Introduction to

Ceramics

Dr. Ajoy K Das

BML Munjal University
School of Engineering & Technology
 What is Ceramics
A wide-ranging group of materials whose ingredients are clays, sand and
feldspar.
Ceramic materials are inorganic, non-metallic materials made from
compounds of a metal and a non metal.
Ceramic materials may be crystalline, partly crystalline or amorphous.
They are formed by the action of heat and subsequent cooling.
Ceramic materials tend to be strong, stiff, brittle, chemically inert, and non-
conductors of heat and electricity, but their properties vary widely.

Examples are Glass, Porcelain, Clay, Cement, Abrasive etc.

Most ceramics exhibit good strength under compression but virtually no ductility
under shear or tensile load.
 Applications

Ceramics are used in a wide range of technologies such as refractories, spark

plugs, dielectrics in capacitors, sensors, abrasives, magnetic recording media,
etc. The space shuttle makes use of ~25,000 reusable, lightweight, highly
porous ceramic tiles that protect the aluminium frame from the heat generated
during re-entry into the Earths atmosphere. These tiles are made from high-
purity silica fibres and colloidal silica coated with a borosilicate glass. Ceramics
also appear in nature as oxides and in natural materials; the human body has
the amazing ability of making hydroxyapatite, a ceramic found in bones and
teeth. Ceramics are also used as coatings. Glazes are ceramic coatings
applied to glass objects; enamels are ceramic coatings applied to metallic
objects.
 Main Types

The following is a brief summary of applications of some of the more widely

used ceramic materials:
Alumina (Al2O3 ) is used to contain molten metal or in applications where a
material must operate at high temperatures, but where high strength is also
required. Alumina is also used as a low dielectric constant substrate for
electronic packaging that houses silicon chips.
Diamond (C) is the hardest naturally occurring material. Industrial diamonds
are used as abrasives for grinding and polishing.
Silica (SiO2 ) is probably the most widely used ceramic material. Silica is an
essential ingredient in glasses and many glass ceramics. Silica-based
materials are used in thermal insulation, refractories, abrasives, fiber
reinforced composites, laboratory glassware, etc.
 .contd..

Silicon carbide (SiC) provides outstanding oxidation resistance at

temperatures even above the melting point of steel.
Silicon nitride (Si3N4) has properties similar to those of SiC, although its
oxidation resistance and high-temperature strength are somewhat lower.
Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) is used to make electronic ceramics such as
BaTiO3. Zirconia (ZrO2) is used to make many other ceramics such as
zircon. The largest use, though, is as a white pigment to make paints.
Functional Classification of Ceramics
Mechanical Properties of Selected Ceramics
Steps encountered in Processing of Ceramics
 Ceramics ..contd..

Ceramic materials are generally characterized by the

presence of more than one type of bond in a single material.
Due to presence of strong ionic & covalent bond, ceramics
possess:
High hardness
Brittleness
High melting point
Chemical inertness
Electrical insulation
 Porosity
Pores represent the most important defect in polycrystalline ceramics. The
presence of pores is usually detrimental to the mechanical properties of bulk
ceramics, since pores provide a pre-existing location from which a crack can
grow. The presence of pores is one of the reasons why ceramics show such
brittle behaviour under tensile loading.
Pores in a ceramic may be either interconnected or closed. The apparent
porosity measures the interconnected pores and determines the permeability,
or the ease with which gases and fluids seep through the ceramic component.
The apparent porosity is determined by weighing the dry ceramic (W d ), then
reweighing the ceramic both when it is suspended in water (W s ) and after it is
removed from the water (W w ). Using units of grams and cm3 :
Apparent & True Porosity
Example: Silicon Carbide Ceramic
 Classification of Ceramics
On the Basis of Application

Ceramic Materials

Glasses Clay Refractories Abrasives Cements Advanced

products ceramics
-optical -whiteware -bricks for -sandpaper -composites -engine
-composite -structural high temp -cutting -structural rotors
reinforced (furnaces) -polishing valves
-containers/ bearings
household -sensors
Comparison Metals vs Ceramics

Metals Ceramics
 Types of Common Ceramics

Clay
Refractories
Glasses
Abrasives
Cements
 Clay Ceramics

Clay has been widely used for building, pottery &

modelling purposes.
Made from natural clays and mixtures of clays and added
crystalline ceramics.
These include:
Whitewares
Structural Clay Products
Refractory Ceramics
 Whitewares examples

Crockery
Floor and wall tiles
Sanitary-ware
Electrical porcelain
Decorative ceramics
 Refractories

Refractory materials withstand high temperature, possess sufficient mechanical

strength, heat resistance & retain a constant volume.
Firebricks for furnaces and ovens. Have high Silicon or Aluminium oxide content.
Brick products are used in the manufacturing plant for iron and steel, non-ferrous
metals, glass, cements, ceramics, energy conversion, petroleum, and chemical
industries.
Used to provide thermal protection of other materials in very high temperature
applications, such as steel making (Tm=1500C), metal foundry operations, etc.
They are usually composed of alumina (Tm=2050C) and silica along with other
oxides: MgO (Tm=2850C), Fe2O3, TiO2, etc., and have intrinsic porosity typically
greater than 10% by volume.
Specialized refractories, (those already mentioned) and BeO, ZrO2, Mullite (rare
Al-Si oxide), SiC, and graphite with low porosity are also used.
(Tm= Melting temperature)
Ladle (steel industry)
 Types & Application of Refractories
Various refractory bricks in different sizes and shapes are now available for diverse applications. The typical refractory materials include fireclay refractories, high alumina
refractories, silica brick, Magnesite refractories, Chromite refractories, Zirconia refractories, Insulating materials and Monolithic refractory. Depending on temperatures and
service conditions of the applications such as boilers, furnaces, kilns, ovens etc, different types of refractories are used.

Fireclay refractories
Fireclay refractories are essentially hydrated aluminium silicates with 25% - 45% Al2O3 and 50% - 80% SiO2 and minor other minerals. As fireclay brick is relatively cheap and
its raw materials are widespread, it is the most common type of refractory brick and used widely in most furnaces, kilns, stoves, regenerators, etc.

Silica brick
Silica brick is a refractory material containing at least 93% SiO2. The raw material is quality rocks. Silica brick has excellent mechanical strength at temperatures approaching
their actual fusion point. This behaviour contrasts with that of many other refractories, for example alumino-silicate materials, which begin to fuse and creep at temperatures
considerably lower than their fusion points. Various grades of silica brick have found extensive use in glass making and steel industry.

High alumina refractories

Alumina refractories containing more than 45% alumina are generally termed as high alumina materials. The alumina concentration ranges from 45 to 95%. Commonly used
refractory are sillimanite (61%), mullite (70 85%) and corundum (99%). The refractoriness of high alumina refractories increases with increase in alumina percentage. The
applications of high alumina refractories includes the hearth and shaft of blast furnaces, lime and ceramic kilns, cement kilns, glass tanks and crucibles for melting a wide
range of metals.

Magnesite refractories
Magnesite refractories are chemically basic materials, containing at least 85% magnesium oxide. These are made from naturally occurring magnesite (MgCO3) and Silica
(SiO2). The physical properties of this class of brick are generally poor, and their great value is primarily in their resistance to basic slags, particularly to lime and iron rich
slags. These constitute the most important group of refractories for the basic steelmaking processes. In addition to metallurgical furnaces, basic brick are now being
successfully used in glass tank checkers and in lime and cement kilns.
 Amorphous Ceramics
(Glasses)

Main ingredient is Silica (SiO2).

This is a super cooled liquid & is brittle under ordinary
temperature.
This is a chemically stable, wear & abrasion resistant compared to
steel.
If cooled very slowly will form crystalline structure.
If cooled more quickly will form amorphous structure consisting of
disordered and linked chains of Silicon and Oxygen atoms.
This accounts for its transparency as it is the crystal boundaries
that scatter the light, causing reflection.
Glass can be tempered to increase its toughness and resistance
to cracking.
 Glass Types

Three common types of glass:

Soda-lime glass - 95% of all glass,
windows containers etc.
Lead glass - contains lead oxide to
improve refractive index & lower melting Glass
application in
point. This type of glasses are used where house

high refractive index is required.

Glass application
Borosilicate - contains Boron oxide, known in optics

as Pyrex. Used in lab equipment &

cookware.
 Glass Types (Utility wise)

Flat glass (windows)

Container glass (bottles)
Pressed and blown glass
(dinnerware)
Glass fibres (home insulation)
Advanced/specialty glass (optical
fibres)
 Crystalline Ceramics

Good electrical insulators and used as refractories.

Magnesium Oxide is used as insulation material in heating
elements and cables.
Aluminium Oxide
Beryllium Oxides
Boron Carbide
Tungsten Carbide. Also used as abrasives and cutting tool
tips.
 Abrasives

Natural (garnet, diamond, etc.)

Synthetic abrasives (silicon carbide, diamond,
fused alumina, etc.) are used for grinding,
cutting, polishing, lapping, or pressure blasting
of materials
 Cements

Used to produce concrete roads, bridges, buildings,

dams.
 Advancements & Usage of Ceramics

Alumina Alumina
rotor gears

Ceramic disc Silicon carbide

brake automotive
parts
 Automotive Usage

Advantages: Disadvantages:
Operate at high temperatures Ceramic materials are brittle
high efficiencies Difficult to remove internal voids (that
Low frictional losses weaken structures)
Operate without a cooling Ceramic parts are difficult to form and
system machine
Lower weights than current
engines

Potential material types: Si3N4, SiC, & ZrO2

Possible engine parts: engine block & piston coatings
 Ceramic Armouring
Ceramic armour systems are used to protect military personnel and
equipment.

Advantage: low density of the material can lead to weight-efficient

armour systems.

Typical ceramic materials used in armour systems include alumina,

boron carbide, silicon carbide, and titanium diboride.

The ceramic material is discontinuous and is sandwiched between a

more ductile outer and inner skin.

The outer skin must be hard enough to shatter the projectile.

----contd..

Most of the impact energy is absorbed by the fracturing of the ceramic and any
remaining kinetic energy is absorbed by the inner skin, that also serves to contain the
fragments of the ceramic and the projectile preventing severe impact with the
personnel/equipment being protected.

Alumina ceramic/Kevlar composite system in sheets about 20mm thick are used to
protect human being & equipment. Examples are army bullet proof jackets, key areas
of Hercules aircraft (cockpit crew/instruments and loadmaster station).

This lightweight solution provided an efficient and removable/replaceable armour

system. Similar systems used on Armoured Personnel Carriers.
Ceramic Armouring Materials
Ceramic Bullet Protection