Types of ceramics
Types of ceramics - Definition of tableware types for table & kitchen
Preface
The origin of this knowledge of ceramics finds its origin in the German language. In the course of the decades of our work with this material, and especially during working with producers and customers in other languages, we had to learn that apparently fixed technical terms of the ceramics doctrine of the German language cannot - or not completely - be translated into other languages. As it seems, it may be due to the long history of German porcelain that in other countries and their languages the fine difference of terms, i.e. especially of qualities, cannot be translated exactly the same way, because there these kinds of fine definitions simply do not exist.
In our translations we therefore try to explain the fine definitions of the different types of material in the best possible way.
General definition of the term ceramics
The layman usually understands "ceramics" to mean goods that have been pottered by hand. However, this usage of the word is not fully accurate. Ceramics is the technical and scientific term for a general group of goods that includes all types of ceramic materials that are shaped and fired by heat from inorganic, non-metallic and clay mineral raw materials (see picture above) or using clay or kaolin.
Shaping is achieved by rolling, jiggering, screwing, overmoulding, modelling, casting, pressing, isostatic pressing or punching, depending on the type of mass and the shape of the piece to be produced. After a drying process, the mass is fired or annealed and sinters to the solid "shard". In the English language the term "ceramics" or "chinaware" is also used.
Ceramics are usually formed from a raw mass at room temperature and obtain their typical material properties by a sintering process at high temperatures. Through the effect of heat (firing), earthenware then becomes "sintered ware". In contrast, the term "ceramics" also includes glass, enamel, glass-ceramic and inorganic binders (cement, lime, plaster). The ceramics industry in Germany is divided into coarse and fine ceramics depending on the grain structure of the massecuite. The "Hausner" definition is based on the structure of the body, i.e. also on the grain structure. The limit lies at grain sizes of about 0.1 to 0.2 mm. If the components of the microstructure are smaller than 0.1 mm, i.e. are no longer visible to the naked eye, the term fine ceramics is used in German, regardless of the material.
The origin of the term "ceramics
We find two very different explanations of the origin of the term "ceramics" in the technical literature. Version 1: The word "ceramics" comes from the Greek language. There we find the word "Kerameus", translated it means "potter". It is probably one of the oldest job titles at all and surely the main reason why in general usage "ceramics" is only understood as the actual pottery. Version 2: Originally the word "Keramos" was the name for the drinking horn. Later it was used for all drinking vessels and finally became the name for all pottery. It thus also became the occupational title for the potter - in ancient Athens, the district where the potters lived was therefore also called Kerameikos.
The ceramic species
In the group of ceramics, the following types can be distinguished technically correct as follows:
Coarse ceramics
Low-fired ceramic (650 - 1,190 °C)
- Sound
- Pipes
- Bricks
- Clinker
- Terracotta
Fine Ceramics
Fired ceramic (1,200 - 1,290 °C)
- Earthenware (Earthenware)
- Majolica
- Faience
- Stoneware
- Porcelain stoneware
- Durable China
- Diamond China
- Dynamite China
- Magnesium Porcelain
- New Bone
- China Fine
- China High
- Fine bone
- Ivory China
- Luxor Cream
- Bone china
- Soft Porcelain
- Viterous Porcelain
- Viterous China
- Viterous Chinaware
Porcelain
High-quality - highly fired ceramics (1,320 - 1,450 °C)
Technical ceramics (1,300 - 1,850 °C)
- Insulators
- Coil carrier
- Spark plugs
- amongst other things
We have subordinated several pages to this section. On these pages we have collected for you the different types of porcelain and ceramics which are important for the kitchen, table and dining table. The following characteristics, which should lead to a demand-oriented purchase decision, can be found in the section "Characteristics" of this product group.
For the consumer, the distinction between ceramics and porcelain will become considerably more important in the future. Please read more about this in our article Porcelain vs. ceramic.