Thesis (M.D.S.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005.

Thesis (M.F.A.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains iv, 27 p. : col. ill. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 25).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:48:14Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T13:57:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 09458.pdf: 5565544 bytes, checksum: 4fb384d317386b05f7e92b3e9eaa9b58 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

The research investigates stillness as movement in time and space explored and exploited through an interdisciplinary study of ceramics and dance. Exercises consistent with Butoh, a Japanese dance form, are employed as an exploratory tool to facilitate a broader interpretation of stillness as motion through a corporeal processing of concepts such as time and space. Laban's 'principles of movement' are observed, explored and employed as a method used in choreography to analytically study movement as still components of a flux within space to inform dance composition. This study maps a path to practice that involves the constructing of a material bridge that links two disciplines, ceramics and dance, through similarities and varying approaches to a shared area of concern: movement in time and space. The constructing of this path to practice and its effect on the composing and installing of ceramic composition is the focus of the study. The study begins with the contextualising of 'stillness' as a state of 'movement in time' through Bergson's concepts in philosophy. The experience of real time is located internally by the philosopher Heidegger, who references real time as lived time felt in and through the body. At this point in the research the path transitions to a physical and performative engagement with 'stillness in time and space' in search of its qualities and textures, which shifts studio practice for a period of time from ceramics to dance practice. Two three-part case studies are constructed from participation in a Butoh dance workshop and through the observation of a choreography workshop. Studio experimentation follows which maps a ceramic path to practice through the perspective of dance, exploring the potential to share learning across a disciplinary divide. The final part of the case studies involves the composing and constructing of ceramic installations through the shared perspective of ceramics and dance. This thesis contributes to the discourse on interdisciplinary practice, specifically relating to ceramics and dance. It provides a transferable model of research that merges two fields of practice, broadening and intensifying the experience of learning through a combined kinesthetic, visual and cognitive approach. This model has been tested as an extension of this research within the field of dance and within a therapeutic environment to effect learning.

An investigation has been carried out into the effects of three common oxide impurities, TiO2, A12O3, and SiO2/ on the properties and behaviour of Y-T.Z.P. These impurities are present in varying amounts in almost all commercially available Y-T.Z.P. materials, and substantial costs are incurred in removing them in the purest systems. However, the effects of these impurities, both individually and in combination have received relatively little study in the published literature, and it has not been made clear to what degree these impurities influence the properties and behaviour of the material. To carry out the investigation it has been necessary to develop a novel technique for introducing the impurities as dopants into a high purity, commercially available Y-T.Z.P., whilst retaining a high degree of chemical homogeneity in the material. The technique developed uses a variant on the alkoxide sol-gel process to coat the individual powder particles with a thin layer of dopant atoms and offers a number of advantadges over other doping techniques. The process could be exploited to solve a variety of ceramic processing problems. The results obtained from impurity doped materials showed that alumina and silica reduced the sintering temperature and promoted enhanced densification at lower sintering temperatures, whilst titania impaired the sintering at lower temperatures. Alumina additions resulted in pronounced grain growth and associated destabilisation of the tetragonal phase of zirconia, particularly for higher sintering temperatures. A factorial experiment was carried out to obtain additional, and previously unreported information. This showed that there were significant interactions occurring between all of the additives investigated some of which appeared to be beneficial. An investigation into the effect of the additives on the mechanical properties (hardness and fracture toughness) was carried out for a range of sintering temperatures. The results of these experiments suggested that the impurities had very limited direct effects on the transformation toughening mechanism, although there were differences in properties associated with the effects of the impurity additions on the microstructures of the sintered materials.

This thesis presents a social perspective of the appearance and early role of ceramics during the Neolithic period in south eastern Turkey, northern Syria and northern Iraq. The need for an appreciation of the social context of this material is underpinned by the tendency in Near Eastern archaeology to use ceramics as tools to assist the formulation of chronologies, define supposed cultural boundaries and to reconstruct patterns of influence and interaction. Studies of the earliest ceramics have tended to adhere to these concerns and the social aspects of their appearance have been neglected. A number of different avenues are explored within this thesis, in order to approach the social context of early ceramics from differing perspectives. The material background and traditions of the Neolithic period are summarised, to place ceramic and other containers within a single framework for understanding. This contextual approach has been lacking from other studies of early ceramics. It is argued that ceramics did not present distinct functional advantages over existing container types and moves towards developing approaches that offer a social insight. This focuses on the increasingly complex role of consumption-related activities during the Neolithic period and the place of ceramics and other containers within this context. The theme of materiality and tradition is first approached in this chapter and forms a key strand of interpretation throughout the rest of the thesis. Ceramics are approached as a new technology and the relationship between ceramic and plaster manufacture during the Neolithic is re-evaluated. The patterns of development for plaster and ceramic technology are compared, as well as the actual manufacturing processes, in an attempt to define their relationship from a social perspective. The outcome of this is an enhanced understanding of the importance of material traditions during the Neolithic and the social significance of both technologies. A detailed analysis of the nature of early ceramic assemblages is undertaken. This concentrates on the themes of contexts of discovery, contexts of use and decoration. Material from the site of Umm Dabaghiyah in northern Iraq is presented as a case study. The aim of this analysis is to approach the social milieu of ceramic production and use. In the concluding sections, the significance of ceramics as material and symbol in the Neolithic is approached. It is argued that ceramics should be seen as an integral part of a wider Neolithic materiality, rather than an isolated aspect of material culture. The thesis concludes that the rewards of approaching early ceramics from a social perspective demonstrate the need for new methods of analysis. Ceramics must be studied within their wider context, as it is only against this background that they can be understood. It is argued that this issue needs to be addressed at the level of excavation, recording and publication in order to increase the possibilities for the study and interpretation of archaeological ceramics and the communities making and using them.

This thesis presents the first detailed study of the life and work of Seifu Yohei III, in either English or Japanese. Seifu Yohei III (1851-1914) was one of the leading ceramic artists of the Meiji period and highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad during his lifetime. Being a literati-style painter and an unabashed Sinophile, Seifu created works that display the distinctive characteristics of Qing porcelain. The multi-faceted character of this artist provides an opportunity to explore crucial issues concerning the transformation of Japanese art in general at the beginning of Japan's modem age. The clientele for such works was an elite with similar predilections for Chinese-style wares, though patronage of his works extended even to the Imperial Household of Japan. A study of Seifu Yohei III demonstrates that Japanese ceramics cannot be discussed in terms of a linear, uniformly progressive development mirroring the Westernisation of Japan. Seifu's career reveals the co-existence of what might normally be perceived as irreconcilable factors in terms of its regional, social, economic and cultural environments, often involving interaction with China. Each chapter takes up a different issue surrounding Seifu Yohei III in the context of the production and consumption of art in Meiji Japan. This interdisciplinary analysis of the life and work of Seifu Yohei III also sheds light on the social, economic and cultural factors affecting other potters of the Meiji era. It takes on previously neglected issues concerning what happened in the area of ceramic production inside Japan and, more broadly, in East Asia as a whole.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-04-28Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:22:34Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 santana_jga_dr_guara.pdf: 3216476 bytes, checksum: e873d90ab626be457200e6023fa5308c (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Companhia Siderurgica de Tubarao / Cerâmicas multicamadas de carbeto de silício foram obtidas por conformação por consolidação ou prensagem e utilizando diferentes técnicas de adesão das camadas. Produzidas com duas ou três camadas e apresentando gradientes de porosidades, a sistemática para obtenção destas cerâmicas teve início com o estudo individual das amostras. Para atender a níveis de porosidades previamente estabelecidos (15, 30 e 50%), foram conformadas amostras com diferentes composições e percentuais de sólidos. Na prensagem uniaxial utilizou-se um aditivo de sinterização (YAG) para controle do nível de porosidade das amostras. Por meio da realização de ensaios físicos, mecânicos, microscópicos e termomecânicos, foi possível conhecer as particularidades e características inerentes ao método de conformação empregado. As cerâmicas conformadas por prensagem apresentaram melhores acabamentos superficiais, poros pequenos, menores incidências de defeitos, porosidade e resistência mecânica influenciada pelo teor de aditivo empregado. Nas cerâmicas conformadas por consolidação, a existência de uma elevada porosidade associada a defeitos como trincas e fissuras, deterioraram a resistência mecânica das amostras. Baseando-se nos resultados obtidos, partiu-se então, para confecção das cerâmicas multicamadas. Na conformação por consolidação foram produzidas cerâmicas com duas ou três camadas, utilizando-se dois métodos: sobreposição direta e sobreposição por meio de sulcos. Na sobreposição direta a constituição das camadas ocorreu por entorno da dispersão sobre uma camada anteriormente processada. Entretanto, as tensões originadas durante as etapas de secagem conduziram a formação de abaulamento no ponto de adesão das camadas, comprometendo a sua resistência. A utilização de um defloculante polietilenimina... / Multilayer ceramics of silicon carbide were obtained by consolidation or pressing by using different techniques for layers adhesion. Produced with two or three layers and showing porosity gradients, the method for obtaining these ceramics began with the individual study of the samples. In order to achieve the porosity levels previously established (15, 30 and 50%), the samples were conformed with different compositions and percentages of solids. A sintering additive (YAG) was used in the uniaxial pressing in order to control the porosity of the samples. Through physical, mechanical, microscopic and thermomechanical tests, it was possible to know the peculiarities and characteristics related to the conforming method that was used. The obtained ceramics by pressing showed better superficial finish, small pores, lower incidence of defects, porosity and mechanical strength, influenced by the percentage of additive employed in the samples. The ceramic samples by consolidation had their mechanical strength damaged due to the high porosity associated with defects such as cracks and fissures. Multilayer ceramics were produced from the obtained results. Ceramic samples were produced by consolidation with two or three layers, by using two methods: direct overlap and overlap through grooves. In the direct overlap, the layer forming was performed by pouring the dispersion over another layer previously processed. However, the arisen tensions during the drying steps, made the interface between the layers become convex, compromising their strength. The use of the dispersant polyethylenimine (Lupasol SK), with high molecular weight, formed a thick film on the sample surface, allowing the production of grooves between the layers. The reduction of tensions on sample layers enabled the ceramic forming without defects on the interface. Samples produced... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2005-07Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:58:08Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 santana_jga_me_guara.pdf: 1891764 bytes, checksum: ab046e5fa746569839a1676ec343c884 (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de verificar a possível conformação de cerâmicas de dióxido de titânio (TiO2) utilizando proteína vegetal (soja) como agente ligante e elemento formador de poros. Para tanto, foram confeccionados corpos cerâmicos com diferentes composições de sólidos e variações nos percentuais de proteínas (extrato e proteína texturizada de soja). Como auxiliar de defloculação, com o intuito de reduzir as viscosidades das dispersões estudadas, utilizou-se a sacarose. A escolha destes materiais, além da já conhecida propriedade bactericida do dióxido de titânio, deveu-se a características tais como: baixo custo, não toxicidade, facilidade de obtenção e, principalmente, propriedades inertes, que conferiram ao produto final condição de uso, sem prováveis danos a saúde. Para melhor entendimento do comportamento das proteínas de soja, foram estudadas algumas propriedades reológicas destes materiais, puros ou em presença da sacarose. A caracterização das peças cerâmicas constou de medidas de rugosidade superficial e densidade aparente, além da verificação por meio de microscopia óptica. Os resultados obtidos permitiram conhecer as peculiaridades e comportamento das proteínas de soja, mostrando suas capacidades de conformação, além das características distintas que concedem aos materiais utilizados diferentes possibilidades de usos; enquanto as proteínas texturizadas são mais apropriadas para filtros domésticos ou membranas, o extrato de soja apresenta características mais adequadas para o desenvolvimento de cerâmicas utilizadas como isolantes térmicos. / The main purpose of this work was to verify the possible formation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) ceramics by using vegetable protein (soya bean) as a binder and pore forming element. Accordingly, ceramic specimens were made from different compositions of solids as well as variations in the percentage of proteins (soya essence and texturized soya). Saccharose was used as a dispersion agent in order to reduce the viscosities. Titanium dioxide and soya protein were particularly chosen. The former was for its bactericide property; the latter was due to its low cost, no toxicity, besides being easily acquired. However, the utmost feature is its inert property responsible for the perfect condition of use, probably without any health risks. In order to understand the function of soya proteins, some of their reological behavior were studied, either pure or when in presence of saccharose. The specimens studied were characterized by superficial roughness measurements, apparent density and the verification using optical microscopy. The results obtained showed the peculiarities, as well as the behavior of soya proteins, indicating their formation capacity. Besides this, it was also verified distinct properties that allow the use of soya proteins in different ways. Whereas the texturized soya is more appropriate for residencial filters or membranes, the soya essence presents better performance to the development of ceramics used as thermal insulating.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:41:08Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:08:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 04722.pdf: 6062839 bytes, checksum: 73d82023f0fab3b84d9787b140e824ff (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP