ABSTRACT
The selection of a material and a fabrication process for a component for an engineering application is governed by a variety of factors, not just the material properties. The first step in the design of a ceramic component or any other component is to clearly define and prioritize the requirements of the application. For new applications, design requirements will either have to be assumed based on the best estimates of service conditions, estimated by analogy with similar applications, determined experimentally, or predicted analytically. The second step in the design of a ceramic component is to compare the properties of candidate ceramic materials with the requirements of the application. Some materials may clearly satisfy the property requirements so that no measurements are necessary. Cost is an important design consideration and must be concurrently evaluated with other factors such as property, fabrication, and reliability requirements.
