ABSTRACT
For many centuries ceramics were admired for their stability at elevated temperatures, chemical and abrasion resistance, and dimensional stability. So it is no surprise that initial applications for ceramics in the electrical sphere, now designated electroceramics, were viewed primarily from the perspective of their insulating or dielectric properties. Applications such as high-voltage standoffs, capacitors, spark plugs, and the like followed naturally. In recent decades, however, this picture of ceramics has changed rapidly. It has now become evident that ceramics exhibit the full spectrum of electrical properties spanning the gap from superconducting to insulating electronic conductors and from fast ionic to insulating ionic conductors. In many cases, it is the unique combination of desired electrical properties together with the characteristic stability of ceramics that renders them the obvious choice for many technological applications.
