The Magic of Ceramics

What do the following things have in common: the space shuttle, cosmetics, color TVs, concrete, and kayaks? Ceramics! All these items are made of or include ceramics, the most common and diverse of all materials - yet most of us would be surprised at its variety of uses. You will be amazed by how ceramics make possible such diverse products as cellular phones, many of your favorite sporting goods, radio, television, and lasers. You will be surprised by how ceramics are used in medicine for cancer treatments and restoring hearing, in our cars, and even in some cosmetics. This book introduces readers to the many exciting applications of ceramics. By using simplified technical explanations, it answers the question: How do ceramics improve your everyday life? It describes how the ceramic material functions, and why it is superior to other materials, while teaching key scientific concepts like atomic structure, color, and the electromagnetic spectrum.

There's so much you probably don't know about ceramics. . .

Ceramics are amazing materials! Without ceramics, we wouldn't have television, laptop computers, wireless communications, the Internet, computer-generated movie scenes, the Space Shuttle, or even cars. Reading this book, you'll discover not only some of the magic that ceramics can do, you'll also come to understand the fascinating science that makes that magic happen.

You'll learn how ceramics interact with light to make lasers possible; how ceramics that are stronger than steel can be used for bulletproof armor; how magnetic ceramics played a key role in building the first computers; and how a new field of bioceramics has recently emerged, promising new medical breakthroughs.

This Second Edition of The Magic of Ceramics brings the book fully up to date with new developments in the field, such as major advances in pollution control, energy harvesting and conversion, digital electronics, medicine, and nanotechnology. Be sure to read the final chapter, which not only discusses the most recent breakthroughs in ceramics, but also provides a glimpse into its future.

Did you know?

• Ceramics can be so strong that a one-inch diameter ceramic cable can lift fifty cars
• Some ceramics conduct electricity better than metals
• Ceramic automotive emission control systems have reduced pollution by billions of tons
• The key to treating liver cancer may be ceramics
• Ceramic fiberglass house insulation has saved more than 30 quadrillion BTUs of heat

Look inside the book and discover even more incredible things you probably never realized that ceramics could do.