CHAPTER 3: CERAMICS

Ceramics: Ceramic powders have characteristics that are in many ways different from metals and polymers, differences stems from the different bonding typical of them Lets see the type of bonding that plays an important role on the characteristics of ceramics: Covalent bonds: are formed by electrons shared between adjacent atoms. These are very strong bonds. The high bond strength reflects in high melting point High strength hardness coupled with brittleness thermal expansion is often low electrical resistance is high

CHAPTER 3: CERAMICS

Ceramics: Properties of Ceramics Mechanical Properties: 1. Ceramics are not only brittle but often have microcracks in them. 2. Because of their sensivity to cracks, ceramics are often used in compressive loading and compressive strength, hardness and hot hardness are then specified. 3. The high hardness of ceramics also makes them indispensable in many applications where wear resistance are important. 4. Cracks or defects in ceramics can have sharp radii which cause large stress concentrations, reduce fracture strength, and makes ceramics vulnerable to fatigue failure

CHAPTER 3: CERAMICS

Ceramics: Pyhsical Properties 1. Their thermal expansion is lower than that of metals 2. The electrical properties of ceramics range from good conductors through semiconductors and insulators 3. Some ceramics exhibit piezoelectricity 1. Thus a crystal subjected to mechanical loading generates a potential difference and can be used as a force transducer. 2. In the reverse mode, a potential difference is applied to the crystal causes a dimensional change which can be exploited in ultrasonic transducers and force generators

CHAPTER 3: CERAMICS

Ceramics: Pyhsical Properties (Contd) 5. Ceramics can be formulated to provide the full range of optical properties. 6. Single crystals of ionically bonded ceramics are usually transparent whereas covalently bonded ceramics may range from transparent to opaque

Chemical Properties 1. A great advantage of ceramics is that they are often resistant to chemical attack by gases, liquids and even high temperature melts 2. Combines with their remarkable high strength, this makes them ideal for such applications as temperature-resistant furnace linings (refractories), insulators, and even mechanical components, such as turbine disks, turbine blades and various components of internal combustion engines.

CHAPTER 3: CERAMICS

Ceramics: Applications: Clay-based ceramics

Some products are made of natural products Vitrified whiteware for bathroom fixtures Dry-pressed floor tiles, lathe-turned electrical porcelains Semivitrified tableware and hard porcelains

Refractories Like refractory metals, refractory ceramicsa are noted for their resistance to high temperature Mortar and furnace hearths are made of refractory granules bonded with a cement

CHAPTER 3: CERAMICS

Ceramics: Applications: Carbides, nitrides, borides, and silicides Carbides These ceramics are noted for their hardness Carbides have the highest melting point of all substances Rocket nozzles and sandblast nozzles

One of the most important abrasive for grinding Used in wear-resistant bodies and body armor

Nitrides Have only slightly lower melting point than carbides The cubic form (CBN- Cubic boron nitride) has a structure to that of diamond and is after diamond the hardest material, suitable for metal cutting

CHAPTER 3: CERAMICS

Ceramics: Applications:
Carbides, nitrides, borides, and silicides Silicon nitride Has a good thermal conductivity, low expansion and high hot strength, making it the prime candidate for ceramic engine components, turbine disks, and rocket nozzles

Borides Have high melting point, strengths and oxidation resistance and are used as turbine blades, rocket nozzles, and combustion chamber liners

Carbon Diamond Natural diamonds are used in wear-resistant applications such as wire-drawing dies, cutting tools, and grinding wheels Man-made diamond outperforms natural diamond in many applications

CHAPTER 3: POLYMERS
Polymers: Most polymers are based on carbon backbone and are thus organic materials Note that synthetic polymers are called plastics Most polymers were used in applications where their low density, high corrosion resistance, electrical insulation and ease of manufacturing into complex shapes presented advantages and where mechanical strength was of secondary importance Polymers: They are divided into two parts on the basis of their response to heating Thermoplastics Thermosetting plastics or thermosets

CHAPTER 3: POLYMERS
Polymers: Thermoplastics: Behavior of some polymers are greatly affected by temperature. When amorphous polymer is heated above a certain temperature it becomes deformable and it will regain its shape upon cooling below that temperature. The heating and cooling sequence can ,in principle, be repeated; hence it is customary to call such polymers as thermoplastics It is possible to form such polymer into a semifabricated shape (pellet, bar, tube, sheet or film) which is the cooled and shipped to the secondary manufacturer who reheats and forms it into final shape

CHAPTER 3: POLYMERS
Polymers: Thermosetting Polymers: A different class of material is that of the thermosetting polymers or thermosets,so named because once polymerization is completed (e.g. By the application of heat or catalyst) no further deformation is possible

The essential difference between thermoplastics and thermosetting polymers is then that the thermosetting polymer is heated to stabilize its shape whereas the thermoplastic polymer is heated to make it moldable and must be cooled to fix its shape

CHAPTER 3: POLYMERS
Polymers: Typical Mechanical Properties: Based on stress-strain behavior, four types of polymeric materials can be distinguished:

Flexible thermoplastics, capable of large plastic deformation. Rigid thermoplastics, limited in their maximum possible strain and therefore brittle. Rigid thermosets, also brittle Elastomers or rubbers distinguished by remarkable elastic extensibility (Most rubbers are thermosets.)

CHAPTER 3: POLYMERS
Polymers: Typical Mechanical Properties: All four types of polymers exhibit considerable creep and stress relaxation under conditions of prolonged stress. If the plastic part is loaded and kept under constant strain the stress required to maintain this strain will decay. Such kind of stress is called stress relaxation.

If the stress is maintained constant, then strain will increase. Polymer materials therefore can sustain considerably higher loads for shorter times than for prolonged (continuous) loading conditions.

CHAPTER 3: POLYMERS
Polymers: Physical and Chemical Properties: Tribological properties of polymers are generall good. Many of them give very low coefficient of friction Polymers are in general poor heat conductors, although conductivity can be somewhat improved by filling with metal powders Their thermal expansion is large and this can create problems when assemblies contain both plastic and metal parts The resistance of polymers to weathering (involving moisture, ozone, UV light and temperature changes) can be improved by incorporation of opaque filters and UV absorbers. Otherwise, Darkening crazing and embrittlement may occur

CHAPTER 3: POLYMERS
Polymers: Physical and Chemical Properties: Polymers have many desirable electrical properties; high resistivity Thus they enjoy wide application for insulation. If necessary, they can be made conductive by adding metal powder.