Answer:

CERAMIC materials are special because of their properties. They typically possess high MELTING points, low electrical and thermal CONDUCTIVITY values, and high comprehensive strengths. Also they are generally hard and brittle with very good chemical and thermal stability. Ceramic materials can be categorized as traditional ceramics and advanced ceramics. Ceramic materials like clay are categorized as traditional ceramics and normally they are made of clay, silica, and feldspar. As its name suggests, traditional ceramics are not supposed to meet rigid specific properties after their PRODUCTION, so cheap technologies are utilized for most of the production processes.

Traditional Ceramics

Ball clay, China clay, Feldspar, Silica, Dolomite, Talc, Calcite and Nepheline are the common materials used for most of the ceramic products. Each raw material contributes a certain property such as dry strength, plasticity, shrinkage, etc. to the ceramic body. Therefore, by careful selection of materials, desired properties are acquired for the final output. Powder preparation is a MAJOR consideration in the ceramic industry. Surface area, particle size and distribution, particle shape, density, etc. each have their own effect on production. Powder has to be prepared to meet required particle size, particle shape, and other requirements for a particular industry. Milling is done to get the desired particle size. Unlike in the ,advanced ceramics industry the purity of ceramic powder is not an issue in traditional ceramics.