Ceramics and Composite Materials

Ceramic Engineering

Ceramic engineering is the science and technology of creating objects from inorganic, non-metallic materials.The term includes the purification of raw materials, the study and production of the chemical compounds concerned, their formation into components and the study of their structure, composition and properties.The word Ceramics covers inorganic, nonmetallic, solid materials that have been hardened by baking at a high temperature. The most important of these were the traditional clays, made into pottery, dinnerware, bricks, and tiles. Ceramics have high hardness, high compressive strength, and chemical inertness. All ceramics can be assigned to one of three basic categories, depending on what type of clay is used and the temperature at which it is fired: earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain. The bonding in ceramics are very strong either ionic or network covalent. Many adopt crystalline structures, but some form glasses. The properties of the materials are a result of the bonding and structure.