MME 131:

Introduction to
Metallurgy and Materials

Lecture 30

Classificationand
Propertiesof
Ceramic Materials
CeramicMaterials
AKMB Rashid
Professor, MME Dept
BUET, Dhaka

Todays Topics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

What are ceramics?

Structure of ceramics
Classification of ceramics
Characteristics of generic ceramics
Typical properties
Manufacture of ceramics

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 02

What Are Ceramics?

comes from the Greece word keramicos, which means
burnt stuff
broadly classed as inorganic
inorganic, non-metallic
non metallic materials
Usually a compound, or a combination of compounds,
between metallic and nonmetallic elements
(mainly, O, N, C, B)
y composed
p
of more than one element
always
(Al2O3, SiO2, NaCl, SiC, etc.)
bonds are either totally ionic, or combination of ionic
and covalent
B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 03

Typical Characteristics
of Ceramic Materials
brittle
everlasting !!!
load bearing ??!!
Hard, wear-resistant, electrically and thermally insulating,
refractory, chemically stable, durable, non
non-magnetic.
magnetic.

BUT
These properties are not common to ALL ceramics !!
B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 04

Some exceptions
ZrO2 toughened Al2O3 (cutting tools)
YBa2Cu3O7 (superconductor)
(Ba,Sr)0.6Fe2O3 (magnet)

New high-performance ceramics

unusual properties (e
(e.g.,
g high toughness
toughness, conductive)
need to understand structure-property relation

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 05

Common properties
High melting point and high refractoriness (except glass)
Generally electrical and thermal insulators
Generally hard and strong with low plasticity
Low fracture toughness (brittle)
Chemically inert
Many are low cost (bricks)
Wide range of appearance

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 06

Some Property Check

Materials

1040
Steel

Soda
Sodaglass

Silicon
nitride

Density, kg m-3
Modulus, GPa
UTS / MOR, MPa
Fracture Toughness,
Toughness MPa m1/2
Softening / Melting Temp., K

7850
210
500
140
1765

2480
74
50
07
0.7
1000

3200
310
300 850
40
4.0
2173

MME131 LEC30 2010

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

Page 07

Ceramic Structure
z More than one type of atoms (cations, anions).
z Complex structures, based on BCC, FCC, and HCP.
z Structures are named based on the first mineral that is discovered
to have the structure. (e.g., rocksalt structure)
z Have low packing density

Rocksalt
structure

Na

Cl

Perovskite
structure

Ti

Ca

Silicate Structures

z Based on SiO44- tetrahedron

z Si-O bonding is largely covalent, but
overall SiO4 block has charge of -4.
z Various silicate structures are formed by
different ways of arranging SiO44- blocks.
 vertex (ring)
 edge (chain)
 face (sheet)

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

SiO44- tetrahedron

MME131 LEC30 2010

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Silicate glass pure SiO2

 melts at a very high temperature
 very brittle
 high viscosity
Hard to fabricate
Crystalline silica

Modifiers (e.g., Na) are added

to open
p up
p the network and
reduce the melting point

Soda-glass
B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 10

Defects in Ceramic Structure

z Like metals,
metals defects such as vacancies and
substitutional atoms are present.
z Slip is difficult in polycrystalline ceramics, so defects
have little effect on strength.
z But, defects have significant influence on electric
properties.

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 11

Classification of Ceramics
very traditional (clay-based and silica-based ceramics
used for construction and other applications)
but also new HIGH-TECH ceramics and uses
1.
2.
3.
4.

optical (transparency) (opto-electronics)

electronic (piezoelectric, sensor, superconductor)
thermo-mechanical (engine material)
wear-resisting (cutting tool)

In 1974, the U.S. market for the ceramic industry was

estimated at $20 million. Today, the U.S. market is estimated
to be over $50 billion
B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 12

Classification based on COMPOSITION

Silicate Ceramics: presence of glassy phase in a porous structure
clay ceramics (with mullite 3Al2O3.2SiO2)
silica ceramics (with cordierite 2MgO.2Al
2MgO 2Al2O3.2SiO
2SiO2)

Oxide Ceramics: dominant crystalline phase, with small glassy phase

single oxide (Al2O3), modified oxide (zirconia toughened alumina)
mixed oxide (mullite, BaTiO3)

Non-oxide Ceramics:
carbon, SiC, BN, TiB2, sialon

Glass-ceramics: partially crystallised glass

SiO2-Li2O, LAS, MAS
B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 13

Classification based on APPLICATIONS

Glasses
based on SiO2, with
additions to reduce m.p.
or give special properties
y containers
y households
y optical glasses

High-performance
Advanced Ceramics
special ceramics having improved
toughness,
h
wear resistance,
i
electrical properties, etc.
y cutting tool
y sensor
y laser
y grinding
y superconductor
y bearing

Traditional Vitreous
Cement &
Ceramics
C
Concrete
t
clay-based products
y porcelain
y sanitary ware
y tiles
y bricks
y refractories

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

a complex ceramics
with many phases
y structural
y composite

MME131 LEC30 2010

Natural
Ceramics
rocks & minerals,
including ice;
bones
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Glasses
z Any material that has solidified and become
rigid without forming a regular crystal
structure is known as glass.
z Usually a term applied to ceramic materials
(although metals can be formed into glasses
as well).
z There is no long range order, although the
silicate tetrahedra are still linked together.

Glasses:
do not crystallize.
sp. vol. varies smoothly with T.
Glass transition temp., Tg.

Crystalline materials:

temperature at which glass

becomes rigid enough to handle
B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

crystallize at melting temp, Tm.

have abrupt change in sp. vol. at Tm.

MME131 LEC30 2010

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Generally term glass commonly applied

to silicate based ceramic materials.
generally brittle
(
(can
be toughened
g
by
yp
physical
y
p
process and by
y
varying the composition or the microstructure)

can also be load-bearing

(e.g., car window, container glass,
vacuum equipment)

Corning Glass Museum

basically contains three types of ingredients:

(1)
(2)
(3)

network former (SiO2, B2O3)

network breaker (Na2O, K2O)
network modifier (Al2O3)

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 16

Soda-lime Glass
70% SiO2, 10% CaO, 15% Na2O, 5% MgO/Al2O3
Low melting/softening point, easily formed and shaped.
Windows, bottles, etc.

Borrosilicate Glass (Pyrex)

80% SiO2, 13% B2O3, 4% Na2O, 3% Al2O3
High temperature strength, low coefficient of thermal
expansion, good thermal shock resistance.
Cooking and chemical glassware

LAS Glass
Glass-Ceramic
Ceramic
20% Li2O, 20% Al2O3, 60% SiO2, + TiO2 (nucleating agent)
Heat treatment cause glass to crystallise to form crystal/amorphous
composite with greater creep resistance and very low coefficient of
thermal expansion and excellent thermal shock resistance.
Cooker tops, ceramic composites
B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 17

Traditional Vitreous Ceramics

pottery, porcelain, tiles, structural
and refractory bricks are still made
by processes very similar to those
of 2000 years ago
formed into shape using clays in wet,
plastic state, which is then dried and
fired for crystallization and vitrification
fired products consist of a glassy phase
(based on SiO2) which melts and glues
together a complex polycrystalline
multiphase (mostly silicates) body.
B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 18

Raw Materials
1. Plastic materials
Assist forming process (deform easily without rupture, retain the imposed shape)
Example:
p Clays,
y talk.

2. Fluxes
Promotes fusion during firing.
Aid viscous liquid formation; to produce a glassy matrix
Example: Feldspar, nepheline syenite, volcanic ash.

3. Fillers
Provides a rigid component to aid in forming and firing.
Confer some very important physical properties (i.e. thermal expansion)
Example: Silica, calcined clay, alumina, limestone, bone ash
MME131 LEC30 2010

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

Page 19

Ceramic
Type

Typical
Composition

Typical
Uses

Porcelain
China
Earthenware
Pottery
Bricks

Made from clays,

mixed with
other inert materials

Electrical insulator
Tableware,
tiles,
art ware
Construction, refractoryy uses

Stoneware

Pottery
Porcelain
Earthenware

China

Bricks

High-performance
Advanced Ceramics
z Traditional ceramics are weak because they contains many pores and
cracks; their elastic moduli are low because of glass phases present
z Advanced ceramics exhibits superior mechanical, electrical, optical,
and magnetic properties and corrosion or oxidation resistance.
electronic ceramics
insulators, substrates, capacitors, varistors, actuators, sensors
optical ceramics
windows,
i d
llasers; magnetic
ti ceramics
i
engineering/structural ceramics
have applications in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering,
high-temperature technology, and in biomedical technology
special ceramics
nuclear reactor materials, refractories
B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 21

Engineering Ceramics
high performance of engineering ceramics are
resulted due to:
1.

full density with fewer microcracks and higher intrinsic

modulus

2.

high toughness (measured by fracture toughness, KIC)

resultant properties are comparable with those of

metals, cermets, or even diamond

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 22

Shroud ring and turbine blades

for helicopter engines (Si3N4)

Rotor (Alumina)

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

Sealing rings and other

pump spares (SiC)

Cutting tools
(Al2O3, Si3N4, etc.)

Gears (Alumina)
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Hip joint
Socket (Al2O3)
ball (ZrO2)

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 24

Electronic Ceramics
shows unusual electrical properties
normally insulator, but can be made to
semiconductor or even superconductor by carefully
controlled addition of impurities (the process is
known as doping)
p g)
e.g., doping of Si with B or P

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

Ceramic
Type

MME131 LEC30 2010

Typical
Composition

Page 25

Typical
Uses

Alumina
Al2O3, 3Al2O3.2SiO2
Dielectric ceramics
BaTiO3
Pi
Piezoelectric
l t i ceramics
i
SiO2, ZnS,
Z S GaAs
G A

Electronic insulator
Capacitor
Ult
Ultrasonic
i device,
d i St
Strain
i
gauge, microphone

Superconductors

Electromagnet, magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI)

YBa2Cu3O7

Ceramic
insulators

Magnetic
Levitation

Cement and Concrete

used on an enormous scale in construction industries;
only brick and timber rival in volume (then steel)
very cheap about one tenth the cost per volume
of steel

Concrete
Culvert

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 27

cement is a combination of lime (CaO), silica (SiO2) and

alumina (Al2O3), which set when combined with water.
concrete is a mixture of sand and stone (aggregate)
held together by a cement (thus concrete is a ceramic
ceramicceramic composite)

Cement
Type

Typical
Composition

Typical
Uses

Portland cement

CaO + SiO2 + Al2O3

Cast facing, walkways, etc.

and as component of concrete,
used for general construction

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 28

Natural Ceramics
stone is the oldest construction materials and the most
durable (Pyramid, 5000 years old)
behaves like any other ceramic in load
load-bearing
bearing conditions
ice is also a ceramic
manifestations include anything ranging from ice cubes
through icebergs to the Arctic continent and the Antarctic
ice cap (3 km thick, 1013 m3 vol.)
bone is also a ceramic
the mineral constituent of bone is hydroxyapatite (HA),
Ca10(HPO4)6(OH)2. 43 mass % of human body is HA.
MME131 LEC30 2010

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Page 29

Ceramic
Type

Typical
Composition

Typical
Uses

Limestone (marble)
Sandstone
Granite

Largely CaCO3
Largely SiO2
Aluminium silicate

Building construction

Ice

H2O

Arctic engineering

Bone

Ca10(HPO4)6(OH)2

HA for human bone

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 30

Ceramic Composites
ceramics
stiffness, hardness

polymer / metal

Ceramic
composite

toughness
Ceramic Composite

Components

Typical Uses

Fib glass
Fibre
l
CFRP
Cermet, ZTA
Bone

Glass polymer
Gl
l
Carbon polymer
WC Co, ZrO2 Al2O3
HA collagen

High-performance
Hi
h f
structures
Cutting tools, dies
Animal structure

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 31

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 32

Data for Ceramics

Materials

Youngs Modulus of
Density Modulus Rupture
Mg m-33 GPa
MPa

Thermal
Fracture
Shock
Toughness Resistance
MPa m1/2
K

Soda lime glass

Borrosilicate

2.48
2.23

74
65

50
55

0.7
0.8

84
280

Porcelain, pottery 2.3-2.5

70

45

1.0

220

Diamond
Dense alumina
Silicon nitride
Zirconia
Sialon

3.52
3.90
32
3.2
5.6
3.2

1050
380
310
200
300

300-400
300-850
300
850
200-500
500-830

3-5
4
4-12
5

1000
150
500
500
510

Cement

2.4-2.5

30-50

0.2

<50

Ice

0.92

9.1

1.7

0.12

B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

Page 33

Ceramic Fabrication Methods

SHEET
GLASS
MAKING

Fourcault
Process

Float Glass
Process

Heat Treating Glass

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MME131 LEC30 2010

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 B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

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B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

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(a)

(b)

(c)

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MME131 LEC30 2010

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B Rashid, Dept of MME, BUET

MME131 LEC30 2010

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NextClass
MME131:Lecture31

PolymericMaterials