Ceramics encompass such a vast array of materials that a concise definition
is almost impossible. However, one workable definition of ceramics is a
refractory, inorganic, and nonmetallic material. Ceramics can be divided
into two classes: traditional and advanced. Traditional ceramics include
clay products, silicate glass and cement; while advanced ceramics consist
of carbides (SiC), pure oxides (Al2O3), nitrides
(Si3N4), non-silicate glasses and many others. Ceramics
offer many advantages compared to other materials. They are harder and
stiffer than steel; more heat and corrosion resistant than metals or polymers;
less dense than most metals and their alloys; and their raw materials are
both plentiful and inexpensive. Ceramic materials display a wide range
of properties which facilitate their use in many different product areas.
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| Product Area |
Product |
Aerospace |
space shuttle tiles, thermal
barriers, high temperature glass windows, fuel cells |
Consumer Uses  |
glassware, windows, pottery, Corning¨ ware, magnets,
dinnerware, ceramic tiles, lenses, home electronics, microwave transducers |
Automotive  |
catalytic converters, ceramic filters, airbag sensors,
ceramic rotors, valves, spark plugs, pressure sensors, thermistors, vibration
sensors, oxygen sensors, safety glass windshields, piston rings |
Medical (Bioceramics) |
orthopedic joint replacement, prosthesis, dental restoration,
bone implants |
Military  |
structural components for ground, air and naval vehicles,
missiles, sensors |
Computers  |
insulators, resistors, superconductors, capacitors, ferroelectric
components, microelectronic packaging |
Other Industries |
bricks, cement, membranes and filters, lab equipment |
Communications  |
fiber optic/laser communications, TV and radio components,
microphones |
Humans have found applications for ceramics for the past 30,000 years;
every day new and different applications are being discovered. This truly
makes ceramics a stone age material, with space age qualities.
