The term ceramic refers to an inorganic material that is solid and nonmetallic. Ceramic materials are generally made from compounds of metallic and nonmetallic elements. Typical examples would include metal oxides (i.e., Al₂O₃, BeO and ZrO₂, BaTi₃, Ti₂), metal and semimetal nitrides (i.e., Si₃N₄ and metal and semimetal carbides (i.e., B₄C and SiC). These compounds exhibit either covalent or ionic bonding, depending upon the location of the metallic and nonmetallic elements in the periodic table. Ionic bonds result whenever a metallic and a nonmetallic element from opposite sides of the periodic table are combined. Combinations closer together in the periodic table, like silicon with nitrogen and silicon with carbon, tend to be covalent in nature.

The type of bonding involved determines to a large extent the material's mechanical, chemical and electrical properties. For example, silicon nitride and silicon carbide are stable to...