Ceramic

Ceramic is the name for some materials that are formed by the use of heat. The word ceramic comes from the Greek word κεραμικός (keramikos). Chemically, it is an inorganic compound of metal, non-metal or metalloid atoms held together by chemical bonds.

Ceramics are commonly made by hand or by using a pottery wheel.

Up to the 1950s or so, the most important were the traditional clays, made into pottery, bricks, tiles and the like, also cements and glass. Clay-based ceramics are described in the article on pottery. A composite material of ceramic and metal is known as cermet.

The word ceramic can be an adjective, and can also be used as a noun to refer to a ceramic material, or a product of ceramic manufacture. Ceramics may also be used as a singular noun referring to the art of making things out of ceramic materials. The technology of manufacturing and usage of ceramic materials is part of the field of ceramic engineering.

Many clay-based ceramic materials are hard, porous, and brittle. The study and development of ceramics includes methods to deal with these characteristics, to accentuate the strengths of the materials and investigate novel applications.^[1]

1. ↑ "Ceramic Tile and Stone Standards". Archived from the original on 2009-01-18. Retrieved 2008-10-27.