Materials Engineering
Dr. Rizwan Ahmed Malik
Depatment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Engineering
and Technology, Taxila
Ceramics, Glass and refractory materials
• How do we classify ceramics?
• What are some applications of ceramics?
• How is processing of ceramics different than for metals?
Ceramics, Glass and refractory materials
An inorganic compound consisting of a metal and one or
more nonmetals
• examples:
Silica - silicon dioxide (SiO2), the main ingredient in most
glass products
Alumina - aluminum oxide (Al2O3), used in various
applications from abrasives to artificial bones
Characteristics of Ceramics
⚫ Low density compared to metals
⚫ High melting point or decomposition temperature
⚫ High hardness and very brittle
⚫ Low toughness
⚫ High electrical resistivity
⚫ Low thermal conductivity
⚫ High temperature wear resistance
⚫ Thermal Shock resistance
⚫ High corrosion resistance
Main drawback is brittleness and low toughness
Classification of Ceramics
Ceramic Products
❑ Clay construction products - bricks, clay pipe, and building tile
❑ Refractory ceramics - ceramics capable of high temperature
applications such as furnace walls, crucibles, and molds
❑ Cement used in concrete - used for construction and roads
❑ Whiteware products - pottery, stoneware, fine china, porcelain,
and other tableware, based on mixtures of clay and other minerals
❑ Glass - bottles, glasses, lenses, windows, and light bulbs
❑ Glass fibers - reinforced plastics (fiberglass), and fiber optics
communications lines
Ceramic Products (Continue…)
❑ Abrasives - aluminum oxide and silicon carbide
❑ Cutting tool materials - tungsten carbide, aluminum oxide, and
cubic boron nitride
Ceramic insulators - applications include electrical transmission
components, spark plugs, and microelectronic chip substrates
Magnetic ceramics –example: computer memories
Nuclear fuels based on uranium oxide (UO2)
Bioceramics - artificial teeth and bones
Advanced Ceramics-Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS),
Piezoelectric Ceramics
Ceramic Products (Continue…)
A MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) is a miniature smart
system that has both mechanical and electronic components. The
physical dimension of a MEMS can range from several millimeters to
less than one micrometer, a dimension many times smaller than the
width of a human hair. MEMS applications include electronic displays
, data storage units, energy conversion devices, etc.
Ceramic Products (Continue…)
❑ Electric polarization is induced in the ceramic crystal when a
mechanical strain (dimensional change) is imposed on it.
❑ A mechanical strain results from the imposition of an electrical
field. Applications- automotive—wheel balances, seat belt
buzzers, keyless door entry, and airbag sensors;
computer—microactuators for hard disks and notebook transformers;
commercial/consumer—ink-jet printing heads, strain gauges, and
smoke detectors; medical—insulin pumps
Purposes of Annealing
Commonly used piezoelectric ceramics include barium titanate
(BaTiO3), lead titanate (PbTiO3), lead zirconate–titanate (PZT)
[Pb(Zr,Ti)O3], and potassium niobate (KNbO3).
Fabrication and Processing of Ceramics
Glass Structure
Glass Properties
• Specific volume (1/r) vs Temperature (T):
• Crystalline materials:
Specific volume
-- crystallize at melting temp, Tm
-- have abrupt change in spec.
Supercooled Liquid
Liquid (disordered)
vol. at Tm
Glass • Glasses:
(amorphous solid)
-- do not crystallize
Crystalline -- change in slope in spec. vol. curve at
(i.e., ordered) solid
glass transition temperature, Tg
Tg Tm T -- transparent - no grain boundaries to
Adapted from Fig. 13.6,
scatter light
Callister & Rethwisch 8e.
13
Glass Properties
Blowing of Glass Bottles
• Pressing: plates, cheap glasses
-- glass formed by application of
pressure
-- mold is steel with graphite
lining
• Fiber drawing:
wind up
Sheet Glass Forming
• Sheet forming – continuous casting
sheets are formed by floating the molten glass on a pool of molten tin
Slip Casting
A slip is a suspension of clay and/or other nonplastic materials in water.
When poured into a porous mold (commonly made of plaster of paris),
water from the slip is absorbed into the mold, leaving behind a solid layer
on the mold wall
Powder Pressing
Powder Pressing: used for both clay and non-clay
compositions.
• Powder (plus binder) compacted by pressure in a mold
-- Uniaxial compression - compacted in single direction
-- Isostatic (hydrostatic) compression - pressure applied by
fluid - powder in rubber envelope
-- Hot pressing - pressure + heat
Powder Pressing
Sintering
Sintering occurs during firing of a piece that has been powder pressed
Tape Casting
• Thin sheets of green ceramic cast as flexible tape
• Used for integrated circuits and capacitors
• Slip = suspended ceramic particles + organic liquid
(contains binders, plasticizers)
