Ceramics are inorganic, non-metallic solids, typically compounds of a metal with oxygen, nitrogen or carbon, shaped from a raw material and then hardened by firing at high temperature. Firing sinters the material particles into a hard, brittle, heat- and corrosion-resistant solid. Traditional ceramics such as pottery, brick and tile are among humanity oldest manufactured materials; modern engineering ceramics such as alumina, silicon carbide and zirconia are engineered for extreme hardness, wear resistance, high-temperature stability and electrical insulation, and are used in cutting tools, engine components and electronic substrates.
Facts
Disputed
Origin YearThe earliest known fired ceramic object, the Venus of Dolni Vestonice figurine, dates to roughly 25,000 to 29,000 BCE; the earliest ceramic pottery vessels, used for cooking and storage rather than as figurines, are attested later, from around 18,000 BCE in China. Primary UseTraditional ceramics in pottery, brick, tile and sanitaryware; advanced engineering ceramics in cutting tools, engine and turbine components, ballistic armor and electronic and biomedical applications, valued for hardness, heat resistance and, in many compositions, electrical insulation. 1 Classification
Material Class Connections
Associated With
Silicon carbide is a technical ceramic
Sintering, Methods Technical ceramics are formed by sintering compacted powder.
Zirconia, Materials Zirconia (zirconium dioxide) is a technical/advanced ceramic material.
In Field
Sources
1. A History of Technology
Charles Singer, E. J. Holmyard, A. R. Hall and Trevor I. Williams, editors, Oxford University Press, 1954material-class sentenceQuote, material-class sentence
Ceramics are inorganic, non-metallic solids, typically compounds of a metal with oxygen, nitrogen or carbon, shaped from a raw material and then hardened by firing at high temperature.
Ceramic (Wikipedia)
WikipediaWikipedia: Ceramic, lead section, first paragraphQuote, Wikipedia: Ceramic, lead section, first paragraph
A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature.
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