Modelling the material performance of ceramic vessels in view of their function and utilization

Abstract

Ceramics were presumably among the first materials to be manufactured in a transformative process. They were fabricated and used by people for various applications and remained of paramount importance in the development of material culture until today. However, different functions required different material performance in terms of thermomechanical properties. For this, the fabrication process for particular ware types was adapted to their utilisation in terms of raw material selection, clay paste preparation and conditions of the firing process. The thermomechanical properties can be investigated through the material testing of specimens, either cut from original fragments or reconstructed based on microstructural and compositional investigation. On the other hand, the material performance of an entire vessel is also affected by the vessel shape. However, in contrast to the substantial material properties of the ceramic body, the impact of the vessel shape is more difficult and complex to be examined by material testing and beyond commonly destructive. In the present paper a modelling approach will be presented, simulating the performance of ceramic vessels under thermomechanical loads. Multi-scale structural modelling of ceramic vessels using the finite element method (FEM), allows for virtual material testing on different scale levels: from microstructures affected by the fabrication process over individual components to entire objects or groups of objects. In this way, technological choices and development concerning material processing, as well as vessel design, can be assessed in view of functionality and performance.