ISE FINAL: CHAPTER 7

What is a ceramic?

A ceramic is an inorganic compound, consisting of a metal (or semi-metal) and one or more non-metals.

What is one of the important applications of titanium nitride, as mentioned in the text?

As a thin coating on cutting tools to prolong tool life.

What is clay, used in making ceramic products?

Clay most commonly consists of hydrous aluminum silicate; for example, kaolinite (Al2(Si2O5)(OH)4) is a common clay.

What type of atomic bonding characterizes the ceramics?

Covalent and ionic bonding

Define glass.

Glass is an inorganic, nonmetallic material that cools to a rigid solid without crystallization

What is the feature that distinguishes glass from the traditional and new ceramics?

Glass is noncrystalline (amorphous), while most other ceramics assume a crystalline structure.

What is glazing, as applied to ceramics?

Glazing involves the application of a surface coating of oxides such as alumina and silica, usually to a porous ceramic product such as earthenware, to make the product more impervious to moisture and more attractive.

What are some of the principal applications of cemented carbides, such as WC-Co?

Important applications of WC-Co include cutting tool inserts, drawing dies, rock drilling bits, dies for powder metallurgy, and other applications where hardness is a critical factor.

What are the four most common elements in the earth's crust?

Oxygen, silicon, aluminum, and iron.

What does the term refractory mean?

Refractories are heat resistant ceramic materials. The term is sometimes also applied to metals that are heat resistant.

What are the elements in the ceramic material Sialon?

Sialon consists of the elements silicon, aluminum, oxygen, and nitrogen.

What is the primary mineral in glass products?

Silica, or silicon dioxide (SiO2).

What are some of the functions of the ingredients that are added to glass in addition to silica? Name at least three.

The functions of the additional ingredients include: (1) acting as flux (promoting fusion) during heating; (2) increasing fluidity in the molten glass during processing; (3) retarding devitrification, which is the tendency to crystallize from the glassy state; (4) reducing thermal expansion in the final product; (5) increasing the chemical resistance against attack by acids, basic substances, or water; (6) adding color to the glass; and (7) altering the index of refraction for optical applications (e.g., lenses).

What do bauxite and corundum have in common?

They are both minerals of alumina.

What is the difference between the traditional ceramics and the new ceramics?

Traditional ceramics are based primarily on clay products (e.g., pottery, bricks) while new ceramics are more recently developed ceramics which are generally simpler in chemical composition (e.g., oxides, carbides).

What are the general mechanical properties of ceramic materials?

Typical mechanical properties include high hardness, brittleness, and no ductility.

What are the general physical properties of ceramic materials?

Typical physical properties include electrical and thermal insulating, medium density (mostly below the density of metals), high melting temperatures, and thermal expansion usually less than metals.