10.3.3 Ceramics, Polymers & Composites

Ceramics and Composites

• Glass Ceramics:

• The most commonly used glass is soda-lime glass, which is made from a mixture of sand, sodium carbonate, and limestone. This type of glass is suitable for everyday uses, such as drinking glasses, mirrors, or windows.

• For applications requiring higher temperature resistance, borosilicate glass is used. It is made from sand and boron trioxide and has a higher melting point than soda-lime glass. Both types of glass are produced by heating the components to a high temperature until they melt together.

  

• Clay Ceramics:

  • Products like bricks or pottery are made by shaping wet clay into the desired form and then heating it to high temperatures in a kiln.

• Composites are materials made by combining two or more different substances. Typically, one material acts as a matrix or binder, surrounding and supporting fibres of the other material, which is called the reinforcement. The combination of these materials results in a composite that has different properties from its individual components.

  • Reinforced Concrete:
  • A common composite material used in construction is reinforced concrete. It is made by pouring cement around rods of steel or iron. The steel rods reinforce the concrete, adding strength, while the cement allows the structure to remain flexible.

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Polymers

• Thermosetting Polymers:
  • Do not soften when heated.
  • They contain monomers that form cross-links between polymer chains, making the material more rigid.
• Thermosoftening Polymers:
  • These polymers do not have cross-links and, as a result, they are less rigid and melt upon heating.