StopLearnStopLearnClay exists naturally in many parts of the world. When it is wet, it can easily be molded into different shapes and sizes. We use clay to mould various objects like storage pots, cooking pots and dishes.
We use mud to construct support for cooking pots, to build houses and also to make bricks for building houses. We make cement blocks that we use for building houses by mixing sand and cement to get typical shape. All the above solid objects made from clay, mud or cement are called ceramics.
Ceramics break easily when dropped. We say they are brittle; this differentiates ceramics from metals, plastics, wood and rubber. Ceramics are less dense than most metals. They have high melting points.
They are a very large group and have very wide uses such as:
1. Refractory ceramics (high temperature bricks) for furnaces and flue linings.
2. Tiles, such as roof tiles, glazed and unglazed floor and wall tiles, including white tiles.
3. Sanitary fittings of all kinds usually known as white ware
4. Common brick to high grade engineering brick used for the construction of machinery bases. Basically, they are of:
(a) Structural clay products, including common bricks and sewer bricks. These products are dried and fired for strength after being made from a mixture of clay and shale.
(b) White ware, commonly applied to glazed and unglazed sanitary ware, floor tiles, wall tiles, and ceramics for electrical purposes for low and high voltage.
(c) Refractories are ceramics that can withstand very high temperatures and some other conditions such as abrasion and chemical shock. They are made from fired clay and are used for such purposes as furnace linings and flues.
Ceramic materials are classified based on the types of materials used in making them. They are;
(i) The clay materials: These include: objects like age pot, dishes, and cups.
(ii) The mud materials: These are used to construct support for king pots, make bricks for building houses.
(iii) The cement materials: These are mixture of cement, sand and water for molding blocks use for building houses.
(i) They are brittle: They can easily break into pieces.
(ii) They can easily be molded.
(iii) They can withstand very high temperature.
(iv) They have resistance to heat.
(v) They are malleable when mixed with water.
(vi) They are resistance to corrosion.
(vii) They have high melting point.
EVALUATION
Glass is made from inorganic materials. That is, they are not dug from the ground.
(i) They are brittle: They can easily break into pieces.
(ii) They are transparent: You can see through them.
(iii) Resistant to corrosion: It does not corrode.
(i) Glass is used in making window materials.
(ii) Glass is used in making mirrors, eye sunglasses, household materials such as wall clock, etc.
EVALUATION
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