CERAMIC

S
FUNDAMENTALS OF MATERIAL SCIENCE AND
ENGINEERING
CHAPTER 12

Presented by:

THESSALONICA A. MENDOZA

INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 12.1

Ceramic materials were noted that they are

inorganic and nonmetallic materials. The
term ceramic comes from the Greek word
keramikos, which means burn stuff,
indicating that desirable properties of these
materials are normally achieved through a
high-temperature heat treatment process
called firing.

CERAMIC
STRUCTURE
S

CRYSTAL STRUCTURES
CHAPTER 12.2
Table 12.1
For Several Ceramic Materials, Percent Ionic Charater of Interatomic
Bonds

MATERIAL

PERCENT IONIC
CHARACTER

CaF2

89

MgO

73

NaCl
Al2O3

67
63

SiO2

51

Si3N4

30

ZnS
SiC

18
12

Figure 12.1
Stable and unstable anion-cation coordination configurations.

STABLE

STABLE

UNSTABL
E

STRUCTURES AND PROPERTIES OF

CERAMICS
CHAPTER 12.2

Table 12.3
Ionic Radii for Several
Cations and Anions

CATION

IONIC RADIUS (nm)

ANION

IONIC RADIUS (nm)

Al3+

0.053

Br--

0.196

Ba2+

0.136

Cl--

0.181

Ca2+

0.100

F--

0.133

Cs+

0.170

I--

0.220

Fe2+

0.077

O2--

0.140

Fe3+

0.069

S2--

0.184

K+

0.138

Mg2+

0.072

Mn2+

0.067

Na+

0.102

Ni2+

0.069

Si4+

0.040

Ti4+

0.061

SILICATE CERAMICS
CHAPTER 12.3

SILICA
The most simple silicate material is silicon
dioxide, or silica (SiO2).
Structurally, it is a three-dimensional
network that is generated when every corner
oxygen atom in each tetrahedron is shared by
adjacent tetrahedral. Thus, the material is
electrically neutral and all atoms have stable
electronic structures.

SILICATE CERAMICS
CHAPTER 12.3

SILICA GLASSES
Silica can also be made to exist as a
noncrystalline solid or glass, having a high
degree of atomic randomness, which is
characteristic of the liquid such a metrial is
called fused silica or vitreous silica.

CARBON
CHAPTER 12.4

CARBON
Carbon is an element that exists in various
polymorphic forms as well as in the amorphous
state. This group of materials does not really fall
within any one of the traditional metal, ceramic,
polymer classification schemes.

CARBON
CHAPTER 12.4

DIAMOND
Diamond is a metastable carbon polymorph at
room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Its
crystal structure is variant of the zinc blende, in
which carbon atoms occupy all positions (both
Zn and S).

CARBON
CHAPTER 12.4

GRAPHITE
Another polymorph of carbon is graphite; it has a
crystal structure distinctly different from that of
the diamond and is also more stable than
diamond at the ambient temperature and power.

CARBON
CHAPTER 12.4

FULLERENES
Another polymorph form of carbon was
discovered in 1985. It exists in discrete
molecular form and consists of a hollow
spherical cluster of 60 carbon atoms; a single
molecule is denoted by C60- . Each molecule is
composed of groups of carbon atoms that are
bounded to one another from both hexagon (6C atom) and pentagon (5-C atom)
geometrical configurations.

IMPERFECTIONS IN CERAMICS
CHAPTER 12.5

ATOMIC POINT DEFECTS

Atomic defects involving host atoms may exist in
ceramic compounds. As with metals, both
vacancies and interstitials are possible; however,
since ceramic materials contain ions of at least
two kinds, defects for each ion type may occur.

IMPERFECTIONS IN CERAMICS
CHAPTER 12.5

ATOMIC POINT DEFECTS

The expression defect structure is often used
to designate the types and concentrations of
atomic defects in ceramics.
Electroneutrality is the state that exists when
there are equal numbers of positive and
negative charges from the ions.

IMPERFECTIONS IN CERAMICS
CHAPTER 12.5

ATOMIC POINT DEFECTS

Frenkel defect might be thought of as being
formed by cation leaving its normal position and
moving into an interstitial site. There is no
change in charge because the cation maintains
the same positive charge as interstitial.

IMPERFECTIONS IN CERAMICS
CHAPTER 12.5

ATOMIC POINT DEFECTS

Schottky defect, this defect might be thought
of as being created by removing one cation and
one anion from the interior of the crystal and
then placing them both at an external surface.
Stoichiometry may be defined as a state for
ionic compounds wherein there is the exact ratio
of cations to anions predicted by the chemical
formula.

IMPERFECTIONS IN CERAMICS
CHAPTER 12.5

IMPURITIES IN CERAMICS
Impurity atoms can form solid solution in
ceramic materials much as they do in metals.
Solid solutions of both substitutional and
interstitial types are possible. For an interstitial,
the ionic radius of the impurity must be
relatively small in comparison to the anion.

DIFFUSION IN IONIC MATERIALS

CHAPTER 12.6

DIFFUSION
For ionic compounds, the phenomenon of
diffusion is more complicated than for metals
inasmuch as it is necessary to consider the
diffusive motion of two types of ions that have
opposite charges. Diffusion in these materials
usually occurs by a vacancy mechanisms.

CERAMIC PHASE DIAGRAMS

CHAPTER 12.7

Phase diagrams have been experimentally

determined for a large number of ceramic
systems. For binary or two-component phasediagrams, it is frequently the case that the two
components are compound that share a
common element, often oxygen.

CERAMIC PHASE DIAGRAMS

CHAPTER 12.7

The Al2O3-Cr2O3 System

One of the relatively simple ceramic diagrams is
that found for the aluminum oxide-chromium
oxide system.

The Al2O3-Cr2O3 System Diagram

CERAMIC PHASE DIAGRAMS

CHAPTER 12.7

The MgO-Al2O3 System

The phase diagram for the magnesium-oxide
system is similar in many respects to the leadmagnesium. There exists an intermediate phase,
or better a compound called spinnel, which has
the chemical formula MgAl2O4 or (MgO-Al2O3).

The MgO-Al2O3
System Diagram

CERAMIC PHASE DIAGRAM

CHAPTER 12.7

The SiO2-Al2O3 System

Commercial, the silica-alumina system is an
important one since the principal constituents of
many ceramic refractories are these two
materials.

MECHANICAL
PROPERTIES

BRITTLE FRACTURE OF
CHAPTER 12.8
CERAMICS

Brittle Fracture of
Ceramics
At room temperature, both crystalline and
noncrystalline ceramics almost always fracture
before any plastic deformation can occur in
response to an applied tensile load. The brittle
fracture process consists of the formation and
propagation of cracks through the cross section
of material in a direction perpendicular to the
applied load.

BRITTLE FRACTURE OF
CHAPTER 12.8
CERAMICS

Fractography of Ceramics
A fractography study is normally a part of such
an analysis, which involves examining the
crack propagation as well as microscopic
features of the fracture surface. It is often
possible to conduct an investigation of this type
using simple and inexpensive equipment for
example, a magnifying glass, and/or a low power
stereo binocular optical microscope in
conjunction with a light source.

STRESS-STRAIN BEHAVIOR
CHAPTER 12.9

Flexural Strength
The stress at the fracture using this flexure test
is known as the strength, modulus of rupture,
fracture strength, or the bend of strength, an
important mechanical parameter for brittle
ceramics.

STRESS-STRAIN BEHAVIOR
CHAPTER 12.9

Elastic Behavior
The elastic stress-strain behavior for ceramic
materials using these flexture tests is similar to
the tensile test results for metals; a linear
relationship exists between stress and strain.

MECHANISMS OF PLASTIC
CHAPTER
12.10
DEFORMATION
Crystalline Ceramics
For crystalline ceramic materials for which the
bonding is predominantly ionic, there are very
few slip systems along which dislocations may
move. This is a consequence of the electrically
charged nature of the ions.

MECHANISMS OF PLASTIC
CHAPTER
12.10
DEFORMATION
Noncrystalline Ceramics
Plastic deformation does not occur by dislocation
for noncrystalline ceramics because there is no
regular atomic structure. Rather, these
materials deform viscous flow, the same
manner in which liquids deform; the rate of
deformation is proportional to the applied stress.

MISCELLANEOUS MECHANICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
CHAPTER 12.11
Influence of Porosity
During the ensuing heat treatment, much of this
porosity will be eliminated; however, it is often
the case that this relimination process is
incomplete and some residual porosity will
remain. Any residual porosity will have a
deleterious influence on both the elastic
properties and strength.

MISCELLANEOUS MECHANICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
CHAPTER 12.11
Hardness
One beneficial mechanical property of ceramics I
their hardness which is often utilized when an
abrasive or grinding action is required; in fact,
the hardest known materials are ceramics.

MISCELLANEOUS MECHANICAL
CONSIDERATIONS
CHAPTER 12.11
Creep
Often ceramic material experience creep
deformation as a result of exposure to stresses
at elevated temperatures. In general, the time
deformation creep behavior of ceramics is
similar to that of metals; however, creep occurs
at higher temperatures in ceramics.