IE 21

Industrial Materials and

Processes
Lecture 24
Ceramics: Properties, Uses,
Production Processes

Department of Industrial Engineering and

Operations Research, College of Engineering
University of the Philippines Diliman
Rev. 1
Outline
A. Ceramics
1. Properties of ceramics
2. Uses of ceramics
3. Types of ceramics
B. Clay products
C. Forming processes
1. Powder pressing
2. Extrusion
Outline …2
C. Forming processes
3. Soft plastic molding
4. Slip casting
5. Tape casting
D. Finishing processes
1. Drying
2. Sintering
3. Glazing
A. Ceramics
 Ceramic is a transition that takes
place in any clay when it is heated to
approximately 1,140ºF or higher. At
that temperature, chemically attached
water molecules are separated from
the clay particles. These clay particles
are fused together and the ceramic
object is permanently changed.
Ceramics …2
 Prior to the transformation, when clay
objects are re-introduced to water the
clay particles will slake (fall apart) and
re-dissolve into the water. They can
then be re-constituted into workable
clay and used again.
A.1. Properties of Ceramics
 High hardness
 Excellent wear resistance
 Brittle
 Refractory: resistant to heat
 Low thermal conductivity: some
ceramics have high thermal
conductivity
Properties of Ceramics …2
 Low electrical conductivity: some
ceramics have high electrical
conductivity
 Non-magnetic
 Good corrosion resistance
 Prone to thermal shock
 Chemically stable
A.2. Uses of Ceramics
 Aerospace: space shuttle tiles,
thermal barriers, high temperature
glass windows, fuel cells
Uses of Ceramics …2
 Consumer uses: glassware, windows,
pottery, Corning® ware, magnets,
dinnerware, ceramic tiles, lenses,
home electronics, microwave
transducers
Uses of Ceramics …3
 Automotive: catalytic converters,
ceramic filters, airbag sensors,
ceramic rotors, valves, spark plugs,
pressure sensors, thermistors,
vibration sensors, oxygen sensors,
safety glass windshields, piston rings
Uses of Ceramics …4
 Medical (Bioceramics): orthopedic
joint replacement, prosthesis, dental
restoration, bone implants
Uses of Ceramics …5
 Military: structural components for
ground, air and naval vehicles,
missiles, sensors
Uses of Ceramics …6
 Computers: insulators, resistors,
superconductors, capacitors,
ferroelectric components,
microelectronic packaging
Uses of Ceramics …7
 Communications: fiber optic/laser
communications, TV and radio
components, microphones
Uses of Ceramics …8
 Other industries: bricks, cement,
membranes and filters, lab equipment
A.3. Types of Ceramics
 Traditional ceramics include clay
products, silicate glass and cement
 Advanced ceramics consist of
carbides (SiC), pure oxides (Al2O3),
nitrides (Si3N4), non-silicate glasses
and many others
B. Clay Products
 Clay products are classified into:
1. Structural
2. Refractory
3. Fine ceramics
B.1. Structural Ceramics
 Structural ceramics are used to
construct buildings, roads, drainage
systems, for equipping sanitary
installations and for outside and inside
facing.
B.2. Refractory Ceramics
 Refractories are materials used for
constructing different types of
industrial furnaces, fireboxes and
apparatus operated at high
temperatures.
B.3. Fine Ceramics
 Fine ceramics describe dense
sintered ware or finely porous
products with a homogeneous
structure and usually covered with a
thin vitreous layer of glaze.
B.4. Clay
 The major material for ceramic clay
products is clay.
 Clays are fine-grain mixture of several
minerals which form a plastic mass
with water. The plastic mass, after
drying, retains any shape imparted to
it and acquires the strength of stone
when it has been fired.
Clay …2
 Steps in processing clay:
 Mining: Clay is normally mined, either
through open pit mining where the over
burden is removed, or by underground
mining.
 Comminution: the clay particles are
reduced in size.
Clay …3
 Sizing and classification: done by
passing the clay through different size
mesh made of steel or bronze wire.
 Disintegration into finer particles.
 Chemical treatment: rarely done
because of costs.
 Removal of impurities such as steel and
iron.
Clay …4
 Water removal.
 Drying: can be done in open air or rotary
dryers heated by steam.
 Storage.
C. Forming Processes
1. Powder pressing
2. Extrusion
3. Soft plastic molding
4. Slip casting
5. Tape casting
C.1. Powder Pressing

Powder pressing uses pressure to compact

ceramic powder into the desired shape
which is then sintered.
C.2. Extrusion
 The extrusion process consists of
forcing a plastic mix of a ceramic
powder through a constricting die to
produce elongated
shapes that have
a constant
cross-section.
Extrusion …2
C.3. Soft Plastic Molding
 Soft plastic molding turns out products
due to revolution such as saucers,
plates, bowls, etc. Jiggering forms the
external shape and jollying forms the
internal shape.
Soft Plastic Molding …2

jiggering (exterior) jollying (interior)

a: template b: clay c: mold d: wheel

C.4. Slip Casting
 Slip casting refers to the filling of a
mold with a slip consisting of a
suspension of ceramic particles in
liquid.
 It works well for complex geometries,
produces material with good
homogeneity and the mold material
used, plaster, is cheap.
Slip Casting …2

Slip = suspended ceramic particles

+ organic liquid
C.5. Tape Casting
 Tape casting produces thin sheets of
green ceramic cast as flexible tape
 It is used for integrated circuits and
capacitors
D. Finishing Processes
D.1. Drying
 Drying removes water and air and for
firing
 Makes use of a kiln
D.2. Sintering
 Sintering (Firing) of ceramic materials
is the method involving consolidation
of ceramic powder particles by
heating the “green” compact part to a
high temperature below the melting
point, when the material of the
separate particles diffuse to the
neighboring powder particles.
Sintering …2
D.3. Glazing
 Glazing covers the ceramic with a
surface coating that becomes glass-
like or vitreous when fired.
●● End of Lecture 24