The Magic of Ceramics

Most people would be surprised at how ceramics are used, from creating cellular phones, radio, television, and lasers to its role in medicine for cancer treatments and restoring hearing. The Magic of Ceramics introduces the nontechnical reader to the many exciting applications of ceramics, describing how ceramic material functions, while teaching key scientific concepts like atomic structure, color, and the electromagnetic spectrum. With many illustrations from corporations on the ways in which ceramics make advanced products possible, the Second Edition also addresses the newest areas in ceramics, such as nanotechnology.

Preface & Acknowledgments for the First Edition vii Preface & Acknowledgments for the Second Edition ix Foreword to the First Edition, by Bonnie J. Dunbar, Ph.D. xi Introduction xiii 1 Our Constant Companions 2 2 From Pottery to the Space Shuttle 14 3 The Beauty of Ceramics 34 4 Ceramics and Light 56 5 Amazing Strength 80 6 Ceramics and the Electronics Age 108 7 Piezo Power 132 8 Medical Miracles 148 9 Ceramics and the Modern Automobile 170 10 Heat Beaters 186 11 The Hardest Materials in the Universe 208 12 Energy Conservation and Conversion Efficiency 228 13 From Pollution Control to Zero Pollution 252 14 What’s New and What’s Coming 270 Conclusion 291