ABSTRACT
Ceramic materials are difficult and expensive to machine due to their high hardness and brittle nature. Machining must be done carefully to avoid brittle fracture of the component. Most ceramics cannot be successfully machined with the type of cutting tools used for metal because these tools are either not hard enough to cut the ceramic or because they apply too great a local tensile load and cause fracture. The tool must have a higher hardness than the ceramic being machined and must be of a configuration that removes surface stock without overstressing the component.
