Editing Ceramic (section)

==Applications==
[[File:CeramicKnife1.jpg|thumb|right|Kitchen knife with a ceramic blade]]
[[File:Qimei watch on Zulu strap.jpg|thumb|Technical ceramic used as a durable top material on a [[Diving watch#Bezel markings|diving watch bezel insert]]]]

# Knife blades''':''' the blade of a [[ceramic knife]] will stay sharp for much longer than that of a steel knife, although it is more brittle and susceptible to breakage.
# [[Disk brake|Carbon-ceramic brake disks]] for vehicles: highly resistant to [[brake fade]] at high temperatures.
# Advanced [[Composite armor|composite ceramic and metal matrices]] have been designed for most modern [[armoured fighting vehicles]] because they offer superior penetrating resistance against [[shaped charge]] ([[High-explosive anti-tank|HEAT]] rounds) and [[kinetic energy penetrator]]s.
# Ceramics such as [[alumina]] and [[boron carbide]] have been used as plates in [[bulletproof vest|ballistic armored vests]] to repel high-velocity [[rifle]] fire. Such plates are known commonly as [[Small Arms Protective Insert|small arms protective insert]]s, or SAPIs. Similar low-weight material is used to protect the [[Cockpit (aviation)|cockpits]] of some military aircraft.
#Ceramic [[ball bearing]]s can be used in place of steel. Their greater hardness results in lower susceptibility to wear. Ceramic bearings typically last triple the lifetime of steel bearings. They deform less than steel under load, resulting in less contact with the bearing retainer walls and lower friction. In very high-speed applications, heat from [[friction]] causes more problems for metal bearings than ceramic bearings. Ceramics are chemically resistant to corrosion and are preferred for environments where steel bearings would rust. In some applications their electricity-insulating properties are advantageous. Drawbacks to ceramic bearings include significantly higher cost, susceptibility to damage under shock loads, and the potential to wear steel parts due to ceramics' greater hardness.
# In the early 1980s [[Toyota]] researched production of an [[adiabatic]] [[internal combustion engine|engine]] using ceramic components in the hot gas area. The use of ceramics would have allowed temperatures exceeding 1650&nbsp;°C. Advantages would include lighter materials and a smaller cooling system (or no cooling system at all), leading to major weight reduction. The expected increase of [[fuel efficiency]] (due to higher operating temperatures, demonstrated in [[Carnot heat engine|Carnot's]] theorem) could not be verified experimentally. It was found that heat transfer on the hot ceramic cylinder wall was greater than the heat transfer to a cooler metal wall. This is because the cooler gas film on a metal surface acts as a [[thermal insulator]]. Thus, despite the desirable properties of ceramics, prohibitive production costs and limited advantages have prevented widespread ceramic engine component adoption. In addition, small imperfections in ceramic material along with low [[fracture toughness]] can lead to cracking and potentially dangerous equipment failure. Such engines are possible experimentally, but mass production is not feasible with current technology. {{Citation needed|date=July 2009|reason=Where are any other references to Toyota's work?}}
# Experiments with ceramic parts for [[gas turbine]] [[heat engine|engines]] are being conducted. Currently, even blades made of [[superalloy|advanced metal alloys]] used in the engines' hot section require cooling and careful monitoring of operating temperatures. Turbine engines made with ceramics could operate more efficiently, providing for greater range and payload.
# Recent advances have been made in ceramics which include [[bioceramic]]s such as dental implants and synthetic bones. [[Hydroxyapatite]], the major mineral component of bone, has been made synthetically from several biological and chemical components and can be formed into ceramic materials. Orthopedic implants coated with these materials bond readily to bone and other tissues in the body without rejection or inflammatory reaction. They are of great interest for gene delivery and [[tissue engineering]] scaffolding. Most hydroxyapatite ceramics are quite porous and lack mechanical strength and are therefore used solely to coat metal orthopedic devices to aid in forming a bond to bone or as bone fillers. They are also used as fillers for orthopedic plastic screws to aid in reducing inflammation and increase the absorption of these plastic materials. Work is being done to make strong, fully dense nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite ceramic materials for orthopedic weight bearing devices, replacing foreign metal and plastic orthopedic materials with a synthetic but naturally occurring bone mineral. Ultimately, these ceramic materials may be used as bone replacement, or with the incorporation of protein [[collagen]]s, the manufacture of synthetic bones.
# Applications for actinide-containing ceramic materials include nuclear fuels for burning excess plutonium (Pu), or a chemically inert source of alpha radiation in power supplies for uncrewed space vehicles or microelectronic devices. Use and disposal of radioactive actinides require immobilization in a durable host material. Long half-life radionuclides such as actinide are immobilized using chemically durable crystalline materials based on polycrystalline ceramics and large single crystals.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1142/p652 |title=Crystalline Materials for Actinide Immobilisation |series=Materials for Engineering |date=2010 |volume=1 |isbn=978-1-84816-418-5 }}{{page needed|date=October 2021}}</ref>
# High-tech ceramics are used for producing watch cases. The material is valued by watchmakers for its light weight, scratch resistance, durability, and smooth touch. [[International Watch Company|IWC]] is one of the brands that pioneered the use of ceramic in watchmaking.<ref>{{cite web|title=Watch Case Materials Explained: Ceramic|url=http://www.ablogtowatch.com/watch-case-materials-explained-ceramic/|website=aBlogtoWatch|date=18 April 2012|access-date=8 March 2017|archive-date=8 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308141620/http://www.ablogtowatch.com/watch-case-materials-explained-ceramic/|url-status=live}}</ref>
#Ceramics are used in the design of mobile phone bodies due to their high hardness, resistance to scratches, and ability to dissipate heat.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.samaterials.com/content/what-is-the-material-of-your-phone-body.html |title=What is the Material of Your Phone Body? |last=Trento |first=Chin |website=Stanford Advanced Materials |date=Dec 27, 2023 |access-date=June 21, 2024}}</ref> Ceramic's thermal management properties help in maintaining optimal device temperatures during heavy use enhancing performance. Additionally, ceramic materials can support [[wireless charging]]<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.23919/IPEC-Himeji2022-ECCE53331.2022.9806898 |chapter=Feasibility Study on Wireless Power Transfer for AUV with Novel Pressure-Resistant Ceramic Materials |title=2022 International Power Electronics Conference (IPEC-Himeji 2022- ECCE Asia) |date=2022 |last1=Wen |first1=Haibing |last2=Li |first2=Jiayuan |last3=Yang |first3=Lei |last4=Tong |first4=Xiangqian |pages=182–185 |isbn=978-4-8868-6425-3 }}</ref> and offer better signal transmission compared to metals, which can interfere with [[Antenna (radio)|antennas]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ceramics.org/wp-content/bulletin/December-issues/Bulletin_December-2018_smartphones.pdf |title=Smart Materials Make Smartphone |last=Gocha |first=April |website=The American Ceramic Society |date=2018 |access-date=June 21, 2024}}</ref> Companies like [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] and [[Samsung]] have incorporated ceramic in their devices.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.samsung.com/sg/support/mobile-devices/what-are-the-new-design-features-on-samsung-galaxy-s10-series/ |title=What are the new design features on Samsung Galaxy S10? |website=Samsung |date=Aug 3, 2022 |access-date=June 21, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/iphone-12-protected-by-ceramic-shield-glass/ |title=iPhone 12's display is protected by 'ceramic shield' glass |last=Keane |first=Sean |website=CNET |date=Oct 13, 2020 |access-date=June 21, 2024}}</ref>
#Ceramics made of [[Silicon Carbide|silicon carbide]] are used in [[pump]] and valve components because of their [[corrosion]] resistance characteristics.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Boecker |first1=Wolfgang |last2=Kruener |first2=Hartmut |title=Superconductors, Surfaces and Superlattices |publisher=Elsevier |editor-last=Sakaki |editor-first=H. |chapter=Silicon Carbide and Silicon Nitride Ceramics for High Performance Structural Applications: Development Status and Potential |date=1994 |pages=865–973 |isbn=9781483283821}}</ref> It is also used in [[nuclear reactors]] as fuel cladding materials due to their ability to withstand [[radiation]] and [[thermal stress]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Deng |first1=Yangbin |last2=Qiu |first2=Bowen |date=2020 |title=Research on performance enhancement of nuclear fuel with SiC cladding by using high thermal conductivity fuels |journal=Progress in Nuclear Energy |volume=124 |doi=10.1016/j.pnucene.2020.103330}}</ref> Other uses of Silicon carbide ceramics include paper manufacturing, [[ballistics]], chemical production, and as pipe system components.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.preciseceramic.com/blog/why-is-silicon-carbide-used-in-semiconductors.html |title=Why is Silicon Carbide Used in Semiconductors |last=Ross |first=Lisa |access-date=June 27, 2024}}</ref>