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Fine Ceramics, sometimes referred to as "advanced ceramics," are engineered materials that support the development of cutting-edge technology.

How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

Advanced Technologies Produce Fine Ceramic Knives with a Razor-Sharp Edge

Granulated powder is filled into a knife-shaped mold and fired.

How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

figure:How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

Water, raw powder and ceramic milling balls are fed into a mixer-like device called a mill.

figure:How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

To create particles of uniform size, with diameters of approximately one micrometer (1 µm or 0.001 mm), raw materials are first mixed into a slurry — a fluid of water and ceramic powder in which the particles are blended.

figure:How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

A spray dryer dehydrates the raw materials in the slurry to make a granulated powder.

figure:How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

figure:How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

The granulated powder is used to fill a knife-shaped mold.

figure:How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

The mold is placed under high pressure — 1 ton per cm2 (approx. 12,900 psi) — to solidify the powder into the desired shape.

figure:How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

The material is then fired and sintered in a kiln, like conventional ceramics, but under precisely controlled temperatures.

figure:How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

During the firing process, the ceramic blade shrinks to 75 percent of its original, unfired size, while the volume shrinks by nearly half. These shrinkage rates are carefully calculated during the design process, so the finished size matches the design specifications.

figure:How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

The blade is then ground with a diamond wheel to produce a razor-sharp edge.

figure:How to Make a Fine Ceramic Knife

A handle is then attached to complete the process.

The term "Fine Ceramics" is interchangeable with "advanced ceramics," "technical ceramics" and "engineered ceramics." Use varies by region and industry.

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