Ceramics exhibit good strength under compression; however, they exhibit virtually no ductility under tension.

Ceramics家族包括polycrystalline and single-crystal inorganic materials, inorganic glasses, and glass-ceramics.

Classification

一般我們不以chemical compounds分類，而是以major function分類。

• electrical
• magnetic
• optical
• automotive
• mechanical/structural
• biomedical
• construction
• others
• chemical
• domestic

Structure

有amorphous但主要是crystalline:

• Sodium chloride
• Diamond cubic
• Cubic zincblende(ZnS) (sphalerite)
• Fluorite(CaF2)
• Hexagonal zincblende(ZnS) (wurtzite)

Applications (重點)

• Alumina (Al2O3)
• Diamond (C)
• Silica (SiO2)
• Silicon carbide (SiC)
• Silicon nitride (Si3N4)
• Titanium dioxide (TiO2)
• Zirconia (ZrO2)

Bonding

Ceramics由primary bonds組成，這些bonds主要是ionic or covalent還有少量的metallic bonding.
A large amount of thermal energy must be provided to cause atoms or ions to separate to larger interatomic or interionic distances, thereby leading to melting.
High melting point materials also tend to have high elastic moduli (彈性模量), meaning that the bonds are stiff (high stiffness).
Materials that have predominantly ionic or covalent bonds lack free electrons to conduct electricity.所以它是good thermal insulators.
例外就是diamond, since diamond has extraordinarily stiff bonds that efficiently transport heat.