Oxidation and Corrosion of Ceramics

This chapter focuses on the oxidation and corrosion of ceramics that is becoming increasingly important as these materials are being used more widely in technological applications. It talks about the degradation of non-oxide ceramics that oxidize to form silica, alumina, boria, hafnia, and zirconia. The chapter discusses many of the technologically important materials. It is important to understand the correct degradation mechanism that is operative in order to predict material behavior. The intrinsic properties of the material, such as crystallographic orientation, impurity levels, and second phases that affect material degradation, should be understood. Finally, the dependence of degradation rates on the application environment, including ultrahigh-temperature, total pressure, reactive gas partial pressures, gas velocities, and impurities in the application environment, should be considered in order to successfully predict the materials' behavior.