Advanced Materials -

Ceramics
 Ceramic Defined

Inorganic compound consisting of metal and

one or more nonmetals

• Important examples:
– Silica - silicon dioxide (SiO2), main ingredient in
most glass products
– Alumina - aluminum oxide (Al2O3), used in various
applications from abrasives to artificial bones
– More complex compounds such as hydrous
aluminum silicate (Al2Si2O5(OH)4), main ingredient
in most clay products
Silica - silicon dioxide Alumina - aluminum oxide (Al2O3), used in
(SiO2), main ingredient
various applications from abrasives
in most glass products

Hydrous aluminum
silicate (Al2Si2O5(OH)4),
main ingredient in
most clay products
Manufacture of ceramic components involves many
different variables—from
❖starting material and additives used, to
❖forming method,
❖sintering process/ temperature and
❖final finishing techniques, as well as
❖size and shape of part itself

—all of which affect component’s final property values.

Manufacturers tailor properties to specific applications through

partnerships with design engineers during initial phases of design
concept.
Ceramic materials offer number of benefits in
variety of applications.

They provide
❖ high wear,
❖ heat and corrosion resistance,
❖ high tensile strength,
❖ volume resistivity,
❖ dielectric strength and
❖ modulus of elasticity.

These materials also offer lower thermal expansion than metals or

plastics, and a longer part life at original design dimensions and
tolerances.
The arrangement of uranium and
oxygen ions in urania (UO2)
Quartz crystals exhibit an amazing characteristic known as
piezoelectricity

When quartz crystal is compressed, it becomes electrically charged (positive charge on one
side, negative on opposite side) and electrical current is able to pass through crystal. Used a
crystal's piezoelectric properties when using a lighter?
Quartz crystals oscillate at precise rate even under various temperatures, making them
perfect for accurate time-keeping and technological applications. Most digital quartz
watches use this precise oscillation to maintain their accuracy. Electricity from watch battery
passes through quartz and oscillates at a precise rate or frequency. For every certain number
of oscillations, gears turn to indicate that a second has passed.
Mechanical watch

Quartz watch

Electro-Quartz
Butane Lighter
 Prosthesis was made of stainless
steel 316L and its stem was coated
with bioceramic (hydroxyapatite)

Automotive

Hybrid ceramic ball bearings use combination

of traditional 52100 steel rings precision
matched with silicon nitride (ceramic) balls
Traditional Ceramics: Applications
 Three Basic Categories of Ceramics

• Traditional ceramics - clay products such as pottery and

bricks, common abrasives, and cement

• New ceramics - more recently developed ceramics based on

oxides, carbides, etc., and generally possessing mechanical
or physical properties superior or unique compared to
traditional ceramics

• Glasses - based primarily on silica and distinguished by their

noncrystalline structure
– In addition, glass ceramics - glasses transformed into a
largely crystalline structure by heat treatment
 New Ceramics
Ceramic materials developed synthetically over last several decades

• Term also refers to improvements in processing techniques that

provide greater control over structures and properties of ceramic
materials

• New ceramics are based on compounds other than variations of

aluminum silicate, which form most of traditional ceramic materials

• New ceramics are usually simpler chemically than traditional

ceramics; for example, oxides, carbides, nitrides, and borides
Typical composition of common ceramic products.
 Oxide Ceramics

• Most important oxide new ceramic is alumina

• Although also included as a traditional ceramic, alumina is

produced synthetically from bauxite, using an electric furnace
method

• Through control of particle size and impurities, refinements in

processing methods, and blending with small amounts of other
ceramic ingredients, strength and toughness of alumina are
improved substantially compared to its natural counterpart

• Alumina also has good hot hardness, low thermal conductivity,

and good corrosion resistance
 Products of Oxide Ceramics

• Abrasives (grinding wheel grit)

• Bioceramics (artificial bones and teeth)
• Electrical insulators and electronic
components
• Refractory brick
• Cutting tool inserts
• Spark plug barrels
• Engineering components

Alumina ceramic components

 Carbides
• Silicon carbide (SiC), tungsten carbide (WC), titanium carbide
(TiC), tantalum carbide (TaC), and chromium carbide (Cr3C2)

• Although SiC is a man-made ceramic, its production methods

were developed a century ago, and it is generally included in
traditional ceramics group

• WC, TiC, and TaC are valued for their hardness and wear
resistance in cutting tools and other applications requiring
these properties

• WC, TiC, and TaC must be combined with a metallic binder

such as cobalt or nickel in order to fabricate a useful solid
product
Cemented carbide (WC-Co) was developed in 1923 and was later improved by adding TiC and
TaC. In 1969, CVD coating technology was developed, and coated carbide has since been used
widely. TiC-TiN based cermet was developed in 1974. Today, "Coated Carbide grades for
roughing and cermet for finishing" is a well established trend.
Microstructure of cemented
carbides
Structure of a multi- Polycrystalline cubic
layer coated carbide boron nitride or synthetic
insert diamond layer on a
tungsten carbide insert
 Nitrides

• Important nitride ceramics are silicon nitride

(Si3N4), boron nitride (BN), and titanium nitride
(TiN)
• Properties: hard, brittle, high melting
temperatures, usually electrically insulating, TiN
being an exception
• Applications:
– Silicon nitride: components for gas turbines, rocket
engines, and melting crucibles
– Boron nitride and titanium nitride: cutting tool
material and coatings
 Glass
• A state of matter as well as a type of ceramic
• As a state of matter, term refers to an amorphous
(noncrystalline) structure of solid material
– Glassy state occurs in a material when insufficient
time is allowed during cooling from molten state
for crystalline structure to form
• As a type of ceramic, glass is an inorganic,
nonmetallic compound (or mixture of compounds)
that cools to a rigid condition without crystallizing
 Why So Much SiO2 in Glass?

• Because SiO2 is best glass former

– Silica is main component in glass products,
usually comprising 50% to 75% of total chemistry
– It naturally transforms into a glassy state upon
cooling from liquid, whereas most ceramics
crystallize upon solidification
 Other Ingredients in Glass

• Sodium oxide (Na2O), calcium oxide (CaO), aluminum

oxide (Al2O3), magnesium oxide (MgO), potassium
oxide (K2O), lead oxide (PbO), and boron oxide (B2O3)
• Functions:
– Act as flux (promoting fusion) during heating
– Increase fluidity in molten glass for processing
– Improve chemical resistance against attack by
acids, basic substances, or water
– Add color to glass
– Alter index of refraction for optical applications
 Glass Products

• Window glass
• Containers – cups, jars, bottles
• Light bulbs
• Laboratory glassware – flasks, beakers, glass tubing
• Glass fibers – insulation, fiber optics
• Optical glasses - lenses
 Elements Related to Ceramics

• Carbon
– Two alternative forms of engineering and
commercial importance: graphite and
diamond
• Silicon
• Boron
• Carbon, silicon, and boron are not ceramic
materials, but they sometimes
– Compete for applications with ceramics
– Have important applications of their own
 Graphite

• Form of carbon with a high content of crystalline C in

form of layers
• Bonding between atoms in layers is covalent and
therefore strong, but parallel layers are bonded to
each other by weak van der Waals forces
• This structure makes graphite anisotropic; strength
and other properties vary significantly with direction
– As a powder it is a lubricant, but in traditional
solid form it is a refractory
– When formed into graphite fibers, it is a high
strength structural material
 Diamond
Carbon with a cubic crystalline structure with covalent bonding
between atoms
– This accounts for high hardness
• Industrial applications: cutting tools and grinding wheels for
machining hard, brittle materials, or materials that are very
abrasive; also used in dressing tools to sharpen grinding wheels
that consist of other abrasives
• Industrial or synthetic diamonds date back to 1950s and are
fabricated by heating graphite to around 3000C (5400F) under
very high pressures
 Silicon

Semi-metallic element in the same periodic table

group as carbon
• One of most abundant elements in Earth's crust,
comprising  26% by weight
• Occurs naturally only as chemical compound - in
rocks, sand, clay, and soil - either as silicon
dioxide or as more complex silicate compounds
• Properties: hard, brittle, lightweight, chemically
inactive at room temperature, and classified as
a semiconductor
 Applications and Importance of Silicon
• Greatest amounts in manufacturing are in ceramic
compounds (SiO2 in glass and silicates in clays) and
alloying elements in steel, aluminum, and copper

• Also used as a reducing agent in certain metallurgical

processes

• Technological importance is pure silicon as base

material in semiconductor manufacturing in electronics

• The vast majority of integrated circuits produced today

are made from silicon
 Boron
Semi-metallic element in same periodic group as
aluminum
• Comprises only about 0.001% of Earth's crust by weight,
commonly occurring as minerals borax
(Na2B4O7- 10H2O) and kernite (Na2B4O7-4H2O)

• Properties: lightweight, semiconducting properties, and

very stiff (high modulus of elasticity) in fiber form

• Applications: B2O3 used in certain glasses, as a nitride

(cBN) for cutting tools, and in nearly pure form as a
fiber in polymer matrix composites
After searing plunge into atmosphere, NASA's Orion spacecraft is
perched on pedestal inside Launch Abort System Facility at Kennedy
Space Center,
• Space shuttle makes use of ~25,000 reusable, lightweight, highly porous ceramic tiles that
protect aluminum frame from heat generated during re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.
Ceramics represent a very wide range of materials,
which differ from each other by their
❑ Chemical composition,
❑ Structure and properties.

These materials can be defined as predominantly

crystalline materials, formed mainly by inorganic
compounds of nonmetallic character, which are
bound particularly by ionic and ion-covalent bonds.
 Key Features/Benefits of Some Advanced Technical Ceramics
Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3).
Aluminum oxide (alumina) is workhorse of advanced technical ceramics.
❑ It has good mechanical and electrical properties, wear resistance and corrosion
resistance.
❑ It has relatively poor thermal shock resistance.
❑ It is used as an electrical insulator for a number of electrical and electronic
applications, including spark plug insulators and electronic substrates.
❑ It is also used in chemical, medical and wear applications.
 Key Features/Benefits of Some Advanced Technical Ceramics
Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2). Zirconium oxide has the highest fracture toughness of any
advanced technical ceramic.
❑ Its toughness, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance make it ideal for medical
and selected wear applications.
❑ Its thermal expansion coefficient is very close to steel, making it an ideal plunger for use
in a steel bore.
❑ Its properties are derived from a very precise phase composition.
❑ Some environmental conditions can make the material unstable, causing it to lose its
mechanical properties.
❑ Its relatively low hardness and high weight also limit its broad use in wear applications.
 Key Features/Benefits of Some Advanced Technical Ceramics

Fused Silica (SiO2). Fused

silica is an excellent
thermal insulator and has
essentially zero thermal
expansion.
❑ It has good chemical
resistance to molten
metals but is limited by its
very low strength.
❑ It is used for a number
of refractory and glass
applications, as well as
radomes for missiles.
 Key Features/Benefits of Some Advanced Technical Ceramics

Titanium Diboride (TiB2).

❑ Titanium diboride is an electrically conducting ceramic and can be machined
using electron discharge machining (EDM) techniques.
❑ It is a very hard material; however, its mechanical properties are poor.
❑ Its major use is in metallurgical applications involving molten aluminum.
❑ It is also used for some limited wear applications, such as ballistic armor to stop
large-diameter (>14.5 mm) projectiles.

The corrosion resistance of

TiB2lends to advantages in
extreme environments. For
instance, TiB2 can be used as a
cathode material in aluminum
smelting, replacing historical
graphite cathodes and thus
helping to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
 Key Features/Benefits of Some Advanced Technical Ceramics

Boron Carbide (B4C). Boron carbide is the hardest material after diamond, giving it
outstanding wear resistance.
❑ Its mechanical properties, especially its fracture toughness, are low, limiting its
application.
❑ It is used extensively for ballistic armor and blast nozzles.
❑ Boron carbide is also a neutron absorber, making it a primary choice for control
rods and other nuclear applications.

Extreme hardness of boron carbide gives

it excellent wear and abrasion resistance
and as a consequence it finds application
as nozzles for slurry pumping, grit
blasting and in water jet cutters

Boron carbide nozzles

 Key Features/Benefits of Some Advanced Technical Ceramics
Silicon Carbide (SiC). Silicon carbide has outstanding wear and thermal shock
resistance.
❑ It has good mechanical properties, especially at high temperatures.
❑ It is semiconductor material with electrical resistivities in 10^5 ohm-cm range.
❑ It can be processed to a very high purity.
❑ Silicon carbide is used extensively for mechanical seals because of its chemical
and wear resistance.
 Key Features/Benefits of Some Advanced Technical Ceramics
Tungsten Carbide (WC).

Tungsten carbide is generally made with

high percentages of either cobalt or
nickel as a second, metallic phase.
These ceramic metals, or “cermets,” have
wide use as cutting tools and other
metal-forming tools.
Pure tungsten carbide can be made as an
advanced technical ceramic using a high-
temperature hot isostatic pressing
process.
This material has very high hardness and
wear resistance and is used for abrasive
water jet nozzles; however, its weight
limits its use in many applications.
 Key Features/Benefits of Some Advanced Technical Ceramics
Aluminum Nitride (AlN). Aluminum nitride has a very high thermal
conductivity while being an electrical insulator.
This makes it an ideal material for use in electrical and thermal
management situations.

Circular Aluminium Nitride cooler

 Key Features/Benefits of Some Advanced Technical Ceramics
Boron Nitride (BN). Hexagonal boron nitride is chalky white material and is often
called “white graphite.”
❑ It has generally poor mechanical properties.
❑ It has outstanding high-temperature resistance (>2500ºC) in inert atmospheres
but cannot be used above 500ºC in an air atmosphere.
❑ It is used as a high-temperature insulator and in combination with TiB2 in many
ferrous and aluminum metallurgical applications.

Boron Nitride Powders and Coatings are backbone of

high temperature mold release products.
They are used as main ingredient in coatings of
molds for secondary aluminum processing,
superplastic forming or forging, and glass casting.
 Key Features/Benefits of Some Advanced Technical Ceramics
Silicon Nitride (Si3N4). Silicon nitride has best combination of mechanical, thermal and
electrical properties of any advanced technical ceramic material.
Its high strength and toughness make it material of choice for automotive and bearing
applications.
Engineering Ceramics
Applications of advanced ceramics
Lightweight "Stuffed Whipple Shield" designed to defend
spacecraft like International Space Station and satellites
from impact and potential harm of floating space debris
Prosthetic hip implants
with ceramic-on-
ceramic alumina
bearing couple (left)
and metal-on-
polyethylene bearing
couple (right)
Silicon nitride bearings before (top) and after (bottom) 1 million wear cycles
Properties of Ceramic Materials
THANK YOU
Processing
Production of spark plug insulators:
dry-bag tooling and steps of production
Cold Isostatic Pressing (CIP)
 Heat Treating Glass
• Annealing:
--removes internal stress caused by uneven cooling.
• Tempering:
--puts surface of glass part into compression
--suppresses growth of cracks from surface scratches.
--sequence:

before cooling surface cooling further cooled

cooler compression
hot hot tension
cooler compression

--Result: surface crack growth is suppressed.

 Clay Composition
A mixture of components used

(50%) 1. Clay
(25%) 2. Filler – e.g. quartz (finely ground)
(25%) 3. Fluxing agent (Feldspar)
binds it together

aluminosilicates + K+, Na+, Ca+

 Powder Pressing
Sintering - powder touches - forms neck & gradually neck
thickens
– add processing aids to help form neck
– little or no plastic deformation
Uniaxial compression - compacted in single direction
Isostatic (hydrostatic) compression - pressure applied by
fluid - powder in rubber envelope

Hot pressing - pressure + heat

 Tape Casting
• thin sheets of green ceramic cast as flexible tape
• used for integrated circuits and capacitors
• cast from liquid slip (ceramic + organic solvent)
Slip Casting

Sinter
and
Serve
 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
• Borosilicate - contains Boron oxide, known as
Pyrex.
 Glasses
• Flat glass (windows)
• Container glass (bottles)
• Pressed and blown glass (dinnerware)
• Glass fibres (home insulation)
• Advanced/specialty glass (optical fibres)
Pressed Glass
Processing

Softened
Gob
 Softened
glass

Blow Molding
Container Glass Manufacture

Press and Blow Process

Molten ‘gobs’ of glass are delivered into parison mould and a plunger is used to press
glass into parison shape. Final mould stage of process is same as that described for
Blow and Blow Process. Due to first stage pressing process glass distribution overall is
better controlled.
Container Glass Manufacture

Blow and Blow Process

Molten ‘gobs’ of glass are delivered into mould known as ‘blank’ or parison mould. A puff of compressed
air blows glass down into base of mould to form neck or ‘finish’ part of bottle or jar. A second blast of
compressed air is then applied through already formed neck of container to form ‘parison’ of pre-form
for bottle against walls of parison mould cavity. Thick walled parison is then transferred to final mould
during which time surface of glass ‘reheats’ and softens again enough to allow final container shape to
be fully formed against walls of final mould cavity by application of either compressed air or vacuum.
Container is then removed and transferred to an annealing oven (lehr) where it is reheated to remove
stresses produced during forming and then cooled under carefully controlled conditions.
Plate Glass Drawing Processes
 Crystalline Ceramics
Good electrical insulators and refractories.
• Magnesium Oxide is used as insulation material in
heating elements and cables.
• Aluminium Oxide
• Beryllium Oxides
• Boron Carbide
• Tungsten Carbide.
• Used as abrasives and cutting tool tips.
Slip Casting Method - Manufacturing Process
Techniques for manufacturing sheet and plate glass: (a) rolling and (b) floating
the lass on molten tin.
Techniques for forming lass products: (a) pressing, (b) press and blow process, and
(c) drawing of fibers.
Processes for shaping crystalline ceramics: (a) pressing, (b) isostatic pressing, (c) extrusion,
(d) jiggering, and (e) slip casting.
 Ceramic Fabrication Methods-I

GLASS PARTICULATE CEMENTATION

FORMING FORMING
• Pressing: plates, dishes, cheap glasses
Pressing
Gob --mold is steel with graphite lining
operation

Parison
mold • Fiber drawing:

Compressed
• Blowing: air

suspended
Parison
wind up
Finishing
mold
 Sheet Glass Forming
• Sheet forming – continuous draw
– originally sheet glass was made by “floating” glass on a
pool of mercury – or tin
Modern Plate/Sheet Glass making:
 Glass tubing
Air is blown through mandrel to make tube
 Ceramic Fabrication Methods-IIA

GLASS PARTICULATE CEMENTATION

FORMING FORMING
• Milling and screening: desired particle size
• Mixing particles & water: produces a "slip"
• Form a "green" component Ao
container die holder
--Hydroplastic forming: force
ram bille extrusion Ad
extrude the slip (e.g., into a pipe) t
container die
--Slip casting:
pour slip absorb water pour slip drain “green
into mold into mold into mold mold ceramic”
“green
ceramic”

solid component hollow component

• Dry and fire the component
Orthopedic Casting Tape
THANK YOU