- Ceramics as a significant technical material and its processes classification. Technological processes for production of technical ceramics. Properties of technical ceramics, mechanical properties, internal factors affecting strength of ceramic materials, fracture toughness, physical properties, thermal properties. Brittleness of ceramics and its causes. Strengthening mechanisms in ceramic materials, general principles of relations between structure and strength properties. Properties of the best- known technical ceramics, use of technical ceramics in practice, the prospects for its further development and use.
- Composite materials, basic characteristics and classification. Particle composites with different types of matrices. Particle dispersion-reinforced composites, particulate composites strengthened by single particles. Fibre composites, general characteristics of fibres, fibre composites with ceramic matrix, combination of phases and achieved marginal conditions. Process of crack bridging and fibre reinforcement of ceramic matrix.
- Polymeric materials, historical aspects. Plastics, elastomers, thermoset plastic materials, thermoplastics. Classification and characterisation of polymeric materials. Classification of rubber, natural and synthetic rubber. Basic process of production of natural and synthetic rubber. Phenomenological foundations of visco-elasticity. Fractures of polymeric materials.