MATERIALS SELECTION

NONMETALLIC MATERIALS
~ CERAMIC ~

Ceramics
General properties of ceramic materials :
1.
High strength & hardness
2.
Very Brittle
3.
Low ductility
4.
Low toughness
5.
Good thermal & electrical resistance
6.
High melting points
7.
High chemical stability
Ceramics in engineering application can be divided into two
major groups :
(i)
Traditional ceramics
(ii)
Advanced ceramics

Ceramics

Ceramic

knife
Ceramic Tile

CLASSIFICATION OF CERAMICS
Ceramic
Materials

Glasses

Clay products

Abrasives

Refractories

Cements

Advanced
ceramics

Glasses

Structural
Clay Products

Fireclay

carbides

Glass-ceramics

Whitewares

Silica

nitrides

Basic

Ferroelectric,
piezoelectric

Special

Superconducting
ceramics

Classification of ceramic materials on the basis of application

Properties of Structural Ceramics

Ceramics materials contain a certain amount of porosity

or voids.
Ceramics properties can be obtained in terms of ;
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)

Uniaxial tensile strength

Uniaxial compression strength
Modulus of elasticity
Porosity = apparent porosity or void content

POROSITY can be determined by :

1) Weight of dry ceramic = Wd
2) Reweighing when it is suspended in water = Ws
3) After taken out of the water, the pores are filled
with water = Ww
Apparent porosity = (Ww Wd) / (Ww-Ws) X 100%

Total porosity = [(T B) / T] X 100%

where

T = true density of ceramic

B = bulk density
= dry wt of ceramic / volume
B = (Wd) / (Ww Ws)

Example :
A

sintered porcelain component weight 425 grams

dry, 335 grams when suspended in water, and 435
gram when wet. The true density of porcelain is 4.97
g/cm3. Calculate the percentage of;
(i) Apparent porosity.
(ii) Total porosity.
(iii) Fraction of closed porosity.

Solution :
Given ; Wd = 425g

(i)

(ii)

Ws = 335g

Ww = 435g

T = 4.97 g/cm3

Apparent porosity = (Ww Wd) / (Ww Ws) x 100%

= (435 425)/(435 335) x 100%
= 10 %
Total porosity = [(T B) / T] x 100%
where :
B = Wd / (Ww Ws) = 425 / (435-335)
= 4.25g/cm3
Therefore : Total porosity = [(4.97 4.25)/4.97] x 100% = 14.49%

(iii) Fraction of closed porosity

= (Total porosity - Apparent porosity)/Total porosity
= (14.49 - 10)/14.49
= 0.31

Quiz
There

is one ceramic devices weight 275 grams dry, 200

grams when suspended in water, and 290 gram when wet.
The true density of porcelain is 5.12 g/cm3. Calculate the
percentage of;
(i) Apparent porosity.
(ii) Total porosity.
(iii) Fraction of closed porosity.

(5M)
(5M)
(4M)

2. Give 3 types of filler/additives for polymer materials.

(6M)

Solution :
Given ; Wd = 275g

(i)

(ii)

Ws = 200g

Ww = 290g

T = 5.12 g/cm3

Apparent porosity = (Ww Wd) / (Ww Ws) x 100%

= (290 275)/(290 200) x 100%
= 16.7 %
Total porosity = [(T B) / T] x 100%
where :
B = Wd / (Ww Ws) = 275 / (290-200)
= 3.05g/cm3
Therefore : Total porosity = [(5.12 3.05)/5.12] x 100% = 40.4%

(iii) Fraction of closed porosity

= (Total porosity - Apparent porosity)/Total porosity
= (40.4 16.7)/40.4
= 0.59

Quiz
There is one ceramic devices weight 275 grams dry,

200 grams when suspended in water, and 290 gram

when wet. The true density of porcelain is 5.12 g/cm3.
Calculate the percentage of;
(i) Apparent porosity. Answer: 16.7%
(ii) Total porosity. Answer : 40.2%
(iii) Fraction of closed porosity.
Answer: 0.58 when B = 3.06 g/cm3

(2M)
(3M)
(2M)

Answer 2 (6 marks)
a) filler
b) Lubricants
c) Antioxidants
d) Colorant
e) Antistatic agent
f) Plasticizer
g) UV light absorber
h) Blowing agent
i) Heat stabilizer

SINTERING
Sintering

the process is by which small particles of

a material are bonded together by solid-state
diffusion.

a method for making objects from powder by

increasing the adhesion between particles as they
are heated. It is used with ceramic powders and in
powder metallurgy. Sintering is related to diffusion.

The

welding together of powdered plastic particles

at temperatures just below the melting or fusion
point to form a relatively strong mass.

SINTERING
SOLID

PHASE
SINTERING

LIQUID

PHASE
SINTERING

SOLID PHASE SINTERING

Bonding

of
particles to
densify ceramic
body

Formation

necking

of

SOLID PHASE SINTERING

The salt has been

compacted (20MPa) and
sintered for four hours at
785 degrees C

HAP has been uniaxial Pressed at

5 metric tons in a 32 mm die
press

LIQUID PHASE SINTERING

Vitrifying

the particles to
densify ceramic body

Formation

of liquid phase
at particles interfaces

Liquid

phase wets the

particles surfaces, dissolves
some of the solids at the
surfaces, and provides a
fast diffusion medium for
the dissolved atoms

COMPARISON
SOLID

STATE

Adhesion via necking

Higher temperature
More porosity
Less dense
Properties limited by
porosity

LIQUID

STATE

Adhesion via liquid

film
Slightly lower temp.
Less porosity
More dense
Properties limited by
glassy matrix phase