ABSTRACT
Many inorganic materials, including cements and ceramics, are made from dispersions that are subsequently dried, reacted, or fired in a furnace. The final structure of such materials depends on the state of dispersion of the solid particles and also on flocculation, which can occur during drying or reaction. This chapter demonstrates the connection between dispersion and strength of inorganic cements and ceramics. First, the theory of strength of these brittle materials is outlined. The chapter describes the experiments on hydraulic cements, showing how strength has been raised by an order of magnitude through improved dispersion. It is demonstrated that similar considerations apply to ceramics, which can be strengthened considerably through extra dispersion. Cracks weaken inorganic materials enormously. Dispersion has a substantial effect on the strength of inorganic materials such as cement and ceramic. This is explained theoretically through the Griffith equation, which shows that the strength of brittle materials decreases rapidly as the length of flaws is increased.
