The type of bonding and structure helps determine what type of properties a material will have. Ceramics usually have a combination of stronger bonds called ionic (occurs between a metal and nonmetal and involves the attraction of opposite charges when electrons are transferred from the metal to the non-metal); and covalent (occurs between two non-metals and involves sharing of atoms). The strength of an ionic bond depends on the size of the charge on each ion and on the radius of each ion. The greater the number of electrons being shared, is the greater the force of attraction, or the stronger the covalent bond. These types of bonds result in high elastic modulus and hardness, high melting points, low thermal expansion, and good chemical resistance. On the other hand, ceramics are also hard and often brittle (unless the material is toughened by reinforcements or other means), which leads to fracture. In general, metals have weaker bonds than ceramics, which allows the electrons to move freely between atoms. Think of a box containing marbles surrounded by water. The marbles can be pushed anywhere within the box and the water will follow them, always surrounding the marbles. This type of bond results in the property called ductility, where the metal can be easily bent without breaking, allowing it to be drawn into wire. The free movement of electrons also explains why metals tend to be conductors of electricity and heat. Plastics or polymers of the organic type consist of long chains of molecules which are either tangled or ordered at room temperature. Because the forces (known as van der Waals) between the molecules are very weak, polymers are very elastic (like a rubber band), can be easily melted, and have low strength. Like ceramics, polymers have good chemical resistance, electrical and thermal insulation properties. They are also brittle at low temperatures. The following table provides a general comparison of the properties between the three types of materials.
