A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain, and brick.
Silicon nitride rocket thruster. Left: Mounted in test stand. Right: Being tested with H2/O2 propellants.
Earliest known ceramics are the Gravettian figurines that date to 29,000–25,000 BC.
Corded-Ware culture pottery from 2500 BC
Cutting disks made of silicon carbide
A material is brittle if, when subjected to stress, it fractures with little elastic deformation and without significant plastic deformation. Brittle materials absorb relatively little energy prior to fracture, even those of high strength. Breaking is often accompanied by a sharp snapping sound.
Brittle fracture in glass
Brittle fracture in cast iron tensile testpieces
Brittleness diagrams titled "Deformation" (Russian: деформация)