MME-467

Ceramics for Advanced Applications

Lecture 1
Overview of Advanced Ceramics
 Topics to discuss .....

1. Ceramics – Definition and classification

2. Why advanced ceramics ?
3. Main drawbacks of advanced ceramics
4. Designing with advanced ceramics
5. Applications of advanced ceramics
 Ceramics and their classifications
Ceramics are a class of materials broadly defined as
“inorganic, nonmetallic solids”

1. Silicate ceramics
Presence of glassy phase in a porous structure
Clay-ceramics with mullite (3Al2O3.2SiO2)
Silica-ceramics with cordierite (2MgO.2Al2O3.5SiO2)

2. Oxide ceramics
Dominant crystalline phase, with small glassy phase
Single oxide ceramics (Al2O3, BeO, MgO, ThO2, TiO2, ZrO2)
Modified oxide ceramics (ZTA – zirconia toughened alumina)
Mixed oxide ceramics (spinel - MgAl2O4 etc )
Non-oxide ceramics
ment C in the form of graphite and diamond
ides AIN, BN, Si3N4, TiN
bides B4C, SiC, TiC, WC
ides TiB2, ZrB2
cides MoSi2
ons Si3N4 with Al2O3
lons Si3N4 with Al2O3 and Y2O3
 Common applications
Have the largest range of functions of all known
materials.

1. Traditional ceramics
tableware, pottery, sanitary ware, tiles, bricks and clinker

2. Advanced ceramics
electronic ceramics – insulators, capacitors, varistors,
actuators, sensors
optical ceramics – windows, lasers, magnetic ceramics
engineering/structural ceramics – have applications in
mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, high-
temperature technology, and in biomedical technology

3. Special ceramics
reactor ceramics – absorber materials, breeder
materials, nuclear fuels
 Why advanced ceramics ?

ow electrical conductivity (insulation – spark plugs)

ow thermal conductivity (insulation – protection tiles for Space Shut
etter properties at high temperatures (nuclear fusion)
Wear resistance (cutting tool, roller bearing)
orrosion resistance (heat exchanger for corrosive agents)
pecific properties (optical, electrical, magnetic, biomechanics)
 Technology areas that can be
benefited form advanced ceramics

Ref: Aldinger and Baumard, Advanced Ceramic Research: Basics Research Viewpoint
 The main obstacle of using
advanced ceramics
1. Low tensile strength at room temperature
2. Brittleness
causing failure without prior measurable plastic deformation

3. Sub-critical crack extension

can cause failure under constant or cyclic loading and a limited lifetime

Ceramic materials are applied only in such cases

where the positive properties prevail over the negative
ones.
Parameters for adv. ceramics’ selection
Physical properties:
Thermal expansion coefficient
Thermal conductivity
Density
Electrical conductivity

Mechanical properties:
Elastic constants (Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio)
Tensile strength (mostly given as bending strength)
Compressive strength
Fracture toughness
Design rules for engineering ceramics

1. Minimize tensile stresses

 Ceramic elements should be introduced at locations were
compressive stresses are expected
 Sharp notches and other stress concentrators should be avoided
 External loads should not be introduced by point or line contacts
 Temperature gradients should be minimized
 Free expansion of thermal strains should be allowed; any
restriction will result in stresses
2. A careful and accurate computation of
stresses in the whole component is necessary
 In most cases this requires application of the finite element
method (FEM)
 Determination of thermal stresses is of particular importance

3. The design requires a statistical analysis

 Important areas of applications
UTILIZED PROPERTIES MATERIALS EXAMPLES
Engine manufacturing
wear resistance, heat Al2O3, Al2TiO5, thermal insulation of
insulation, low density, ZrO2, SiC, Si3N4 combustion chambers,
resistance to corrosion, valve seats, spark plugs,
electrical insulation, high turbochargers, gas
temperature strength turbines
Industrial processing engineering
resistance to corrosion, wear Al2O3, SiC, ZrO2 chemical devices, drawing die,
resistance slide rings, thread guides, rolls
for paper industry
UTILIZED PROPERTIES
High-temperature techniques
resistance to corrosion,
thermal insulation, electrical C, BN, MoSi2
insulation, high temperature
strength
Machining of materials
Resistance to corrosion,
wear resistance
MATERIALS EXAMPLES
Si3N4, SiC, Al2O3, heat exchangers, crucibles,
heating conductors,
protective tubes for
thermocouples, loading
devices for materials
testing, burner units
Al2O3, Si3N4, SiC, cutting tools, grinding
B4C, TiC, TiN, BN, wheels, sandblast nozzles
diamond
Electroceramics
Aclass of ceramic materials used primarily for their electrical properties.

Further classified to:

Dielectric ceramics
Fast ion conductor ceramics
Piezoelectric ceramics

Dielectric Ceramics
 Capable of storing large amounts of electrical charge .
 An electrical insulator that can be polarized by an applied electric field.
 Dielectric materials can be solids, liquids, or gases.
 Fast Ion Conductor Ceramics
 Solids in which ions are highly mobile (Na2O. Al2O3),

CaO etc

 Also known as solid electrolytes and superionic

conductors.
Piezoelectric Ceramics
 Batteries, various sensors but primarily in solid oxide
In sensors they make it possible to convert forces,
fuel cells.and accelerations into electrical signals
pressures

In sonic and ultrasonic transducers and actuators

they convert electric voltages into vibrations or
deformations.
Ferro-electric Ceramics

It is the property due to which materials show spontaneous,

stable polarization that can be switched hysteretically by an applied
electric field. For example: BaTiO3, BiFeO3 etc. spintronics,
actuators, and sensor devices etc

Magnetic Ceramics
Magnetic ceramics are made of ferrites.
Crystalline minerals composed of iron oxide in combination
with some other metals.
 Transition metal, rare earth metal etc.
Soft or hard magnets.
Motors, generators, memory drum Hard disc, Floppy disc
etc
Bioceramics
 Ceramic products (Al2O3, ZrO2 )as implants
and replacements.
 Biocompatibility, non-toxic, non-inflammatory and low
Young's modulus to prevent cracking of the material etc
 Dental bone implants. Artificial teeth, bones, pacemakers,
kidney dialysis machines etc.

Femoral Head
of a Hip
Prosthesis Hip Prosthesis
 Next Class

Lecture 2:
Bonding and Crystal structure