Ceramics

When evaluating the suitability of a ceramic material for a particular application, it is first necessary to understand the requirements of the application. These requirements might typically be defined by the load that the material will experience, the stress distribution in the material, interface, frictional requirements, the chemical environment and range of temperatures that the material will experience, and restriction on the final cost of the materials. Usually, one or two material properties will dictate the choice of a material for a particular application.

Historically most ceramic designs have been developed by empirical, or trial-and-error investigation. Only since the advent of the digital computer has it been possible to predict the properties of a particular ceramic material prior to actually producing it.