Ceramics are inorganic compounds consisting of nonmetals processed at high temperatures. Ceramic materials are more abundant than metals and are widely used because of their excellent mechanical properties and low cost. The term ‘ceramic’ comes from the Greek word for pottery, which is one type of ceramic material. However, many other types of materials are also considered ceramics, such as glass, concrete, brick, and porcelain.
Ceramics are key materials used by many industries because their raw materials are abundant in nature and so are readily available. These materials include feldspar, silica, and alumina. Another significant advantage is that the energy required to extract and process ceramic materials is less than that required to obtain steel. This makes ceramics less expensive to extract and process.