What a ceramic is ?
From Greek word “keramos” (pottery, potter’s clay)
Inorganic nonmetallic materials obtained by the action of heat and subsequent cooling
Polycrystalline materials, single phase or multiphase (composites), sometimes with an amorphous component (glass)
Traditional ceramics
•Whitewares: tableware, cookware, sanitary ware, etc. •Refractories (kiln and furnace linings for steel and glass industry) •Structural clay products (floor & roof tiles, bricks, etc.)
Fabricated from clay, quartz, feldspar (earthenware) and kaolin (porcelain)
Technical/advanced ceramics
•Structural ceramics (mechanical properties: strength, toughness, hardness, creep resistance)
•Functional ceramics (electric, magnetic, optical properties)