Engineering ceramics (Research Paper Sample)

Engineering Ceramics First Name Last Name Course Name Instructor’s name Date Engineering Ceramics Ceramics are defined as inorganic but non-metallic materials that are of great value and importance to our lifestyle. These materials can either be metallic or non-metal compounds that have been suppressed to very high temperatures. The extreme temperatures make the ceramic possesses their desirable qualities of being hard, brittle and resistance to corrosion. Material engineers are people who design the different types of Ceramic. They also determine the processes in which these products can be made, and recommend the suitability of different types of ceramic in daily lives. Industrial manufacture of Ceramics is made by taking mixtures of clay, earthly materials, additives, and water and molding them into a shape that you desire or specified. The mold is then put inside a kiln and subject to very high temperatures. Once complete, the ceramic can be covered with decorative, paint, waterproofing elements as per the specification of the material engineer/manufacturer.[. Babini, Gian Nicola, Miroslav Haviar, and Pavol Šajgalík. Engineering Ceramics '96: Higher Reliability through Processing. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 1997.] Modern engineering ceramic materials There are different types of advanced engineering ceramic materials. They are most categorized as per their applications which include nuclear fuel, window glasses, electronic devices, engine components, cutting tools among others. Generally, engineering ceramics are classified into the following; Metallic oxides: These include oxides like alumina, zirconium, and beryllium oxides. These materials contain metallic atoms as their primary elements. They have the following properties, Low dielectric loss, good toughness and high strength, high thermal conductivity at medium temperatures. They also resist to wear and tear. Glass-Ceramics; the glass ceramic are easier to work on and can be machined with steel tools. They permit light to pass through them and hence transparent, have different thermal conductivity depending on composition type. The glass ceramics are utilized in manufacture of glass windows, laboratory equipment, and electronics among many other devices.[. Clegg, David, and Robert McCarter. Ceramics. London: Shotlist, 1998.] Nitrides and Carbides: these are silicon nitrides, boron carbides, silicon carbides and tungsten carbides. These materials have these desirable qualities, they are resistance to high temperatures and thermal stresses and strain, yield high strength, good electrical insulation in the case of boron carbide ceramic. Tungsten carbides are excellent at thermal conductivity, resistance to abrasion and wearing off. These ceramics are mostly used for tool tips. Carbons and graphite: These ceramics are very common and readily available in the market. They have the following properties, excellent electrical and thermal resistance, self-lubricating, low density and chemical re-activity. They have a disadvantage of reduced strength unless where they are produced as a fiber. Carbon /carbon composites: have high strength and low thermal coeffi...