8 WAYS CERAMIC IS USED IN MODERN, DAY-TO-DAY LIFE


Do you think you come into contact with ceramic in your day-to-day life? We’ve put together a list of 8 ways ceramic is used in modern life, the obvious and the not so obvious.

Take a read and you might just be surprised!

THE OBVIOUS

1. Tiles

Our roofs, bathrooms and kitchens are covered in ceramic tiles. Ceramic can be glazed with different colours and printed with any design, so tiles can be tailored to different people’s tastes. They are tough and easy to wipe clean once glazed which is perfect for use in the kitchen or bathroom!

2. Cookware
Majority of crockery and pots are made from ceramic. From unglazed to glazed, mortar and pestles to the mug that holds your tea, ceramic is a staple material in the kitchen. Ceramic knives have also become common, they are one of the hardest knives you can buy yet are extremely lightweight!

3. Brick


Our homes are made from brick and are held together by cement, both of which are types of ceramic. Without ceramic, what would we use instead to create the four walls of our homes?

4. Toilets


Sanitary ware such as toilets, sinks and bath tubs are made from ceramic. Ceramic can be glazed and fired so that it becomes non-porous, perfect for sanitary ware which gets used every day and is, of course, in contact with lots of water!

THE NOT-SO OBVIOUS

5. Space

NASA’s Space Shuttle had thousands of heat-resistant tiles protecting its exterior from overheating due to friction generated by Earth’s atmosphere. Future reusable space planes are expected to use a new, slimline ceramic material that will enable it to be both more aerodynamic and withstand temperatures up to 2400°C. Composite ceramics are also used to create the nose cones of spacecraft!

6. Cars
Ceramic can help to decrease pollution and capture toxic materials. Today’s catalytic converters are made with ceramic and help convert harmful fumes into non-toxic gases, therefore having a huge benefit on the environment. Ceramic components can be found in almost every aspect of a vehicle and are a major contributor to advances in hybrid and eco-friendly vehicles.

7. Artificial Bones and Teeth
Toughened ceramic is used in hip replacements and is designed to be porous so that it can stimulate natural bone growth around the artificial joint. You will also find ceramic fillings for your teeth where the ceramic is chemically bonded to your tooth making it extremely strong.

8. Electronic Devices


Televisions contain ceramic insulators, computers have silicon chips and the electric motors in your vacuum cleaner or blender are also made using ceramic!

Who would have thought that we would come across so much ceramic in modern life! Some people say that ceramic is an outdated material and it is often described as ‘old fashioned’. In reality, ceramic is the key to many of our new technologies and is used day to day by us all.

With ceramic, we have the capability to do things that we may only have dreamed of once. So next time you’re wondering what material would be good for your product, why not think ceramic?