Ceramic Manufacturing

About Ceramic Manufacturing and Ceramics Manufacturing Including: Ceramic Bearings, Ceramic Insulators, Ceramic Machining, Ceramic Manufacturers, Ceramic Rods & Ceramic Tubes.

The term “ceramics” encompasses one of three main material classes, along with metals and polymers. These materials are formed from clays and other naturally-occurring minerals, or else are created from chemically-processed powders. Ceramics are inorganic and metallic, and have crystalline structures, except for glass, which is unusual in that it is amorphous. Ceramic manufacturing forms ceramic in a variety of compounds, usually a metallic and a nonmetallic element, such as silicon and carbon or aluminum and oxygen (alumina). Different types of ceramics are produced in ceramics manufacturing starting with a raw material, and then adding other elements to create desired properties. After this, the material is prepped in ceramic manufacturing for forming by adding water or another additive. Slip casting, pressing, extrusion and injection molding are all different methods that can be used to shape the material. The resulting formed, unfired ceramic material is known as greenware. Finally, the object is fired in a kiln to become a rigid product, which can then be glazed or further processed by polishing, cutting or machining for advanced ceramics.

Ceramics are divided within ceramics manufacturing into many different categories, depending on function. Structural clay products, for instance, are used in the construction industry as bricks and tiles, while whitewares (what many people first think of as “ceramics”) are used for dinnerware and other decorative purposes. Abrasives, such as garnet and diamonds, are used as blasting materials, and cements are mainly utilized in the construction of bridges, dams and concrete roads. Ceramic insulators, capacitators, magnets and superconductors are known as electrical ceramics. Glass products, although having slightly different properties, are also a subset of ceramics. Additionally, there are other types that include ceramic coatings for engine components and industrial wear parts, and chemical and environmental ceramics, used as fibers, membranes and catalysts.

The newest and most exciting class of ceramics in ceramic manufacturing is advanced ceramics (or technical ceramics). These materials have a wide range of applications, from artificial bones to space shuttle tiles, and are desirable because of their many excellent properties: high melting point, oxidation resistance, high hardness and light weight. They are, however, rather expensive, which has discouraged many engineers from using them. But when one looks at the long-term benefits of reliable performance over a lifetime, advanced ceramics can be very cost-effective. There is also a false perception that ceramics manufacturing has many limitations, but considering their excellent performance in thermal, electronic, structural and mechanical applications, they should be a premier material choice. Advanced ceramics are able to outperform metals in many situations, especially in harsh environments, and are also sometimes able to conduct electricity better than copper.

Ceramics have found uses in numerous industries, including automotive, power generation, refractory, industrial, food processing, chemical, construction and many more. Ceramic coatings are used to coat engine components, because they reduce the surface temperature of the parts, and in essence extend the life. Additionally, ceramic coatings give the parts excellent chemical resistance. Coatings are applied with a spray gun and then cured in an oven. Ceramics are also useful as ball bearings, because they are much less dense than other materials, which helps reduce centrifugal force and increase the maximum rotation speed. Ceramic bearings are smooth, hard, high tolerance, have less wear because of reduced friction, are nonconductive and in general have a longer operating life. Ceramics can be used in environmental applications to capture toxic materials and decrease pollution, or help with water purification. In the medical field, ceramics are used as bone and teeth replacements, as well as blood sugar sensors for diabetics. Trains in Japan use the Meissner effect with ceramic magnets to create levitation. With all these new developments and research, there is little that ceramics may not be used for in the future.

Ceramic Manufacturing and Ceramics Manufacturing Images Provided by T.Q. Abrasive Machining

Types of Industrial Ceramics

• Ceramic ball bearings are smooth, lightweight and high tolerance, leading to an increased maximum rotational speed.
  
• Ceramic bushings are extremely reliable and hardy, and are often made from alumina ceramics or Steatite.
  
• Ceramic coatings are, although expensive, able to give coated objects a life of up to 10 times longer.
  
• Ceramic composites are raw ceramics mixed with other materials to achieve desired properties. Ceramic composites can be significantly stronger and more resistant to damage.
  
• Ceramic insulators are used for a wide variety of applications, because of very good electrical conductivity.
  
• Ceramic machining involves the design and manufacture of ceramic precision components.
  
• Ceramic manufacturers are companies that make ceramic materials.
  
• Ceramic rods are solid, cylindrical ceramic products.
  
• Ceramic tubes are hollow, cylindrical ceramic products, often available with single or multiple bores.
  
• Ceramic washers are used for their high abrasion, temperature and corrosion resistance.
  

Ceramics Terms

Adsorption – The act of one material adhering to another. In the case of clay and water, water is held on the surface of clay by a loose bonding force.

Amorphous – A property meaning that something does not have a regular structure. Glass (www.glass-fabricators.com) is an example of an amorphous material, as a result of its being cooled too rapidly to form a crystalline structure.

Attribute – A characteristic of an object.

Bisque – Unglazed, fired clay.

Bloating – A distortion caused by moving gases when the firing process occurs too rapidly.

Blunging – A term for the mechanical mixing of clay slurry.

Ceramic Change – The point at which, during firing, the clay becomes ceramic.

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion – The measurement of the length change of ceramic materials under temperature change. Ceramics expand while heating and contract while cooling.

Deflocculation – The process of changing a thick clay slurry into a thinner, pourable substance by adding small amounts of liquid or powder to the mixture.

Devitrification – The crystallizing of a ceramic melt during cooling, which results in a “matte” finish.

Dunting – The cracking that results from a fired object being cooled too quickly.

Eutetic – The lowest temperature at which two materials will melt together.

Firing – The act of maturing the clay by heating inside a kiln.

Flocculation – A process that thickens liquid slurry into a gel in order to avoid drips and improve suspension.

Flux – A material that is added to a mix in order to lower the melting temperature of the whole.

Glaze – The liquid covering that is applied to bisque or greenware, which produces a hard, glassy surface.

Greenware – Clay objects that have not yet been fired.

Kiln – A high temperature furnace or oven, which is used to fire ceramics.

Maturity – The point at which ceramics have had the correct amount of firing.

Mold – A permanent form that is used to press clay into a shape in preparation for firing.

Porosity – A term for the amount of pores, or empty spaces, within a material.

Refractory – A material’s ability to endure heat without deforming.

Sintering – Heating clay to the point at which it will no longer break down when exposed to water.

Thermal Shock – The volume change in a material that results from a sudden shift in temperature.

Vitrification – The point during firing at which clay particles will turn into glassy melts, forming glass.