Ceramics
Science: KS3, topic 2.1.25
Ceramics
Ceramics are inorganic (not carbon-based) materials. Ceramics are non-metallic solids (not metals). Here are some examples of ceramics:
Pottery and bricks
- Pottery and bricks are made from clay.
- Wet clay is shaped and then heated in a furnace to become hard.
- This process produces a hard clay ceramic.
Glass
- Most glass we use is soda-lime glass.
- Soda-lime glass is made by mixing limestone, sodium carbonate, and sand. The mix must be, then, heated.
- Another important type of glass is borosilicate glass, also known as Pyrex.
- Pyrex is made by mixing sand and boron trioxide. The mix must be heated to a higher temperature than the temperature used to create soda-lime glass.
- Pyrex is often used for chemical glassware like test tubes and kitchenware.
Test yourself on Ceramics
Examples of ceramics
A solid material has no metal in it, but it is made from carbon-based compounds. Is this material a ceramic?