ABSTRACT
Another boundary condition to be satised is the denition of an “engineering ceramic.” In general, this would eliminate ceramic artware and other ceramic end items such as tableware and sanitary ware. However, engineering ceramics would include such things as building bricks-and other clay-based materials of construction-abrasives, refractories, glass, and cement, the latter two are already excluded. However, modern engineering ceramics are used for a number of applications where their unique properties are critical for the development of a device, component, or system. ese applications are not exclusively structural where only the mechanical properties are important, which is usually the case for metals. Other properties of interest include thermal insulation, thermal conduction, electric insulation, electronic conduction, ionic conduction, optical transmission, and magnetic behavior. Table 19.1 lists a number of ceramic materials, their applications, and the properties of interest for these applications. ese are the materials whose stability or degradation is of greatest interest today.
