since we are running out fast of natural resources such as iron could ceramics be used as a potential replacement since we have an almost unlimited supply and with advancing materials technology we could potentially use them for everything from cars to buildings or could we thats what and i wana know
That is a good answer, however, the shuttle tiles illustrate that great things can be done with ceramics, if we have sufficient motivation. Many of the newer super conductors are sort of ceramics, but brittle is a problem. A break though could mean up to half of the electrical copper is replaced by super conductors, as copper has been doubling in price every few years, and aluminum has several annoying problems. True, ceramics are metal compounds, but most of those metals are not competing with steel for structural, for several reasons. Running out fast is relative not in this century, but prices adjusted for inflation have doubled in recent years, perhaps mostly due to NIMBY not in my back yard, but large scale ceramic manufacturing may not be a desirable neighbor either. Over the next few centuries, ceramics may replace 90% of present steel, wood, plastic, and drywall calcium sulphate applications, if for no other reason than improved fire safety. Neil
No, ceramics are brittle. So if you made, for example, an automobile out of ceramics then it would just shatter, the same as a ceramic dinner plate if you roll it down a steep hill. Brick buildings are already made from brick, which is pretty much a ceramic. Ceramics are made from metal oxides in any case, so they do not conserve metals, they just use up different metals. Advancing materials technology has given us a machinable ceramic called Mycor, but it is still brittle.
