Ceramic Engineering

Define/ what is Ceramic Engineering – the branch of engineering concerned with the development and production of ceramics for industrial use. Or

Ceramic engineers are specialized materials engineers who work with ceramics, which are nonmetallic, inorganic materials that are processed at high temperatures. Glass, porcelain, brick, and cement are all examples of ceramics. Ceramic engineers develop new ceramic products as well as methods and equipment for processing ceramic materials. They work with a wide variety of products, ranging from glassware and electronic components to nuclear reactors and linings for blast furnaces and jet engines.

Details of Ceramic Engineering

• Ceramic engineering could be called the smooth operator of the engineering world. It is almost impossible to avoid the advance of ceramics in your daily life
• Computer chips, fiber optics, joint replacements, CDs, DVDs, VCRs, video games, watches, snow skis, phone lines, space shuttle tiles, safety glass windshields, dental restoration, bone implants, medical electronic equipment, airbag sensors, spark plugs, piston rings, bricks, cement, missiles, capacitors, resistors, electronic components, TV components, magnets, laser communications, lab equipment, bathroom sinks, kitchen appliances... all these and more depend on ceramics and the advances of the ceramic engineer
• Ceramic is a cutting-edge, low-cost material with unique properties that make it a dream come true for scientists and engineers
• The space shuttle is a wonderful example of a cutting edge, high-temperature ceramic application. The entire shuttle is covered with ceramic tiles that protect the aluminum shell. The tiles can withstand temperatures of 1400° Celsius (C) that are prevalent at the nose of the shuttle as it exits or enters the atmosphere. If the tiles were not present, the aluminum shell would melt at 660° C. There could be no moon landing, no space study without ceramic materials.
• Ceramic engineers look for different uses for ceramics, create new ceramic products, and design processes for making ceramics.
• They take raw materials such as clay and sand and convert them into usable, useful products.
• They use the periodic table to combine different elements that create new materials for specific applications such as increasing or decreasing the electrical, magnetic, or thermal properties.

• Some Attributes of Technical Ceramics are:
  • Extreme High Temperature Stability
  • Low Thermal Expansion
  • Hard Wear Resistant Surfaces
  • Electrical Insulation
  • Thermal Insulation
  • Corrosion Resistance
  • Light Weight to Strength Ratios
  Streams/Branches of Ceramic Engineering
• Thermodynamics,

• Ceramic Processing,
• Whiteware Technology,
• Physical,  advanced and bio- Ceramics,
• Glass Technology,
• Pollution & Waste Management in Ceramic Industry,
• Polymer Chemistry

 

The specializations in Ceramic Engineering includes the areas like

Skill requirement for Ceramic Engineering

• Active listening, reading comprehension, critical thinking, Research skills, Report writing skills, active learning, complex problem solving, Judgment and decision making,  operations analysis, time management

Career in Ceramic Engineering

• Ceramic Engineers are employed in industries producing glass, cement, porcelain, enamel refractories, iron and steel and in industries manufacturing special ceramics for power and nuclear energy projects, aerospace, R & D laboratories and defence establishments.
• Ceramic engineers design and develop products which range from a flower vase to the ceramic nose cone for a missile.
• Ceramic engineers deal with the study of the properties, manufacture, design and applications of ceramic materials.
Research: Ceramic technologists find new applications to replace existing products. The study and application of chemical and thermal interactions of oxides (which make ceramics) is the major area of research.
Design: Ceramic engineers design machinery and tools used in the production process and they design ceramic products.
Production: They specialise in the technological developments for improvement of production processes, or in specific materials such as glass for working in industries engaged in manufacture of tableware, fibre optics, bulbs, windowpanes and electronic ancillaries. Highly demanding specialisation is for the electronics sector for manufacturing integrated circuits, sensors etc
Testing: The raw material and samples prepared for production are tested for quality by engineers in testing laboratories.
Sales: They also work in sales for understanding customer needs for projecting these requirements to guide further research.
Ceramic Artists: Ceramic artists are artisans with a different and unique medium of expression. Ceramic artists work with ceramic materials and produce creative artefacts in porcelain, clay, tiles etc. From painting to producing interesting design items is their forte. Their work is then displayed in galleries and exhibit centers. Ceramic artists can freelance and also work with ceramic factories and designers.

Followings are some of the employers in this field:

Advanced Systems Laboratory, Hyderabad, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, (BARC) Mumbai, Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences, Mumbai, Defence Research Development Laboratory, Hyderabad, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Bangalore, Ordnance Factory, Medak

On the Job

• Develop improved heat tiles to protect the space shuttle and the future supersonic space plane from the searing heat of reentry into the earth’s atmosphere.
• Produce ceramic teeth, bones, and joints to replace parts of the human body or improve advanced medical equipment to continue research in the war against disease Help make innovative, ultra-fast computer systems using ceramic superconductors, lasers, and glass optical fibers.
• Develop materials to enclose and support aircraft engines that run at high temperatures.
  
• Improve fiber optic cables that allow doctors to see inside the human body and permit the human voice to travel thousands of miles under the ocean without distortion.
• Discover new ways to use ceramics to build highways and bridges, or to carry water and waste to treatment plants.

Courses

Under Graduate

• BE. Ceramic  Engineering
• B.Tech Ceramic Engineering

Postgraduate

• ME Ceramic Technology
• M.Tech Ceramic Engineering

Diploma

Certificate Course

Colleges

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