ceramicos

Introduction

CERAMICS ARE MORE THAN
CLAY ALONE

Ceramics are more than clay alone

Introduction

CERAMICS ARE MORE
THAN
CLAY ALONE
Paul Bormans

CAMBRIDGE INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE PUBLISHING

Ceramics are more than clay alone

Published by
Cambridge International Science Publishing
7 Meadow Walk, Great Abington, Cambridge CB1 6AZ, UK
http://www.cisp-publishing.comFirst published 2004

© Paul Bormans
© Cambridge International Science Publishing

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher

British LibraryCataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British
Library

ISBN 1 898326 7 70

Translated from the Dutch by Sis Achten

Introduction

About the Author
Paul H.W. Bormans was born in 1945 in Hengelo, Netherlands.
After his education in chemistry at the University of Nijmegen,
Netherlands, he became a teacher at a school for laboratorypersonel. His extensive interest in natural sciences resulted
in a number of books about mineralogy and the environment.
In the years 1980–1985 he worked on the integration of natural
sciences in his school. He started to teach ceramics at the
department material technology of his school. The basis of
his teaching materials is the scope of this book.
The Dutch manuscript was translatedin English by his
colleague F. Achten.

Ceramics are more than clay alone

Introduction

Preface
In this preface I would like to reflect on the aspects which played
a part in creating this book.
In 1964 I embarked on my chemistry studies. Apparently the subjects ‘inorganic chemistry’ and ‘crystallography’ had most appeal for
me during my education, because some years later Ibecame interested in geology and mineralogy as a hobby. The earlier mentioned
specialities stood me in good stead here (or were they the cause of
my interest ?) and my hobby developed into a large collection of silicate
minerals.
After graduating I started to teach at a laboratory school where I
have been employed ever since. At the beginning of the eighties Dutch
trade and industry wereof the opinion that materials science ought
to be introduced into laboratory education. Since ceramics are mainly
based on inorganic compounds and silicates play a major role here,
I gladly volunteered to teach this subject. I enthusiastically threw
myself into ceramics and have since written a lot of instructional material
from a multidisciplinary approach. This means that ceramicscan only
be studied successfully by students with an interest in natural sciences, varying from the geology of the formation of raw materials
to the use of ceramics implants in man and animals, with an extensive
range of applications and specialities in between.
My spheres of interest and my disposition to teach natural sciences
as a whole comprising of related subjects were my maininspirations
for writing this book. An interest in ceramics and a readiness to gain
more knowledge of other specialities are important prerequisites in
order to successfully utilize it.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the companies and people who contributed either in the form of literature,
photographs or texts. Special thanks go to my colleague Sis Achten
fortranslating my Dutch text into the English language.

Paul Bormans
Susteren, The Netherlands

Ceramics are more than clay alone

Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................... 1

2

History and Future of Ceramics ................................ 4

2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
2.5
2.6
2.7

INTRODUCTION...