The properties of traditional porcelain, including its mechanical strength, are a consequence of the ceramic processing that formed the piece, and then, raw materials and their characteristics, forming process, firing atmosphere, time and temperature. These parameters determine the complexities of microstructure and phase development, which are difficult to be controlled and makes almost impossible to predict porcelain final properties. Since the last century, many theories have been developed to explain the strength of porcelain, and some have recently been revised and improved due to the development of new analytical techniques. This work shows an overview on the literature, which comprises new discussions and theories about porcelain strength, including authors´ own investigations.
ceramics; porcelain; mechanical strength
