- The current book consists of twenty-four chapters divided into three sections. Section I includes fourteen chapters in electric and magnetic ceramics which deal with modern specific research on dielectrics and their applications, on nanodielectrics, on piezoceramics, on glass ceramics with para-, anti- or ferro-electric active phases, of varistors ceramics and magnetic ceramics. Section II includes seven chapters in bioceramics which include review information and research results/data on biocompatibility, on medical applications of alumina, zirconia, silicon nitride, ZrO2, bioglass, apatite-wollastonite glass ceramic and b-tri-calcium phosphate. Section III includes three chapters in applications of ceramics in environmental improvement and protection, in water cleaning, in metal bearing wastes stabilization and in utilization of wastes from ceramic industry in concrete and concrete products.
- Ceramic materials research is currently increasing as ceramics entail a quickly expanding field due to the vast range of both traditional and special applications in accordance to their characteristics and properties. Electric and magnetic ceramics, bioceramics and ceramics related to the improvement of environmental parameters, consist important areas of research demonstrating high potential and particularly great interest. Research in these fields requires combined knowledge from several scientific fields of study (engineering, physical sciences, biology, chemistry, medicine) rendering them highly interdisciplinary. Consequently, for optimal research progress and results, close communication and collaboration of various differently trained researchers such as medical doctors, bioscientists, chemists, physicists and engineers (chemical, mechanical, electrical) is vital. Some of today’s most interesting research topics in the electric and magnetic ceramics, included in this volume, are covered by discussing studies on: Ba(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 and BaTiO3 ceramics prepared by spark plasma sintering targeting to the fabrication of lead-free piezoelectrics; the influence of Sr and Zr content on the dielectric properties of (Ba1-xSrx)(Ti0.5Zr0.5)O3 ceramics; the influence of various dopants and manufacturing parameters on properties; integrated piezoceramics as a base of intelligent actuators; the ceramic based intelligent piezoelectric energy harvesting devices and of ultrasonic piezoelectric ceramic power transducers. Additionally several other studies are discussed like, the studies of advanced PMN-PT ferroelectric systems and of modern types of hexaferrites in connection to their applications in agriculture, medicine, computer engineering, telecommunication and television. Also, the studies of relaxor dielectrics, of the dielectics anomalies at high temperatures, of the properties of polymer based nanodielectrics and those of glass ceramics with para, anti or ferroelectric active phases, are developed in this book. The studies on structural, morphological, magnetotransport and thermal properties of antimony substituted (La,Pr)2/3Ba1/3Mn1-xSbxO3 perovskite manganites and of metal oxide ZnO-based varistor ceramics used to protect circuits against excessive voltages are also discussed. Ceramics are now commonly used in the medical fields giving rise to the category of ceramics termed “bioceramics”. Bioceramics and bioglasses are ceramic materials that are biocompatible, non-toxic and non-inflammation causing.