Introduction to Ceramics

Ceramics are inorganic non-metallic materials. Metal oxides (Al2O3, FeO, etc.) are common examples of ceramics, but other compounds such as carbides and nitrides are also included. Porcelain, glass, bricks and refractory materials are some examples of traditional ceramics. In the last 30 years, advances in material science have transformed formerly brittle ceramics into materials tough enough to withstand engine environments. Ceramics are used in a variety of applications including window glass, implantable teeth, brick, ceramic bones, nuclear fuel, tennis racquets, solid-state electronic devices, engine components, cutting tools, valves, bearings, and chemical-processing equipment. The properties for which ceramics are most often selected include: High-temperature resistance (High melting temperatures.) High electrical resistivity (Although some ceramics are superconductors.) Broad range of thermal conductivity (Some ceramics are excellent insulators) High hardness (Many ceramics are brittle.) Good chemical and corrosion resistance. Low cost of raw materials and fabrication for some ceramics. Good appearance control through surface treatments, colorization, etc.

Ceramics are generally more brittle than metals and can have similar stiffness (modulus of elasticity) and similar strength, particularly in compression. But in a tensile test they are likely to fail at a much lower applied stress. This is because the surfaces of ceramics nearly always contain minute cracks ("Griffith cracks"), which magnify the applied stress. Since ceramics often have very high wear-resistance and hardness, most ceramic parts are formed as near net shape as possible. Ceramics are most often produced by compacting powders into a body which is then sintered at high temperatures. During sintering the body shrinks, the grains bond together and a solid material is produced. Other ceramic forming processes include: Dry Pressing, Isostatic Pressing, Roll Compaction, Continuous Tape Casting, Slip Casting, Extrusion, Injection Molding, Pre-Sinter Machining, Hot-Pressing, Hot Isostatic Pressing, Grinding, Lapping and Polishing.

Ceramic Type
Metallic Oxides Alumina High Pure Alumina Ceramic Packing Balls
It is the most ideal filler material of reburner, reacting furnace, filler furnace on oil and chemical industries.

Characteristics

Abundant and easily fabricated. Good strength and hardness. Wear and Temperature Resistant. Good electrical insulators.

Low dielectric loss.

Beryllium Oxides

Beryllium oxide is worthy of special note because it is a good electrical insulator, but at the same time a good conductor of heat, which is a somewhat unusual combination.
Zirconia
Cubic zirconia (also known as CZ) is a beautiful lad-made gemstone that is durable, inexpensive and created to simulate the diamond. It replicates the characteristics of a perfect diamond more closely than any other gem material, but at a fraction of the cost.

Exceptionally high thermal conductivities (for ceramics) at low to moderate temperatures.

Extreme inertness to most metals. Good toughness and strength.

Glass Ceramics Glass-Ceramics

Low, medium or high thermal expansion depending on composition type. Good electrical insulators. Transparent One can be machined with steel tools.

Nitrides and Carbides Silicon Nitrides

Resistant to high temperatures, to thermal stress and shock. High strength and oxidation resistant. Good electrical insulators.

Boron Carbide
Practical uses are sketchy at this stage, but a group of scientists in southern California have figured out how to up-armor a cotton t-shirt with boron Carbide nanowires. Using a cotton t-shirt as a template, the crew soaked cotton squares in a solution containing boron powder and then cooked it. The heat turned the cotton into carbon and the fine boron particles trapped in the fibers of the t-shirt reacted and bonded to make a flexible boron

High hardness and low density. Best abrasion resistance of any ceramic. Low strength at high temperatures.

carbide fabric. The scientists havent claimed the resulting material is more bullet resistant than Kevlar, and theres still the issue of lethal levels of backface deformation to contend with when considering such a light and flexible material for ballistic protection. So, this isnt a bulletproof t-shirt. But, it is a big step toward a composite material that will make armor of all types lighter, more pliable and in the case of body armor, more comfortable.

Silicon Carbides
Silicon Carbide (SiC) is commonly used in electronics industry. Now a team of researchers have found its role in quantum physics, which will help to develop superfast computers and very small sensors.
Black Silicon carbide grains

Low electrical resistivity. High strength and resistance to chemical attack, high temperature and thermal stress.

Tungsten Carbides

Used for tool tips. Excellent hardness and mechanical strength. Good thermal conductivity. Good wear and abrasion resistance.

Glass Glasses

Oxide (silica) Silicates Phosphates Borosilicates

Good resistance to thermal shock. Large range of special optical characteristics. Transperent. Low thermal expansion and high dielectric strength. Good chemical resistance.

Carbon and Graphite Carbons and Graphites

Poor strength except when produced as fibre. Good electrical and thermal conductivity Creep resistant at high temperatures in non-

oxidizing conditions. Self-lubricating. Good refractoriness and thermal shock resistance. Low density and chemically inert. High strength and low coefficient of thermal expansion at temperatures above 2000C. Excellent thermal shock resistance. Superior toughness, excellent thermal and electrical conductivity Resistance to corrosion and abrasion. High cost.

Carbon/Carbon Composites

Porcelain Porcelain

Good chemical and thermal resistance. High density, strength, resistivity and dielectric strength Good thermal shock, wear and hot strength. Chemically inert.

Ceramic Fibers Ceramic Fibers

Oxides spun to fiber and bulked to felt. Used for high temperature insulation including former applications of asbestos.

Processing steps

The traditional ceramic process generally follows this sequence: Milling Batching Mixing Forming Drying Firing Assembly.

Milling is the process by which materials are reduced from a large size to a smaller size. Milling may involve breaking up cemented material (in which case individual particles retain their shape) or pulverization (which involves grinding the particles themselves to a smaller size). Milling is generally done by mechanical means, including attrition (which is particle-to-particle collision that results in agglomerate break up or particle shearing), compression (which applies a forces that results in fracturing), and impact (which employs a milling medium or the particles themselves to cause fracturing). Attrition milling equipment includes the wet scrubber (also called the planetary mill or wet attrition mill), which has paddles in water creating vortexes in which the material collides and break up. Compression mills include the jaw crusher, roller crusher and cone crusher. Impact mills include the ball mill, which has media that tumble and fracture the material. Shaft impactors cause particle-to particle attrition and compression. Batching is the process of weighing the oxides according to recipes, and preparing them for mixing and drying. Mixing occurs after batching and is performed with various machines, such as dry mixing ribbon [clarification needed] mixers (a type of cement mixer), Mueller mixers, and pug mills. Wet mixing generally involves the same equipment. Forming is making the mixed material into shapes, ranging from toilet bowls to spark plug insulators. Forming can involve: (1) Extrusion, such as extruding "slugs" to make bricks, (2) Pressing to make shaped parts, (3) Slip casting, as in making toilet bowls, wash basins and ornamentals like ceramic statues. Forming produces a "green" part, ready for drying. Green parts are soft, pliable, and over time will lose shape. Handling the green product will change its shape. For example, a green brick can be "squeezed", and after squeezing it will stay that way. Drying is removing the water or binder from the formed material. Spray drying is widely used to prepare powder for pressing operations. Other dryers are tunnel dryers and periodic dryers. Controlled heat is applied in this two-stage process. First, heat removes water. This step needs careful control, as rapid heating causes cracks and surface defects. The dried part is smaller than the green part, and is brittle, necessitating careful handling, since a small impact will cause crumbling and breaking. Firing is where the dried parts pass through a controlled heating process, and the oxides are chemically changed to cause sintering and bonding. The fired part will be smaller than the dried part.

Silicate glass is a complex mixture of silicates like sodium and calcium along with an excess of silica. The common glass which is used for windowpanes, bottles, dishes and the like is produced by heating together sand, sodium carbonate or sulphate and calcium carbonate.
Glass is an amorphous (non-crystalline) solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent. Phosphate glass is a class of optical glasses composed of metaphosphates of various metals. Phosphate glasses are highly resistant to hydrofluoric acid. With addition of iron oxide, they act as efficient heat absorbers. Borosilicate glass is a type of glass with the main glass-forming constituents silica and boron oxide. 6 Borosilicate glasses are known for having very low coefficients of thermal expansion (~3 10 /C at 20C), making them resistant to thermal shock, more so than any other common glass. Such glass is less subject to thermal stress and is commonly used for the construction of reagent bottles. Borosilicate glass is sold under such trade names as Pyrex and Simax.
Silica glass is a translucent or transparent vitreous material consisting almost entirely of silica. Also known as fused silica; vitreous silica.