Abstract
From the beginnings of civilization, ceramics have been prized for their strength, durability, and beauty. The first “high tech” ceramics, possessing advanced properties produced by systematic experimentation, are found as early as 5000 BC in Egyptian faience and Chinese glazed pottery. Ceramic containments for metal smelting and glass melting were in use before 2000 BC. Hydraulic cements and brick technologies enabled the building of the great structures and roads that characterized the expansion of the Roman Empire. Throughout recorded civilization, technological advances in all fields have been predicated on or facilitated by advances in ceramic science and technology.
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© 1998 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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McHale, A.E. (1998). Introduction. In: Phase Diagrams and Ceramic Processes. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6173-3_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6173-3_1
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4419-4726-0
Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-6173-3
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