This unit is designed to provide the student with a basic knowledge of ceramic materials and glasses. Ceramics are by far the most abundant man-made materials. The objective is to provide a general overview of this third major class of solid materials (the first two being metals and polymers), from their development to their use. The physical characterisation and properties of these materials are recalled as well as the specific elaboration techniques such as sintering. The behaviour of technical ceramics for thermomechanical use is discussed, with particular emphasis on their fracture behaviour and the Weilbull statistical model for predicting fatigue and creep life at high temperatures.

At the end of this course you will be able:

• To know and define the materials constituting the third great class of materials, their modes of manufacture and their fields of application.
• To understand the physical origin of the macroscopic characteristics of these materials.
• To dimension des ceramic parts for mechanical applications according to the type of stress and their environment.

Knowledge of materials (properties, alloys, microstructures, interatomic bonds, crystallography, defects), mechanical behaviour of materials (elasticity, ductile-fragile transition, fatigue, creep) and basic mathematics (elementary statistical calculation, simple integrations).

1ère session : Examen écrit
 
2ème session : Examen écrit