Advances and Horizons in Ceramic Materials Research

Agata Lisińska-Czekaj; Tomasz Pikula

doi:10.3390/app152011272

and

¹

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology, Gdańsk University of Technology, 11/12, Narutowicza St., 80-233 Gdansk, Poland

²

Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Lublin University of Technology, 36, Nadbystrzycka St., 20-618 Lublin, Poland

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Appl. Sci.2025, 15(20), 11272;https://doi.org/10.3390/app152011272

This article belongs to the Special Issue Novel Ceramic Materials: Processes, Properties and Applications

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Abstract

In this Special Issue entitled Novel Ceramic Materials: Processes, Properties and Applications, 18 articles are brought together. The contributions illustrated the remarkable versatility of ceramics—from bioceramics that heal bone and fight infection, to solid electrolytes and multiferroics powering clean energy, and glass ceramics and zeolite composites safeguarding our environment. Articles on glazes, archaeological pottery, and innovative joining methods reminded us that ceramic science has bridged deep traditions and modern frontiers.

1. Introduction

Ceramics have accompanied human civilization for approximately 30,000 years [1], from the first clay vessels and glazes that defined early civilizations, to the engineered materials that now enable high-speed communication, clean energy technologies, and advanced medical treatments; from stoneware to superconductors, and from pottery to space shuttles [1]. As David Kingery observed in his pioneering text in 1976 [2], ceramics are “the art and science of making and using solid articles which have as their essential component, and are composed in large part of, inorganic nonmetallic materials.” This definition, both expansive and pragmatic, underscores the diversity of ceramic materials—extending well beyond pottery and porcelain to include high-temperature superconductors, inorganic semiconductors, transparent conductors, engineered single crystals, glasses, glass ceramics, bioceramics, and nanostructured systems [3].

Ceramics are a class of materials defined not by a single property, but by their capacity to surprise [3,4]. They can be strong and brittle, yet also superplastic. They insulate against electricity, yet they also enable superconductivity. They can withstand the highest temperatures known, while also serving as the active layers in low-power microelectronic devices. Some ceramics are nearly inert, making them ideal for implants, while others are bioactive, capable of bonding directly with living tissue. Contemporary ceramics is an extraordinary material that defies and transcends existing boundaries—scientific, technological, and even conceptual.

This Special Issue, Novel Ceramic Materials: Processes, Properties and Applications, brings together 18 contributions that illustrate the extraordinary range of modern ceramic science. Together, they highlight how far the field has come—and how far it can go. In celebrating both the heritage and the horizons of ceramics, this volume underscores a simple truth: ceramics are not just materials of the past, but essential building blocks of the future.

2. An Overview of Published Articles

This section presents a comprehensive review of the Special Issue, Novel Ceramic Materials: Processes, Properties and Applications, summarizing the key contributions of the published articles.

This Special Issue comprises 18 high-quality contributions. The articles gathered in this collection reflect the extraordinary breadth of ceramic science today—from ancient pottery traditions to cutting-edge functional materials for energy, health, and environmental protection. Across 18 contributions, we see a unifying thread: how control of structure and composition unlocks new performance, and how applications continually expand as ceramics meet the challenges of our time.

The articles featured here span a remarkable spectrum of ceramic research. They can be grouped into the following five sections.

2.1. Bioceramics and Bioactive Glasses for Health and Biomedicine

Several contributions explore the growing role of bioceramics and bioactive glasses in medicine. Gallium-containing glass polyalkenoate cements offer antibacterial performance and improved compatibility for bone applications (contribution 1), while magnesium whitlockite granules (contribution 2) and 3D-printed forsterite bioceramics demonstrate promise as scaffolds for bone regeneration (contribution 3). Boron carbide nanoparticles are functionalized for targeted boron neutron capture therapy (contribution 4), and mesoporous bioactive glasses doped with silver and cerium provide antibacterial defence against resistant pathogens (contribution 5). Together, these studies underline the pivotal role of ceramic chemistry and morphology in advancing next-generation biomaterials.

2.2. Energy and Electronic Functionalities

A second cluster highlights ceramics at the heart of energy conversion and storage. From NASICON-type solid electrolytes for seawater batteries (contribution 6) to LaMnO₃ perovskite oxides doped with Ga, Y, Ag, or Pd for fuel cells (contribution 7) and water splitting (contribution 8), these works demonstrate the ability of ceramic frameworks to carry ions, electrons, or both with high efficiency.

2.3. Multiferroic and Functional Ceramics

Contributions on BiFeO₃–BaTiO₃ (contribution 9) and Aurivillius-phase multiferroics (contribution 10), as well as PZT-based materials (contribution 11) and composites with Terfenol-D (contribution 12), showcase how ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and magnetoelectric couplings can be engineered for multifunctional sensing, actuation, and energy harvesting applications.

2.4. Environmental and Protective Ceramics

Environmental applications are another defining theme. Studies on glass ceramics derived from bricks for immobilizing radionuclides (contribution 13), zeolite-based composites for adsorption of toxic cations (contribution 14), and kaolin–fly ash composites (contribution 15) for wastewater purification demonstrate how ceramic science supports safe nuclear waste management and clean water technologies. These works are striking not only in their functionality but also in their use of waste-derived precursors, underscoring the growing role of circular economy principles in materials research.

2.5. Traditional Ceramics, Manufacturing, and Joining

Ceramics also continue to evolve in their more traditional domains. One study investigates the subtle influence of alkali ratios on the properties of multicomponent glazes (contribution 16), while another traces the provenance of prehistoric pottery from archaeological excavations (contribution 17). At the frontier of processing, innovations include the tailoring of morphology and phase evolution in synthetic ceramics, as well as ultrasonic soldering of SiC ceramics with Zn–Mg alloys (contribution 18). Together, these studies show how advances in fabrication and joining remain central to both heritage and modern applications.

3. Conclusions

What emerges from these 18 contributions is a vision of ceramics as materials of both tradition and transformation. They carry forward the knowledge of glazes and clays while simultaneously enabling biomedicine, renewable energy, and environmental resilience. As we look to the future, the message is clear: ceramics, once thought of as brittle relics of the past, continue to prove themselves as adaptable, versatile, and indispensable for shaping technologies that are sustainable, functional, and life-enhancing.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, A.L.-C. and T.P.; methodology, A.L.-C. and T.P.; software, A.L.-C. and T.P.; validation, A.L.-C. and T.P.; formal analysis, A.L.-C. and T.P.; investigation, A.L.-C. and T.P.; resources, A.L.-C. and T.P.; data curation, A.L.-C. and T.P.; writing—original draft preparation, A.L.-C. and T.P.; writing—review and editing, A.L.-C. and T.P.; visualization, A.L.-C. and T.P.; supervision, A.L.-C. and T.P.; project administration, A.L.-C. and T.P.; funding acquisition, A.L.-C. and T.P. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

List of Contributions

Placek, L.M.; Perry, D.L.; Towler, M.R.; Wren, A.W. Gallium-Containing Bioactive Glasses: Their Influence on Ion Release and the Bioactivity of Resulting Glass Polyalkenoate Cements. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 7756. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15147756.
Raiseliene, R.; Linkaite, G.; Ezerskyte, A.; Grigoraviciute, I. Tailored Morphology and Phase Evolution of Magnesium Whitlockite Granules via a Dissolution–Precipitation Approach. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 7221. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15137221.
Cheli, L.; Bonini, M.; Tonelli, M. Effect of Sodium Phosphate and Cellulose Ethers on MgO/SiO₂ Cements for the 3D Printing of Forsterite Bioceramics. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 4410. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114410.
Kozień, D.; Krygowska, K.; Żeliszewska, P.; Szczygieł, A.; Rudawska, A.; Szermer-Olearnik, B.; Rusiniak, P.; Wątor, K.; Węgierek-Ciura, K.; Jeleń, P.; et al. Surface-Modified Ceramic Boron Carbide as a Platform for Specific Targeting in Tumour Environments. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 2734. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15052734.
Taye, M.B.; Ningsih, H.S.; Shih, S.-J. Antibacterial and In Vitro Bioactivity Studies of Silver-Doped, Cerium-Doped, and Silver–Cerium Co-Doped 80S Mesoporous Bioactive Glass Particles via Spray Pyrolysis. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 12637. https://doi.org/10.3390/app132312637.
Iordache, M.; Oubraham, A.; Bazga, M.; Ungureanu, G.E.; Borta, S.E.; Marinoiu, A. Assessing the Efficacy of Seawater Batteries Using NASICON Solid Electrolyte. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 3469. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15073469.
Vlazan, P.; Marin, C.N.; Malaescu, I.; Vlase, G.; Vlase, T.; Poienar, M.; Sfirloaga, P. Revealing the Impact of Ga and Y Doping on Thermal and Electrical Behavior of LaMnO₃ Ceramic Materials. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 1546. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14041546.
Căta, A.; Țăranu, B.-O.; Ienașcu, I.M.C.; Sfirloaga, P. New PVP–Ag or Pd-Doped Perovskite Oxide Hybrid Structures for Water Splitting Electrocatalysis. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 1186. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14031186.
Lisińska-Czekaj, A.; Czekaj, D.; Garbarz-Glos, B.; Bąk, W.; Zate, T.T.; Jeon, J.-H. Dielectric Spectroscopy Studies and Modelling of Piezoelectric Properties of Multiferroic Ceramics. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 7193. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13127193.
Szalbot, D.; Bartkowska, J.A.; Makowska, J.; Chrunik, M.; Osińska, K.; Adamczyk-Habrajska, M. Dielectric Properties and Magnetoelectric Effect of Bi₇Fe₃Ti₃O₂₁ Ceramic Material Doped with Gadolinium Ions. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 3920. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14093920.
Niemiec, P.; Bochenek, D.; Dercz, G. Electrophysical Properties of PZT-Type Ceramics Obtained by Two Sintering Methods. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 11195. https://doi.org/10.3390/app132011195.
Grotel, J.; Pikula, T.; Mech, R. Application of the Lock-In Technique in Magnetoelectric Coupling Measurements of the PZT/Terfenol-D Composite. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 9543. https://doi.org/10.3390/app13179543.
Boughriet, A.; Doyemet, G.; Poumaye, N.; Alaimo, V.; Ventalon, S.; Bout-Roumazeilles, V.; Wartel, M. Evidence of the Formation of Crystalline Aluminosilicate Phases in Glass-Ceramics by Calcination of Alkali-Brick Aggregates, Enabling Cs⁺, Rb⁺, Co²⁺, and Sr²⁺ Encapsulation. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 1379. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15031379.
Boughriet, A.; Doyemet, G.; Poumaye, N.; Allahdin, O.; Wartel, M. Insight into Adsorption Kinetics of Cs⁺, Rb⁺, Co²⁺, and Sr²⁺ on a Zeolites-Based Composite: Comprehensive Diffusional Explanation and Modelling. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 3511. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14083511.
Doušová, B.; Bedrnová, E.; Maxová, K.; Koloušek, D.; Lhotka, M.; Pilař, L.; Angelis, M. Kaolin–Fly Ash Composite for Pb²⁺ and AsO₄³⁻ Adsorption from Aqueous System. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 5358. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14125358.
Partyka, J.; Kozień, D.; Pasiut, K. The Effect of Variable Ratios of Na₂O/K₂O Oxides in Glazes Containing BaO, ZnO, and ZrO₂: Structural Analysis, Characteristic Temperatures, and Surface Properties. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 648. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15020648.
Lattao, V.; Garcês, S.; Gomes, H.; Rosina, P.; Collado, H. Autochthonous or Allochthonous, the Prehistoric Pottery of Cueva de Los Postes. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 4706. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14114706.
Kolenak, R.; Pluhar, A.; Drapala, J.; Gogola, P.; Pasak, M.; Sloboda, M. Characterization of an Active Soldering Zn-Mg Alloy and the Study of Ultrasonic Soldering of SiC Ceramics with Copper Substrate. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 1504. https://doi.org/10.3390/app14041504.

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