Program Overview

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CERAMIC MATERIALS

Course Overview

The course is an introduction to the preparation, properties, structure, and applications of ceramic materials. Chemical transformations and lattice defects are also considered, in view of microstructure and functional properties optimization. The second part of the course covers ceramic materials used in solid oxide fuel cells and electrolyzers, with a detailed description of the structural requirements and of the ionic conductivity of the state-of-art materials.

Course Details

• Code: 65943
• Academic Year: 2025/2026
• Credits:
  • 6 cfu anno 2 SCIENZA E TECNOLOGIA DEI MATERIALI 11430 (LM SC.MAT.) - GENOVA
  • 6 cfu anno 3 INGEGNERIA CHIMICA E DI PROCESSO 10375 (L-9) - GENOVA
  • 5 cfu anno 2 INGEGNERIA CHIMICA E DI PROCESSO 10376 (LM-22) - GENOVA
• Scientific Disciplinary Sector: ING-IND/22
• Language: Italian
• Teaching Location: GENOVA
• Semester: 1ｰ Semester
• Teaching Materials: AULAWEB

AIMS AND CONTENT

Learning Outcomes

The course aims to provide students with knowledge of the crystal structure of ceramics, phase diagrams for ceramists, sintering, synthesis of highly dispersed ceramic materials, dense ceramic materials, structural, electronic, and thermal properties, defects, and thermodynamic control of vacancy concentration. Functional properties (electric, magnetic, and environmental) and ceramic process and industrial applications are also covered.

Aims and Learning Outcomes

Through frontal teaching, class and laboratory training, and individual study, students will learn about different types of ceramic materials, define the parameters of a forming and sintering process, understand the correlation between structure and microstructure and mechanical and functional properties of ceramics, and know the main chemical-physical investigation techniques.

Prerequisites

Basic Chemistry, Mathematic, Physic

Teaching Methods

• Frontal teaching
• Class and laboratory training
• Microsoft Teams for remote teaching

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

Course Content

The syllabus includes:

• Definition of ceramic material, classification, and general characteristics
• Structural properties: main crystal structures, bonds, Pauling rules
• Glass: structure, Zachariasen rules, forming oxides, and modifying oxides
• Phase diagrams: references to the phase and leverage rules, single-component systems, binary systems, ternary systems
• Ceramic process: powder preparation methods, grinding, analysis of particle size and size distribution
• Stability of suspensions, wetting agents, additives, general forming principles, drying, debonding, and firing
• Densification and coarsening of grains: transport mechanisms in the initial phase of sintering
• Mechanical properties: brittle fracture, Weibull statistics, strengthening methods
• Thermal, dielectric, magnetic, and optical properties of ceramics
• Defect chemistry, Kroger-Vink notation, and formulation of reaction equations
• Thermodynamic control of vacancy concentration, electrical conductivity in ceramics
• Advanced ceramic materials for energy conversion and storage

Laboratory Training

• Green forming
• Thermogravimetry
• Dilatometry
• SEM

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• W.D. Kingery, H.K. Bowen, D.R. Uhlmann, Introduction to Ceramics, John Wiley & Sons
• A.J. Moulson & J.M. Herbert, Electroceramics, Chapman & Hall
• M.W. Barsoum, Fundamentals of Ceramics
• Y M Chiang, D. Birnie III, W. D. Kyngery, Physical Ceramics
• Introduction to Phase Equilibria in Ceramics
• J.S. Reed, Principles of Ceramic Processing
• Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Materials Properties and Performance, CRC Press, Edited by J. W. Fergus et al.
• Fuel Cell Systems, Plenum Press, Edited by L. J. M. J. Blomen and M. N. Mugerwa

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

• Teacher: MARIA PAOLA CARPANESE
• Exam Board: MARIA PAOLA CARPANESE (President), MASSIMO VIVIANI, MARCO PANIZZA (President Substitute)

LESSONS

Lessons Start

The timetable for this course is available on the Portale EasyAcademy.

EXAMS

Exam Description

The final exam consists of a written and an oral test, aiming to assess the training objectives achievement. The written test proposes questions and exercises on topics carried out during the class. The oral examination consists of a topic presentation chosen by the candidate and the formulation of a question by the examiner.

Assessment Methods

The exam verifies the student's knowledge of the main characteristics of ceramic materials and the understanding of the relationships between chemical composition, structure and microstructure, parameters of the production process, and the mechanical and functional properties of the materials.

Exam Schedule

• Date: 20/02/2026, 31/07/2026, 17/09/2026
• Time: 09:00
• Location: GENOVA

FURTHER INFORMATION

Unless otherwise indicated by the University or Council Course Study, frontal teaching will be carried out through Teams. In the first semester, laboratory activity is subject to university requirements.