Classification of Engineering Ceramics

The engineering ceramics are typically classified into the following groups:
(i) Ionic Ceramics like ZrO₂, MgO and Al₂O₃
(ii) Covalent Ceramics like SiC
(iii) Amorphous ceramics based on Silica chains like Silicate Glasses

Ionic Ceramics:

Basic Crystal Structures are either simple cubic, BCC or FCC along with the interstitial holes filled up by the metallic ions.

Covalent Ceramics:

Strongest among the ceramics. Typically the structure is very much similar to Diamond having every second atom replaced by Silicon.

Silicate Glasses:

These are similar to Polymeric glasses, where the silica chains form networks without any long range order.