This book provides an introduction to the structural ceramics‎,‎ their processing and properties‎.‎ Five important groups of materials‎,‎ porcelain‎,‎ alumina‎,‎ silicon carbide‎,‎ silicon nitride and zirconia‎,‎ are presented as case studies‎.‎ Historical developments‎,‎ the properties of constituent components‎,‎ and relationships between production methods‎,‎ resulting microstructures‎,‎ and materials properties‎,‎ are explained‎.‎ The structural ceramics have many commercial applications‎,‎ ranging from high voltage insulation and hot‎-gas filtration‎,‎ to metal machining tools and surgical implants‎.‎ These applications depend on combinations of chemical‎,‎ physical and mechanical properties‎,‎ which include structural stability over wide temperature ranges‎,‎ strength‎,‎ hardness‎,‎ and resistance to wear‎.‎ Over 200 diagrams and photographs provide visual aids to learning‎,‎ and end of chapter summaries pull together key points‎.‎ With numerous review questions to test understanding of the topics covered‎,‎ and extensive referencing‎,‎ this book is ideal for those studying materials science and engineering‎,‎ or starting research in the structural ceramics area‎.‎