Introduction to Ceramic Science

An Introduction to Ceramic Science covers the principles of ceramic science, the physicochemical system, and atomic mechanisms of ceramics. This book is organized into eight chapters and begins with a study of atoms and the way in which they bond together to form crystalline solids. This topic is followed by a geometrical description of the structures of some crystals of particular importance in ceramics and some of the features of the elementary classical theory of ionic crystals. The following chapter presents the principles of the thermodynamic and phase diagram approaches to study phase equilibrium in ceramics. A chapter is devoted to the microstructure and porosity of ceramics. The discussion then shifts to several atomic movements in dense ceramics, such as diffusion, nucleation, and grain growth. The concluding chapters examine the mechanical properties and densification processes in ceramics. This book is of great value to ceramists, scientists, researchers, and undergraduate students who are interested in improving ceramic materials for particular applications.