This handbook presents an authoritative account of the potential of advanced ceramics and composites in strategic applications, including defense, national security, aerospace, and energy security (especially nuclear energy). It highlights how their unique combination of superior properties such as low density, high strength, high elastic modulus, high hardness, high temperature capability, and excellent chemical and environmental stability are optimized in technologies within these fields. The handbook is organized according to application type. It allows readers to learn about strategies that have been used in different fields and to transfer them to their own. The book addresses a wide variety of ceramics and their composites, including PZT ceramics, carbon nanotubes, aerogels, silica radomes, relaxor ferroelectrics, and many others.

Examines the latest processing and fabrication methods There is increasing interest in the application of advanced ceramic materials in diverse areas such as transportation, energy, environmental protection and remediation, communications, health, and aerospace. This book guides readers through a broad selection of key processing techniques for ceramics and their composites, enabling them to manufacture ceramic products and components with the properties needed for various industrial applications. With chapters contributed by internationally recognized experts in the field of ceramics, the book includes traditional fabrication routes as well as new and emerging approaches in order to meet the increasing demand for more reliable ceramic materials. Ceramics and Composites Processing Methods is divided into three sections: * Densification, covering the fundamentals and practice of sintering, pulsed electric current sintering, and viscous phase silicate processing * Chemical Methods, examining colloidal methods, sol-gel, gel casting, polymer processing, chemical vapor deposition, chemical vapor infiltration, reactive melt infiltration, and combustion synthesis * Physical Methods, including directional solidification, solid free-form fabrication, microwave processing, electrophoretic deposition, and plasma spraying Each chapter focuses on a particular processing method or approach. Collectively, these chapters offer readers comprehensive, state-of-the-science information on the many approaches, techniques, and methods for the processing and fabrication of advanced ceramics and ceramic composites. With its coverage of the latest processing methods, Ceramics and Composites Processing Methods is recommended for researchers and students in ceramics, materials science, structural materials, biomedical engineering, and nanotechnology.

This book covers the area of advanced ceramic composites broadly, providing important introductory chapters to fundamentals, processing, and applications of advanced ceramic composites. Within each section, specific topics covered highlight the state of the art research within one of the above sections. The organization of the book is designed to provide easy understanding by students as well as professionals interested in advanced ceramic composites. The various sections discuss fundamentals of nature and characteristics of ceramics, processing of ceramics, processing and properties of toughened ceramics, high temperature ceramics, nanoceramics and nanoceramic composites, and bioceramics and biocomposites.

The investigation of multi-component complex systems composed of oxides, nitrides, and carbides has intensified in the last few years. Phase Diagrams in Advanced Ceramics reviews some of the recent advances inthe understanding of these composite systems, providing insight into how phase diagrams can be utilized in the fabrication of whiskers and ceramic-matrix whisker-reinforced ceramics. Phase relations and sintering information is reviewed for transparent polycrystalline oxides. Phase diagrams are discussed to predict alkali oxide corrosion of alumino-silicate references. - Understanding the development, manufacture, and use of complex, multi-component ceramic materials composed of silicon nitride-metal oxides-nitride-carbide systems - Development and use of whisker and whisker-reinforced ceramics composed of materials such as alumina, silicon-nitride, silicon carbide, and directly solidified eutectic ceramics - Application of phase diagrams to the production of advanced composites such as alumina-matrix, zirconium diboride and titanium, hafnium, zirconium, carbides, and borides - Phase chemistry in the development of transparent poly-crystal and oxides, including yttria, alumina, and magnesium aluminate - Improvements concerning the knowledge of complex multi-component materials composed of oxides, nitrides, and carbides, and knowledge of how to fabricate composite materials containing whiskers and ceramic hosts - New developments in making transparent ceramic materials

Presenting modern advances in the machining of ceramics and composites, this work offers broadly based, fundamental information for selecting the appropriate machining processes and parameters, developing successful manufacturing strategies, and designing novel machining systems. It focuses on scientific and engineering developments affecting the present and future of machining processes.

This valuable handbook has been compiled by internationally renowned researchers in the field. Each chapter is focused on a specific composite system or a class of composites, presenting a detailed description of processing, properties, and applications.

In order to enable an affordable, sustainable, fossil-free future energy supply, research activities on relevant materials and related technologies have been intensified in recent years, Advanced Ceramics for Energy Conversion and Storage describes the current state-of-the-art concerning materials, properties, processes, and specific applications. Academic and industrial researchers, materials scientists, and engineers will be able to get a broad overview of the use of ceramics in energy applications, while at the same time become acquainted with the most recent developments in the field. With chapters written by recognized experts working in their respective fields the book is a valuable reference source covering the following application areas: ceramic materials and coatings for gas turbines; heat storage and exchange materials for solar thermal energy; ceramics for nuclear energy; ceramics for energy harvesting (thermoelectrics, piezoelectrics, and sunlight conversion); ceramic gas separation membranes; solid oxide fuel cells and electrolysers; and electrochemical storage in battery cells. Advanced Ceramics for Energy Conversion and Storage offers a sound base for understanding the complex requirements related to the technological fields and the ceramic materials that make them possible. The book is also suitable for people with a solid base in materials science and engineering that want to specialize in ceramics. - Presents an extensive overview of ceramic materials involved in energy conversion and storage - Updates on the tremendous progress that has been achieved in recent years - Showcases authors at the forefront of their fields, including results from the huge amount of published data - Provides a list of requirements for the materials used for each energy technology - Includes an evaluation and comparison of materials available, including their structure, properties and performance