This is the first book devoted to the role of chemical synthetic techniques in the development of advanced ceramic materials. It bridges the gap between existing volumes dealing with the properties of ceramic materials, for example their mechanical properties, and those on chemistry. The author describes the variety of advanced ceramics and their conventional synthesis and fabrication. This is followed by a description of the range of non-conventional synthetic methods. The basic chemistry of the synthesis is described and well-illustrated by reference to ceramics made on both laboratory and industrial scales. This resource book will be of value to anyone working with advanced ceramics in research laboratories, and to postgraduate students and research workers in chemistry, material science, physics, metallurgy and mechanical engineering departments involved with ceramic materials.

Protonic conduction in liquid electrolytes is commonplace but is relatively rare in solids. There is much interest worldwide in proton conducting solids, both from the scientific aspect, as materials with novel properties, but also for their possible applications in high-density solid-state batteries, sensors and other electrochemical devices. This book gives a comprehensive review of proton conductors, including theory, techniques, the materials themselves and applications.

Acid-base cements have been known since the mid-nineteenth century and offer an alternative to polymerization as a route for forming solid substances. They are quick setting materials and some have unusual properties for cements, such as adhesion and translucency. They find diverse applications ranging from the biomedical to the industrial. Despite this there has been a failure to recognize them as constituting a single, well defined class of material. This book attempts to remedy this situation by unifying the subject and treating this range of materials as a single class. Following a brief historical overview, an introductory chapter defines these cements as materials that are formed by reacting a basic powder with an acidic liquid to yield a salt-like matrix. The nature of the cementation process and the cement-forming acids and bases are discussed. Other chapters are devoted to the methods of study, the structure of water and simple polyelectrolyte theory. In the remaining chapters the various types of cements classified according the anionic constituent of the matrix, are described. Thus, there are chapters on polyalkenoate, phosphate, oxychloride, oxysulphate and the non-aqueous phenolate cements. A chapter is devoted to miscellaneous aqueous cements which include the recently discovered polyphosphonate cements.

Magnetic Ceramics describes the structure, preparation techniques, magnetic properties and applications of iron-based oxides also known as ferrites; metallic magnetic materials are also covered in depth. The main purpose of the book is to provide an up-to-date overview of the relevant aspects of ferrites, which cover a wide range of magnetic properties and applications such as high-frequency transformer cores, permanent magnet cements, microwave telecommunication devices, magnetic recording media and heads. The approach is that of materials science, characteristically interdisciplinary, where chemical aspects are covered in terms of synthesis/fabrication methods and crystal structures, and physics is introduced to provide a theoretical basis to magnetic properties. A special emphasis is given to the relationship between microstructure and properties.

This book describes for the first time in a modern text the fundamental principles on which solid state chemistry is based. In this sense it differs from other books on the subject, which tend to concentrate only on a description of materials.Topics include solid (ceramic) electrolytes, glasses, polymer electrolytes, intercalation electrodes, interfaces and applications. The different nature of ionic conductivity in ceramic, glassy and polymer electrolytes is described, as are the thermodynamics and kinetics of intercalation reactions. The interface between solid electrolytes and electrodes is discussed and contrasted with more conventional liquid state electrochemistry.The text provides an essential foundation for postgraduates and others entering the field for the first time and will also be of value in advanced undergraduate courses.