1. NONMETALLIC STRUCTURAL MATERIALS
Polymers (plastics)
Ceramics
Glass (amorphous materials)

2. Composition of Ceramics
Crystal phase – basic part of ceramics structure
Amorphous (glassy) phase – binder
Gas phase in ceramics pores
CERAMICS
Oxide ceramics Oxigen-free ceramics based on based on
Al2O ZrO SiC Si3N4
and other oxides
Metal ceramics, or cermets

3. Advantages of Ceramics
High hardness and wear resistance
High service temperature ( up to 3500 °С)
Corrosion resistance in various environments
Low electric conductivity (dielectrics)
Heat insulators
Low labour input of processing (both product and material are created simultaneously; strengthening and finishing operations are not required)
Low density

4. Basic Lacks of Ceramics
Britlness (impact strength of ceramics is 40 times less than metals have)
Oxide ceramics does not withstand the sharp changes of temperature
Oxigen-free ceramics can be obtained by hot pressing only (technological problems)

5. Ceramics always is multiphase substance
Structure of Ceramics
Scheme Microstructure (photo)
Crystal phase includes yellow, brown, white, and blue grains; amorphous phase is violet; pores are black
Ceramics always is multiphase substance

6. Ceramic Shrinkage in Sintering
A ready porcelain figure and a cup have the sizes approximately
13 % less than green (unburnt) work-peaces 6

7. Application of Ceramics Building ceramics: bricks and tile
These buildings in Amsterdam are more than 400 years old

8. Application of Ceramics Pyramids are the most ancient building structures
Khafr’s Pyramid and Great Sphinx
Great pyramids in Giza: XXVI century B.C.

9. Application of Ceramics: technical alumina ceramics
Thread feeders, spools (parts for weaving industry)
Nozzles of torches
Dies for wire drawing
Sanitaryware items
Parts of machines

10. “Ductile” ceramics based on ZrO2: the stress near the growing crack tip causes a phase transformation; a new phase with bigger specific volume hinders crack growth

11. Fracture toughness К1С describes the local increasing in tensile stress near the crack tip in the moment of transition from stable growth stage to unstable one.
Fracture toughness of ceramic materials is determined by the length of the longest crack forming in the coarse of Vickers hardness testing.

12. Building Ceramics
Bricks and ceramic tiles are formed and baked clay; their composition: hydrated aluminosilicates Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4 and impurities.
Cement is a mix of limestone CaO, silicon dioxide SiO2 and aluminium oxide Al2O3. It hardens being mixed with water.
Concret is a composite material including sand and stones, binded together with hardened cement. Ratio sand to gravel is 60:40. 12

13. Building Ceramics
Strength property of concrete is quality class by axial compression strength:
(a) Stretching (b) Compression
Concrete fracture by compression 13

14. Glass Structure Scheme of spatial glass structure in quartz glass
Arrangement of tetrahedrons
in quartz glass
Quartz glass
Alcali glass

15. Application of Glass Constructional glass: window glass pane
Art glass works

16. Technical glass: insulators of power line
Application of Glass
Technical glass: insulators of power line

17. Glass Ceramics Pyroceramics processing from blast-furnace slag
Scheme of glass crystallization
Pyroceramics
processing
from blast-furnace
slag

18. Glass Ceramics × 7500 (grain size 1-2 μm)
Process of glass crystallization
× 7500
(grain size 1-2 μm) a b c d