The applications and technology involving ceramics have been existent since ancient times. The applications have grown with time in a steady manner. We often take their contributions to mankind for granted. Here are a few cases that would explain how extinction of ceramic products can impact our lives and the world altogether.
Can you imagine life without glass, steel, buildings, electricity, vehicles, electronics and telecommunications? Can you imagine your body without bones in case you suffer damage in an accident? It is hard to imagine modern world without ceramics just as your body cannot survive without bones.
Whenever we hear the term ceramics, we think about pots, dinnerware, tiles, sanitary ware, bricks, and glass. These products are referred to as silicate based ceramics. While these conventional products are essential for civilization, a new class of ceramics has emerged which finds application in engine components, space shuttle, artificial teeth and bones, electronic components and computers to name a few.
Ceramics have been accompanying humans since ancient times. There is sufficient archaeological evidence to prove that man-made ceramics date back to 25,000BC. The human zest for tapping the potential of objects gifted by nature has made us come a long way from use basic earthenware to advanced ceramic materials. We take the role that ceramics has played in shaping the progress of mankind.
Can you imagine a day without ceramics? Consider your home. You must not forget that cement and glass are ceramic materials. About 90 percent of applications of ceramic products are hidden. Can you imagine how a day would be without brick, cement exteriors of your house, without concrete floors, tiles, and windows? Paints as well contain ceramic. There are a lot of things that consist of ceramic that you do not know. The pigments that render permanent color to paints are nothing but ceramic compounds. Tile kitchens, mirrors, toilets, sinks, lighting, door knobs, flowerpots, dinnerware, eyeglasses, beverage glasses, windshields, television, electronic components, electrical devices and a lot more are made of ceramic components. Imagine living without home! How does it feel? That is how you would feel if ceramics become extinct from our planet.
We live in a digital era where we accomplish most of our tasks with smartphones and laptops. Can you imagine living without them? They are made of ceramic components too. Your hard drives are coated with ceramics that store data. Most of the permanent magnets in the world are made from ferrites that are nothing but ceramic magnets.
Ceramic powders are used in cosmetics for imparting color to them. They render rich, tactile quality to the cosmetics that is used every day. Did you know that there are ceramic scissors and knives? Catalytic converters, neon lights, cars, sports equipment and lava lamps are made of ceramic materials as well. Do you known people suffering from teeth and hip joint ailments are treated? Ceramics such as dental porcelain are employed for the purpose. Living without ceramics would imply that you would have to live with ailments all your life. This is just a partial listing of the applications of ceramic products.
If you take a look at the top thirty technologies and products that have been developed in the past thirty years which includes space shuttles, computers, photocopiers, microwaves, microsurgery techniques and a lot more, you would realize that ceramics have become an integral part of your life. Even Velcro fasteners, birth control options, and disposable diapers have ceramic components within them.
Have you seen the marvelous Opera House in Sydney? It is one of the stunning architectural marvels. It took fourteen years to build. More than $100 million dollars were spent in constructing the gorgeous piece of architecture in Australia. You would be amazed to know that 1,056,000 ceramic tiles were made in Sweden for building this architectural beauty. Imagining the extinction of ceramics from our world is next to impossible as they come with inexhaustible list of applications. Ceramic products have crept into every nook and corner of our lives and surviving without these would be next to impossible. It would be a massive blow to mankind if ceramics became extinct from our planet.