Brittle Materials

Despite their susceptibility to cracking, the modern world relies on brittle materials: ceramics are vital to the operation of gas turbine engines, concrete is a major construction material and glass fibres support the internet. This is only possible through understanding of their properties, and how these can be tailored. This chapter gives engineering applications of glass, ceramics and concrete, in each case highlighting which properties are particularly relevant. The underlying mechanisms which allow the high strength and hardness of these materials to be usefully exploited are explained.