Ceramics are non-metallic materials made from a combination of inorganic compounds, mostly metal oxides and silicates. They can withstand high temperatures of 1500-2000°C. Ceramics are very hard, brittle, and susceptible to fracture with relatively high strength and stiffness. Common ceramics include aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, and traditional clay ceramics. Ceramics are classified based on their application such as glasses, clay products, refractories, abrasives, and cements. Advanced ceramics are used in modern technologies due to their unique properties.

1. Ceramics
“ceramic” - desirable properties of these materials are normally
achieved through a high-temperature heat treatment process called
firing.
Consist of a combination of non –metallic substances mostly
silicates and metal oxides.
Some of the common ceramic materials include aluminum oxide,
silicon dioxide, silicon carbide, silicon nitride
Traditional ceramics - composed of clay minerals as well as cement
and glass.
Withstand a temperature of 1500 to 2000 0 C.

2. Mechanical behaviour of ceramic materials
Relatively stiff and strong,
Very hard, brittle, highly susceptible to fracture,
Higher stability and higher melting points.
Most of these are insulators like other covalent materials.
Optical characteristics
Ceramics may be transparent, translucent, or opaque.
some of the oxide ceramics (e.g.,Fe3O4) exhibit magnetic
behaviour.

3. Classification of ceramic materials on the basis of
application
Glasses - products of fusion rapidly cooled to a rigid condition
without crystallization.
Non crystalline silicates that contain other oxides. Optical
transparency is the most desirable properties of these materials.
The most common uses for these materials are as ovenware,
tableware, oven windows because of their strength and excellent
resistance to thermal shock.
Serve as electrical insulators and as substrates for printed circuit
boards and for heat exchangers and regenerators.

4. Clay products
Principal component of the white wares and structural clay
products.
Stuctural clay products include building bricks, tiles-
applications in which structural integrity is important.
Feldspar and quartz may be added which influence the changes
that occur during firing.
Fire clays are hydrated aluminosilicates of composition
Al2O3.2SiO2.2H2O.

5. Refractories – fire clay, silica, basic special meterials :
The materials that are employed at elevated temperatures and often in
reactive environments .
Typical applications include furnace linings for metal refining, glass
manufacturing, metallurgical heat treatment and power generation.
Acid refractories:
Consist of mostly acidic materials like alumina (Al2O3) and silica
(SiO2). Not attacked or affected by acidic materials, but easily affected
by basic materials.
Fireclay bricks are used in furnace construction to confine hot
atmosphere and to thermally insulate structures from excessive
temperatures.

6. Neutral refractories:
Used in areas where slags and atmosphere are either acidic or basic
and are chemically stable to both acids and bases.
The main raw materials belong to, but are not confined to, the M2O3
group. The common examples of these materials are alumina
(Al2O3), chromia (Cr2O3) and carbon.
Basic refractories:
The refractories that are rich in periclase or magnesia (MgO) are
termed basic; they may also contain calcium, chromium, and iron
compounds.
Used on areas where slags and atmosphere are basic; they are
stable to alkaline materials but could react with acids.

7. Abrasive meterials –
Metal oxides and nitrides, being hard and tough are used to cut,
grind and polish other softer materials.
Diamond, SiC, Tungsten carbide are common examples.
Cements – portland cement:
When mixed with water, inorganic cements form a paste that is
capable of assuming just about any desired shape. Subsequent
setting is a result of chemical reactions involving the cement
particles and occurs at the ambient temperature.
Portland cement is the most common hydraulic cement, the
chemical reaction is one of hydration.

8. Advanced ceramics
Composite materials, engine rotors, many of our modern
technologies use advanced ceramics because of their unique
mechanical, chemical, electrical magnetic and optical properties and
property combinations.
Examples: ceramic ball bearings, piezoelectric materials.

9. Properties:
 Glass ceramic materials have relatively high mechanical
strength; low coefficient of thermal expansion (to avoid
thermal shock) and high temperature capabilities, good
dielectric properties and good biological compatibility, ease of
fabrication.
 In refractories porosity must be controlled .Strength, load
bearing capacity and resistance to attack by corrosive materials
all increase with porosity reduction.
 Any residual porosity will have deleterious influence on both
elastic properties and strength.

10. Mechanical properties of ceramics:
 Mechanical properties of ceramics are inferior to Metals.
 Energy absorption is low. Strength and melting temperature
vary linearly.
 At low temperature, ceramics are brittle while close to its
melting temperature, non-crystalline ceramics becomes
ductile.
 The processing method of ceramics decides the strength and
are usually strong in compression than in tension.
.

11. Brittle fracture
 Fracture toughness is the ability of the ceramics to resist the
fracture is directly proportional to applied stress and length of
the crack
 When the tensile load is applied on crystalline or non-
crystalline ceramics, fracture takes place, before any
deformation sets in.
 Compressive strength is higher than tensile strength.
 Flaws in the ceramics behaves like stress magnifiers and forms
the cracks.

12. Stress-strain behavior
 As ceramics are brittle, they tend to fracture before it
reaches plastic deformation state.
 Three-point bending apparatus is used to measure stress-
strain behavior.
 Flexural or fracture strength σ fs is the stress at fracture
is directly proportional to load at fracture and indirectly
proportional to the thickness of the material

13. Elastic behavior
 Elastic deformation is reversible deformation, while plastic
deformation is permanent deformation.
 Elastic deformation can be due to tension / compression / shear
force.
 Metals and ceramics usually have linear elastic behavior.
 The elastic modulus is directly proportional to load at fracture
and indirectly proportional to the thickness of the material.

14. Applications of ceramics
 Die blanks- Wear resistance properties
 Cutting tools – for cutting Silicon wafers, grinding glasses
 Sensors – ZrO2 as oxygen sensor ( rapid response of the sensor to
change in oxygen concentration)
 Matts for automobile engines.