Dictionary of Ceramic Science and Engineering

391 Pages·1994·9.417 MB·English

by  Ian J. McColm (auth.)

Dictionary of
Ceramic Science
and Engineering
SECOND EDITION
Dictionary of
Ceramic Science
and Engineering
SECOND EDITION
Ian J. McColm
University of Bradford
West Yorkshire, England
Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
McColm, I. J.
Dictionary of ceramic science and engineering 1 Ian J. McColm.-2nd cd.
p. CDl.
Filst edition was written by Loren S. O'Bannon.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4419-3235-8 ISBN 978-1-4757-2321-2 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4757-2321-2
1. Ceramics-Dictionaries. I. O'Bannon, wran S., date. Dictionary of ceramic sci
ence and engineering. II. Title.
TP788.M38 1994 93-26152
666'.03--dc20 CIP
ISBN 978-1-4419-3235-8
© 1994, 1984 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Originally published by Plenum Press, New York in 1994
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1994
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,
recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher
To David, Tom, and Julia
who have never been short of words
Preface
Ceramics always was a broad field and now as the Like my predecessor I have provided only defini
boundaries continue to expand it is one of the truly tions. No effort has been made to include pronuncia
interdisciplinary areas. This publication, in its re tion, derivations, or syllabication of entries. A large
vised form, must reflect this. The trend is toward number of acronyms and abbreviations have been
more utilization of ceramics as integrated materials included. The text is in fact somewhat hybrid because
together with polymers, metals, and other ceramics, many of the entries appear similar to those in an
for both structural and electronic applications. Thus, encyclopedia while struggling to remain concise.
new fabrication technology is providing the new Reemphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of mod
vocabulary of this growth; areas like thin-film proc em ceramics, and the varied backgrounds of those
essing, sol-gel techniques, as used by the electronics who are interested in or work in the industry, striking
industry; fiber forming, weaving, and ultrahigh vac a balance between the many allied disciplines con
uum and temperature methods must be included in a tributing to ceramics and the hope of being compre
glossary of vocabulary purporting to deal with ce hensive but yet concise has been a difficult task. I
ramics and their science. have learned much on the way as I first revised the
The excellent basis oft he original O'Bannon diction original work and then combed a wide range of
ary has been retained containing as it does the emphasis technical and scientific journals, textbooks, trade
on traditional ceramic areas. In order to limit the expan papers, and other glossaries. It is my sincere hope that
sion oft he text some oft he cross-referenced entries have I have built well on the sure foundation of Dr. O'Ban
been removed or reduced; for example, various clays non and that this will be a reference text used by those
are listed under their preceding adjective, e.g., ball clay, active in the ceramics industry from boardroom to
fat clay, etc., once and not again as: clay, ball, etc. A broom cupboard, to scientists and technologists in
more concentrated effort has been made to include industry worldwide, and of course to students whom
important aspects of the vocabulary of materials sci I have always sought to serve.
ence, testing methods, and the high-earning areas of My deep thanks go to Miss M. Cobb, Mr. D.
magnetic, electrical, and electronic ceramics exampled Mistry, and Miss L. Collins who have enthusiasti
by the explosion of interest in the field of high-tempera cally and devotedly typed and prepared the text.
ture superconductors which depend for their develop Their questions provided me with interest and in
ment and exploitation on the science and technology of sights.
ceramics.
In order to cross the many boundaries of modem
ceramics this new dictionary encourages only the use I. J. McColm
of SI units but original O'Bannon tables are retained Professor of Ceramic Materials
in the Appendix. University of Bradford
Bradford, England
vii
Contents
Dictionary ............................................................. .
Appendix .............................................................. 365
Table A.I. Basic SI Units ............................................. 365
Table A.2. Prefixes for Units of Measure ................................. 365
Table A3. Acceptable Metric SI Units ................................... 366
Table A4. Conversion from English/American to Metric Units 367
Table A5. Conversion from Metric to English/American Units 368
Table A6. Capacitor Color Code ....................................... 369
Table A7. Resistor Color Code ...................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 370
Table A8. Chemical Elements ......................................... 371
Table A9. Temperature-Conversion Table ................................ 372
Table AlD. Weights and Measures: Metric System ......................... 373
Table A.lI. Weights and Measures: United States System ................... 374
Table A12. Weights and Measures: Comparison of the Metric and U.S.
Systems ....................................................... 375
Table Al3. Weights and Measures: Comparison ofthe Metric and U.S.
Systems (continued) ......................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 376
Table A14. Conversion Table for Volumes and Weights .................... 377
Table AlS. End Points of Orton Pyrometric Cones ......................... 378
Table A16. Some Factors for Calculating Properties of Glass Composition. . . . .. 379
Table A.17. Ceramic Colors ........................................... 380
ix
CONTENTS x
Table A.l8. Weight and Approximate Thickness of Sheet Steel United States
Standard Gauge for Sheet and Plate Steel ................. . . . . . . . . . . .. 382
Bibliography ........................................................... 383
Dictionary of
Ceramic Science
and Engineering
SECOND EDITION
A
A. Symbol used for angstrom unit. abopon. A viscous liquid sodium borophosphate com
plex used in porcelain-enamels and glazes as a suspen
aa. A volcanic rock found in angular blocks witb a very sion agent and binder.
rough surface formed from molten lava.
ABR. Abbreviation for abrasive.
abampere. The cgs unit of current; equivalent to 10
amperes. It is tbe constant current that, when flowing Abrams's law. The strengtb of a concrete or mortar, with
through two parallel straight infinitely long conductors given concrete materials and conditions of tests, is
1 cm apart, will produce a force between them of2 dyne governed by the quantity of mixing water employed, so
cm-t• long as the mix is of workable plasticity; it may be
calculated by the equation S = AIBr, in which S is tbe
strength, and A and B are constants, and r is the water
Abbe value. A number designating the dispersion of
to-cement ratio of the compacted cement.
light waves by an optical glass, expressed as the recip
rocal dispersive power oftbe glass by tbe equation v =
abrasion. The wearing, grinding, or rubbing away of tbe
(nD - 1) (/IF - nc)' in which v is tbe Abbe value, nD is
surface of a solid by friction induced by moving solids,
tbe index of refraction of tbe glass for tbe sodium line
liquids, or gases.
at 589.3 nm, and nF and nc are the indices for tbe
hydrogen lines at 486.1 and 656.3 nm, respectively.
abrasion hardness. The relative hardness of a solid sub
Also known as Abbe number, nu value, and constrin
stance in terms of its capacity to scratch or abrade
gence.
another solid material or itself be scratched or abraded.
See also Brinell test, Knoop hardness, Mohs hardness,
abherent. A coating which prevents surfaces from ad
Rockwell hardness, Vickers hardness.
hering to each otber. Such materials are also known as
release agents or abhesives.
abrasion resistance. A measure of the ability of a mate
rial to resist wear by friction. Samples may be evaluated
ab initio. Calculations, often of molecular structure,
on the basis of loss in weight, loss of gloss, or by tbe
made from first principles witbout empirical data. For
degree of permanence of discoloration when a lead
solid state calculations this usually involves the pencil, dye, or fine powder of constrasting color is
SchrOdinger equation and the method of self-consistent
drawn or rubbed across tbe abraded area.
fields.
abrasion tester. A laboratory device, usually provided
ablation. The process of wearing or wasting away of the with a scouring, cascading, or jet-propelled abrasive
surface of an object by erosion, melting, evaporation, acting on tbe surface of a solid, employed in the evalu
or vaporization. ation of tbe abrasion-resistant properties of tbe surface.
See Kessler abrasion tester, Tabor abrader.
ablative generation. The production of acoustic emis
sion by rapid vaporization of surface material by tbe abrasion-wear index. The comparative degree of wear
recoil force of laser pulses impinging on the surface. on the surface of a solid material produced by constant
test conditions.
ablative material. A body or a coating of low thermal
conductivity, such as a ceramic or a glass-reinforced abrasive. Any substance which, by virtue of its hardness
plastic, from which the surface layer is removed by a or other property, is used for grinding, cutting, or pol
pyrolytic process, tbereby resulting in the absorption or ishing, such as diamond, silicon carbide, alumina, sand,
dissipation of heat from a substrate. ceria, rouge, etc.
1
ABRASIVE BELT 2
abrasive belt. A band or endless loop of cloth, paper, absolute zero. Temperature characterized by the com
leather, or sheet of other flexible substance to which an plete absence of heat, or at which all particles whose
abrasive product has been bonded for use in grinding motions constitute heat cease to move: believed to be
and polishing operations. equivalent to -273.16°C.
abrasive cloth. A strong, usually pliable fabric or cloth absorbency. The ability of a fluid material to penetrate
to which an abrasive has been bonded, and which is used into another material; specified as the weight of fluid
in manual or mechanical grinding and polishing opera absorbed to the weight or volume of the dry specimen.
tions.
absorption. The process in which fluid molecules are
abrasive cone. A solid, cone-shaped, bonded abrasive
taken up by, and distributed through, a solid or another
product mounted on a spindle for use in high-speed liquid.
grinding and machining operations.
absorption characteristics. A combination of factors
abrasive disk, bonded. See bonded abrasive disk.
affecting the ability of a ceramic to absorb infrared
radiation, e.g., crystal structure, reflectivity, and trans
abrasive disk, coated. See coated abrasive disk.
missivity.
abrasive-jet cleaning. The process of removing dirt and
soil from a solid surface by the impingement of an absorption coefficient. A parameter, J.l, characteristic of
abrasive-bearing stream of liquid or gas on the surface the interaction of a beam of radiation with the matter
of the solid. under investigation. 1= loe-lU, where I is the beam
intensity measured at a distance x inside the matter.
abrasive,levigated. See levigated abrasive.
absorption-dye, test. See dye-absorption test.
abrasive machining. The technique of forming or shap
ing a solid item by grinding, drilling, or some similar absorption rate. The amount of water absorbed by a
mechanical process. brick or other body during partial or complete immer
sion for a specified period, usually 1 minute; expressed
abrasive, mild. See mild abrasive. in grams per unit of time for a sample of specified size.
abrasive paper. A paper sheet of high tear strength to absorption ratio. The ratio of the weight of water ab
which an abrasive has been glued; used in grinding and sorbed by a masonry unit during immersion in cold
polishing operations; sandpaper and emery paper are water to the weight absorbed during immersion in boil
examples. ing water for an equivalent period of time. See absorp
tion test (2).
abrasive sand. A sharp-grained sand, usually graded to
a mesh size, used as an abrasive. absorption test. (1) See dye-absorption test. (2) A test in
which a body is immersed in a selected or specified
abrasive tumbling. A process to improve the surface
solution for a designated time and temperature, and the
finish or to deburr solid materials by tumbling in a
ratio of the weight of solution absorbed to the weight or
rotating cylinder containing abrasive particles.
the volume of the dry specimen is reported as the
abrasive wheel. A grinding wheel or disk composed of absorbency of the body.
an abrasive grit and an appropriate bonding material
absorption, x-ray. See x-ray absorption.
used for the grinding, polishing, shaping, or cutting of
a solid surface.
absorptivity. The fraction of the incident radiant energy,
absolute density. The weight of a unit volume of a pore at a given wavelength, absorbed by a unit area of
free substance under specified conditions of pressure surface. A black body has absorptivity of unity. If the
and temperature. absorptivity varies with wavelength, the surface is
termed colored.
absolute electric constant. EO; a constant in Coulomb's
Law when it is expressed in SI units; value 8.854 x abutment. The portion of a structure which receives the
10-12 farad m-I. Also known as the absolute permittiv thrust or pressure of the arch in a furnace or kiln, and
ity of free space. which generally consists of a skewback brick and steel
support.
absolute humidity. The weight of water vapor contained
in a unit volume of air. AlC. Abbreviation for asbestos cement.
absolute specific gravity. The ratio of the weight of a ac. Abbreviation for alternating current.
given volume of a substance in a vacuum at a given
temperature to the weight of an equal volume of water acacia gum. A water-soluble gum derived from various
in a vacuum at the given temperature. acacia plants which is used as a binder in porcelain
enamel and glaze slips; also known as gum arabic, gum
absolute temperature. Thermodynamic temperature. Senegal, and gum Kordofan.
Temperature measured from absolute zero on an ac
cepted scale of temperature measurement, such as the accelerated-service life. The elapsed time required to
Celsius (Kelvin) or the Fahrenheit (Rankine) scale. reach the end point in a service test conducted under