Single-Course Engelsk 10 ECTS

Ceramic science and engineering

Overall Course Objectives

Ceramic materials and their continuous development have dramatically influenced our daily life. The perception of ceramics as pottery, dishes, bricks, tiles, glasses or cement has changed through the development of novel structural and functional ceramic materials that are gradually finding their way into advanced technological applications. These applications are as diverse as spark plugs, fibre optics, artificial joints, space shuttle tiles, race car brakes, micro-positioners, chemical sensors, self-lubricating bearings, body armor, gas separation membranes and solid oxide fuel/electrolysis cells, indicating the huge dependence of future technologies on advanced ceramic materials. If you want to contribute to the materials development for the green transition, you need to understand ceramic materials, both how they are made and how they perform.

Through lectures, group work and laboratory exercises as well as contact with industry, students will get an overview of advanced ceramic materials, including different applications, properties and structure of ceramic materials, and their production methods and characterization. The students will also get training in literature search and report writing. The completion of this course enables the students to select optimal ceramic materials with required properties, design a product and fabricate it using an appropriate method for a given application. Overall, this course will equip the engineering students with the necessary tools for their future career in industry, research or as decision makers.

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Describe the crystal structures of ceramic materials and their effect on properties
Analyze the phase diagrams of ceramic materials
Explain and calculate the physical, mechanical and functional properties of ceramic materials and relate them to crystal structure and microstructure
Select a ceramic material for an industrial application
Explain different methods for processing, forming and sintering of ceramics
Select and analyze ceramic processing methods and design a fabrication process for producing ceramic engineering components
Understand the use of electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, surface area measurements and thermal analysis for the characterization of ceramic materials
Assess safety of and perform a practical laboratory task on the sintering and characterization of ceramics

Properties of ceramic materials: physical, thermal, mechanical, electric, magnetic, chemical and optical. Phase diagrams (binary and ternary), crystal structures.
Treatment of ceramic powders. Shaping of ceramics: pressing, casting, plastic forming, additive manufacturing. Drying and sintering of ceramic bodies.
Characterization of ceramics: dilatometry, X-ray diffraction, thermal expansion (dilatometer), particle size and particle size distribution, measurement of strength, toughness and hardness, surface area (BET), porosimetry, optical microscopy, electron microscopy.
Toughening of ceramics. Design of ceramics. Fabrication and applications of ceramics from industry perspective (guest lectures from industry).

26000/26027/26026/10303/41681/41659/41650, Basic knowledge of chemistry, physics and materials science, for example one course from each of these groups of courses: (26000/26027/26026) and (10303/41681/41659/41650). Bachelor in Chemistry and Technology, Physics and Nanotechnology, General Engineering (Advanced Materials and Future Energy), Mechanical Engineering or similar bachelor programme

Lectures, plus case study work in groups that include presentations and laboratory exercise and a final report that all count towards the grade. Safety in the lab is part of the course.

Astri Bjørnetun Haugen

Andreas Kaiser

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Apurv Dash

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Minimum: 10, Maximum: 40.

Please be aware that this course has a minimum requirement for the number of participants needed, in order for it to be held. If these requirements are not met, then the course will not be held. Furthermore, there is a limited number of seats available. If there are too many applicants, a pool will be created for the remainder of the qualified applicants, and they will be selected at random. You will be informed 8 days before the start of the course, whether you have been allocated a spot.

See course in the course database.