ceram

Ceram is a term used to describe ceramic materials and products, spanning traditional pottery wares to modern engineering ceramics. The word comes from the Greek keramos, meaning pottery or burnt earth. In practice, ceram can refer to inorganic, non-metallic solids formed through mineral or synthetic compounds and processed by shaping, drying, and high-temperature treatment. There is no single global standard definition, but ceramics are typically categorized into traditional ceramics (pottery, bricks, tiles) and advanced ceramics (engineered materials such as alumina, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, zirconia).

Raw materials include clays (kaolin, ball clay), feldspars, silica, and alumina. Forming methods: hand shaping, slip casting, pressing, extrusion, or casting; after shaping, bodies may be dried, glazed, and fired in a kiln at temperatures ranging from about 900 to over 1700 degrees Celsius, depending on composition. Advanced ceramics use procedures such as sintering and sometimes hot isostatic pressing to densify materials.

Properties: ceramics are hard, wear- and heat-resistant, chemically stable, often electrical insulators; many have high melting points and low densities. However they are brittle and sensitive to flaws; thermal shock resistance varies; processing and firing can be costly.

Applications: construction materials such as bricks and tiles; tableware; sanitaryware; electrical components; biomedical implants; cutting tools; aerospace and automotive components; catalysts.

Sustainability: energy use in firing and mining; waste management; some ceramics are designed to be durable and long-lasting; recycling streams exist for certain items.