Recent advances in nanotechnology have paved the way for the development of new smart materials. The term "smart ceramics" refers to ceramic materials fabricated from ultrafine particles. They have attracted the attention of researchers and scientists thanks to their potential to manipulate the length scale in the nanorange, leading to better and some unusual material properties. Smart ceramics ensure control of particle size, surface contamination, and degree of agglomeration. They play a crucial role in challenging applications such as bone surgery (e.g., the development of substitutes for load-bearing bone parts) and in biomedical science, especially in tissue engineering, dental applications, and drug and antigen delivery using modified ceramics. Porous nanostructured ceramics have potential use in both simple and complex applications, such as bioimaging, sensors, paints and pigments, optics, and electronics, because of their surface- and size-dependent properties. For the synthesis of smart ceramics, the sol-gel route has been mainly utilized because of its ability to produce a large variety of compositions and to ensure homogeneous mixing of the constituent particles at low temperature. This book describes the innovations in technologies through the development of functionalized ceramic materials for various applications. It also describes recent and expected challenges, along with their potential solutions, in advanced techniques for the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured ceramics and their composites: bioceramics, bioactive ceramics, multifunctional nanoceramics, transparent ceramics, nanocore shells, nanowires, thin films, nanotubes, and nanorods. The applications include the environment, health care, electrochemical sensors, high-temperature superconductors, nuclear reactor fuels, electrical insulators, refractory materials, electrical transformers, and magnetic core memory. The book will benefit researchers, scientists, engineers, and technologists working in the industry and in national and international research laboratories; academics who are interested in traditional and advanced smart ceramic composites; and students pursuing their postgraduate, graduate, and undergraduate degrees in smart ceramics, nanomaterials, nanoscience, and engineering.

Recent advances in nanotechnology have paved the way for the development of new smart materials. The term "smart ceramics" refers to ceramic materials fabricated from ultrafine particles. They have attracted the attention of researchers and scientists thanks to their potential to manipulate the length scale in the nanorange, leading to better and some unusual material properties. Smart ceramics ensure control of particle size, surface contamination, and degree of agglomeration. They play a crucial role in challenging applications such as bone surgery (e.g., the development of substitutes for load-bearing bone parts) and in biomedical science, especially in tissue engineering, dental applications, and drug and antigen delivery using modified ceramics. Porous nanostructured ceramics have potential use in both simple and complex applications, such as bioimaging, sensors, paints and pigments, optics, and electronics, because of their surface- and size-dependent properties. For the synthesis of smart ceramics, the sol-gel route has been mainly utilized because of its ability to produce a large variety of compositions and to ensure homogeneous mixing of the constituent particles at low temperature. This book describes the innovations in technologies through the development of functionalized ceramic materials for various applications. It also describes recent and expected challenges, along with their potential solutions, in advanced techniques for the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured ceramics and their composites: bioceramics, bioactive ceramics, multifunctional nanoceramics, transparent ceramics, nanocore shells, nanowires, thin films, nanotubes, and nanorods. The applications include the environment, health care, electrochemical sensors, high-temperature superconductors, nuclear reactor fuels, electrical insulators, refractory materials, electrical transformers, and magnetic core memory. The book will benefit researchers, scientists, engineers, and technologists working in the industry and in national and international research laboratories; academics who are interested in traditional and advanced smart ceramic composites; and students pursuing their postgraduate, graduate, and undergraduate degrees in smart ceramics, nanomaterials, nanoscience, and engineering.

Explores State-of-the-Art Work from the World's Foremost Scientists, Engineers, Educators, and Practitioners in the FieldWhy use smart materials?Since most smart materials do not add mass, engineers can endow structures with built-in responses to a myriad of contingencies. In their various forms, these materials can adapt to their environments by c

Advanced Flexible Ceramics: Design, Properties, Manufacturing, and Emerging Applications provides detailed information on the properties and applications of advanced flexible ceramics. Sections cover materials dependent flexible behavior, microstructure and phases, the operational life of ceramics, how flexible materials can influence smart behavior (shape memory and self-healing), and thermal, physical, mechanical, electrical and optical properties. Various processing routes such as powder metallurgy, both physical and chemical vapor deposition, sol-gel, 3D print, and roll-to-roll processing are also explained in detail. The later section of the book provides detailed coverage of emerging technological applications. Additional chapters cover cost-effectiveness and the global market and recycling and future challenges and perspectives. This will be an essential reference resource for academic and industrial researchers working in the fields of refractory linings, high-temperature equipment, shielding, and MEMS/NEMS. - Covers a new class of flexible ceramic materials for advanced technological applications - Discusses a broad range of topics, including characterization, synthesis, microstructure and properties - Provides advanced technological aspects such as applications, manufacturing processes, industrial assessments and economics

One of the fascinating aspects of the field of ferroelectric ceramics is its interdisciplinary nature. This aspect is also a source of difficulty for the people working in the field. In a successful team of ferroelectricians the physics theoretician must understand the sintering technologist, the electrical engineer has to communicate with the crystallographer, the organic chemist will interact with the microelectronics engineer, the electron microscopist should collaborate with the systems engineer. It was the purpose of the summer school on ferroelectric ceramics that took place at the Centro Stefano Franscini (ETHZ), Monte VeritA, Ascona, Switzerland, in September 1991 to help to build bridges between people from the different disciplines and to draw for them, in the form of tutorial lectures, some of the different facets of ferroelectrics. The book is a written version of this summer school. It contains the following subjects: ferroelectric materials, physics of ferroelectrics, thin films, processing of ferroelectrics and their applications. It represents a cross section of topics of current interest. Materials are presented (L. E. Cross) from the point of view of the user, i. e. the tailoring of materials for specific applications. Two reviews address the important topic of ferroelectric domains and domain walls (I. Fousek and H. Schmid). In the part devoted to theory, three subjects of current interest are presented: phase transition in thin films (D. R. Tilley), weak ferroelectrics (A. K. Tagantsev) and dielectric losses (A. K. Tagantsev).

The development, processing, and applications of smart materials presents many challenges, including performance correlations to the nature of their reinforcement and the sustainability of such materials through their recyclability, durability, and reparability. Experts have identified the challenge of achieving sustainable development and in this book highlight how smart materials can provide a solution to the problem. It emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of smart materials and their potential for enhancing product functionalities and capabilities in different sectors, including the biomedical, pharmaceutical, aerospace, construction, automotive, and food industries. Modeling, Characterization, and Processing of Smart Materials proposes a comprehensive guide to addressing the challenges associated with smart materials, including the need for optimization and sustainability, and provides various nature-inspired algorithms, computational and simulation approaches, and artificial intelligence-based strategies for developing innovative smart materials. It also presents potential solutions for the limitations of smart materials and emphasizes the role of Industry 4.0 in maintaining their sustainability. Overall, this book offers a valuable problem-solution perspective on the development and applications of smart materials, making it an essential reference guide for academic researchers and industrial engineers in the fields of material science, chemical engineering, and environmental engineering.

Papers from The American Ceramic Society's 31st International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, held in Daytona Beach, Florida, January 21-26, 2007. Topics include processing and manufacturing technologies for a wide variety of non-oxide and oxide based structural ceramics, particulate and fiber reinforced composites, and multifunctional materials. Presents advances in various processing and manufacturing technologies for fine scale MLCCs, transparent ceramics, electronic ceramics, solid oxide fuel cells, and armor ceramics.