Ceramics are defined as products made from inorganic materials having non-metallic properties, usually processed at a high temperature at some time during their manufacture.
The word "ceramics" comes from the Greek word "Keramos" meaning "Pottery," "Potter's Clay," or "a Potter." This Greek word is related to an old Sanskrit root meaning "to burn" but was primarily used to mean "burnt stuff."
The technical definition of ceramics encompasses a much greater variety of products than is normally realized. To most people, the word ceramics means dinnerware, figureines, vases, and other objects of ceramic art.
The majority of ceramic products not generally recognized as such are much more recent in development and are, in general, utilitarian rather than aesthetic. Examples are bathtubs, washbowls, sinks, electrical insulating devices, water and sewerage pipes, bricks, hollow tile, glazed building tile, floor and wall tile, earthenware, porcelain enamel and glass.
Ceramic products have a number of outstanding properties which determine their usefulness. One of the most unusual of these is their great durability. This durability can be divided into three types: chemical, mechanical and thermal.
Chemical Durability
The high chemical durability of the great majority of ceramic products makes them resistant to almost all acids, alkalies, and organic solvents. Of further importance is the fact that ceramic materials are not affected by oxygen. The materials generally contained in the ceramic products have already combined with all of the oxygen for which they have an affinity, and therefore, are not affected further by the presence of oxygen in their environment.
Mechanical Durability
The mechanical durability of ceramics is evidenced by their strength and hardness. The compressive strengths of ceramic materials are extremely high, normally 50,000 to 100,000 lbs/sq. in. This hardness makes ceramic materials very resistant to abrasion. It is this property which makes them useful for floors, and for the grinding of metals and other materials.
Thermal Durability
Most ceramics have the ability to withstand high temperatures. This is why they are useful in the production of all types of heat-containing equipment such as kilns for the ceramic industry, and such products as the inner linings of fireplaces and home heating furnaces.