The cutting edge of engineering ceramic research is evolving rapidly, leading into new fields far beyond the conventional image of ceramics. Careful tailoring of micro- and nano-structures, in particular, is yielding superior mechanical and chemical properties, such as high hardness, high strength, good heat/corrosion resistance and good tribological properties. Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters CPCI-S (WoS). This special collection comprises papers from researchers working in the fields of ceramics and composites and thus provides an opportunity for the cross-pollination of knowledge and experience in interdisciplinary fields of materials science and engineering. Intensive discussions were held on the topics of silicon carbide and composites, nitride ceramics, the mechanical properties of ceramics, the sintering of ceramics, ceramics coating and the processing of functional ceramics. This work constitutes an invaluable handbook guide to a rapidly evolving subject.

Table of Contents:
Committee Members and Preface Silicon Carbide and Composites Microstructure and Properties of Three Phase Carbon and Ceramic Matrix Composites Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Joints in Sintered SiC Fiber-Bonded Ceramics New Technology with Porous Materials; Progress in the Development of the Diesel Vehicle Business Oxidation Behavior of ZrB2-15vol.%SiC at an Oxygen Partial Pressure of 57 Pa Joining of SiC by Tape-Cast SiC-Al2O3-Y2O3 Interlayer Friction Surface Damage of Carbon-Fibre Reinforced Carbon-Silicon Carbide Composites (Cf/C-SiC) The Machinability of 3D-C/SiC Composites The SH – Synthesis of Ceramic Based on Titanium Carbide and Silicon Carbide Composite Materials Nitride Ceramics Silicon Nitride Grain Boundary Glasses: Chemistry, Structure and Properties The Effect of Heat-Treatment on Thermal Conductivity of Silicon Nitride Ceramics Fabrication and Microstructure of Electrically Conductive AlN with High Thermal Conductivity Analyses of Microstructure and Oxygen Content Effects on Thermal Conductivity of AlN Ceramics by Using Slack’s Plot Fabrication of Silicon Nitride-Based Nano/Nano-Composite Slip Casting of α-Sialon/AlN/BN Powder Carbothermally Prepared by Boron-Rich Slag-Based Mixture Mechanical Properties of Ceramics Impact Fracture Behavior of Ceramics and PE-Fiber-Reinforced Mortars Grain-Boundary Segregation and Phase-Separation Mechanism in Yttria-Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystal Strengthening Mechanism of High-Strength Reaction-Sintered Silicon Carbide Young’s Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio of Liquid Phase-Sintered Silicon Carbide Mechanical Properties of Alumina Matrix Composites due to a Combination of Sr- and Ca-Hexaluminates Sintering of Ceramics Grain Size Effect in the Electrical Properties of Nanostructured Functional Oxides through Pressure Modification of the Spark Plasma Sintering Method Sintering of Silicon Carbide Ceramics with Co-Addition of Gadrinium Oxide and Silica and their Mechanical Properties Densification, Phases, Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of Liquid Phase-Sintered SiC WC/Ti Composite Material Enriched with CBN Particles Produced by Pulse Plasma Sintering (PPS) Fabrication of Transparent La2Zr2O7 by Reactive Spark Plasma Sintering Ceramics Coating Environmental Barrier Coatings for Silicon Nitride Optical and Tribological Properties of Silicon Carbide Thin Films Grown by Reactive DC Magnetron Sputtering Characterization of Thermal Properties of Micro-Sized Ceramic Powders for APS Deposition of Ceramic Layers Optimization of Alumina Slurry Properties and Drying Conditions in the Spray Drying Process and Characterization of Corresponding Coating Fabricated by Atmospheric Plasma Spray Fabrication of AlN/Al2O3 Coatings via Atmospheric Reactive Plasma Nitriding of Al2O3 Powders Effect of NH3 Atmosphere on Preparation of Al2O3-AlN Composite Film by Laser CVD Fabrication and Evaluation of Arrayed Needle-Like TiO2 Particle – Transparent Resin Composite Films Ternary Phase Relation on Preparation of YBa2Cu3O7-δ Films by Laser CVD Preparation of α-Al2O3/TiN Multilayer Coating on Ti(C,N)-Based Cermet by Laser CVD Processing of Functional Ceramics Microelectronics Package Design Using Experimentally-Validated Modeling and Simulation Hydroxyapatite Nano-Barium-Strontium-Titaniumoxide Composites Microwave-Accelerated Curing of Cement-Based Materials: Compressive Strength and Maturity Modeling Influence of Curing Age on Microstructure in Barium Titanate – Portland Cement Composites Optimisation of the Ceramic Phase for Ceramizable Silicone Rubber Based Composites – Microstructural Aspect Hybrid, Nano-Structurized Materials of Special Purpose on the Basis of Silicon Dioxide SHS – Synthesis of Ceramic Composite Materials on the Base of Zirconium Compounds Comparison of Recession Behavior between Lu2Si2O7 and Lu2SiO5 by High Speed Steam Jet at High Temperatures