Three case histories of engineering ceramic materials are reported and related to the role played by thermal analysis in the interpretation of their nature and properties. The thermal expansion of a ceria-zirconia matrix containing SiC whiskers has been subject of a thermodilatometric investigation to compare it with theoretical models in the light of percolation theory. The tetragonal-monoclinic (t-m) phase transition of ceria stabilized zirconia produces shape memory effects. The redox phenomena which characterize sintered samples have been followed via simultaneaous thermal analysis coupled with quadrupole mass spectrometry in order to better understand their mechanical and electrical conductivity behaviour.
