Pottery

my favourite hobby

Ceramics are objects made from clay (or clay mixed with other materials) that are subjected to high heat. This application of heat causes irreversible changes in within the clay body, rendering the form permanent. Ceramics can take the form of pottery (utilitarian vessels), sculpture, casting cores for bronzes, or architectural elements such as tiles, pipes and bricks. Generally speaking, ceramics are brittle and weak under shearing or tensile stresses but very strong under compression. In addition, they can withstand very high temperatures and are not prone to chemical erosion. They consist of both crystalline and amorphous phases, though the ratio of these phases is determined by the specific mineral composition.