture Toughness (psiin x103) 46 40-60 2 -5 0.7 0.9 0.7 -1.0

Table 1

Stress-Strain Behavior of Ceramics

Instead of standard tensile test which is applied to metals, a transverse bending test (three-or four-point loading) is employed. In this test a rod specimen having either a circular or a rectangular cross section is bent until fracture. LOAD (F)

SUPPORT L/2 L/2

Stress-Strain Behavior of Ceramics

The maximum stress, or stress at fracture is known as the Modulus of Rupture (mr), which is an important mechanical parameter for ceramics. Modulus of rupture is given by the following equations:
RECTANGULAR CIRCULAR

2R

mr

3FL 2bd
2

mr

FL

MATERIAL

Aluminum Oxide Silicon Carbide Titanium Carbide Glass

Modulus of Modulus of Rupture Elasticity (Ksi) (Ksi) 30-50 53 25 160 10 68 45 10

Table 2. Characteristic modulus of rupture and elastic modulus values for various ceramic materials.

40,000

ALUMINUM OXIDE
30,000

20,000

GLASS
10,000

0.0002

0.0004 0.0006

0.0008

STRAIN

CERAMIC MATERIALS
GLASSES

(Classification based on application)

STRUCTURAL

CLAY PRODUCTS ABRASIVES

CEMENTS REFRACTORIES

WHITEWARES
SPECIAL

SILICA
BASIC

ADVANCED CERAMICS

FIRECLAY

Glasses
Containers

Windows
Lenses Fiberglass Most commercial glasses are combination of silica + soda + limestone

Clay Products:
Structural products (Bricks, tiles, sewer pipes) Whitewares (Porcelain, pottery, tableware, china, plumbing fixtures) These products are composed of: Alumina (Al2O3) + Silica (SiO2)

Refractories:
Furnace linings Heat treatment equipment

Power generation equipment

Types of refractories: Fireclay Silica Basic (Open hearth furnaces) Special refractories (Zirconia, magnesia, alumina) Used as electrical resistance elements, cruicible materials, internal furnace components.

Abresives:
Grinding wheels Polishing wheels

Lapping wheels
Types of abrasives: Diamond Silicon carbide Aluminum carbide Aluminum oxide Tungsten carbide

Other Applications:

Soft magnets
Hard magnets Electrical insulators Semiconductor Internal combustion engine blocks Valves Rotors

Electronic packaging (Boron nitride, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide)

Composite materials (matrix or fiber)

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