Different chemical compositions and organizational structures of special ceramics determine their different special properties and functions, such as high strength, high hardness, high toughness, corrosion resistance, conductivity, insulation, magnetism, light transmission, semiconductor, piezoelectric, photoelectric, electro-optic, acousto-optic, magneto-optical, etc. Due to their special properties, such ceramics can be used as engineering structural materials and functional materials in machinery, electronics, chemical industry, smelting, energy, medicine, laser, nuclear reaction, aerospace, etc. Some economically developed countries, especially Japan, the United States and Western European countries, have invested a lot of manpower, material resources and financial resources to research and develop special ceramics in order to accelerate the new technological revolution and lay a material foundation for the development of new industries. Therefore, special ceramics have developed very rapidly and made great breakthroughs in technology. Special ceramics play an increasingly important role in modern industrial technology, especially in the field of high technology and new technology.

Special ceramics were developed in the 20th century. Under the promotion and cultivation of modern production and science and technology, they "multiplied" very quickly. Especially in the past 20 to 30 years, new varieties emerged endlessly, dazzling. According to chemical composition:

Oxide ceramics
Oxide ceramics: alumina, zirconia, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, beryllium oxide, zinc oxide, yttrium oxide, titanium dioxide, thorium dioxide, uranium oxide, etc.

Nitride ceramics
Nitride ceramics: silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, uranium nitride, etc.

Carbide ceramics
Carbide ceramics: silicon carbide, boron carbide, uranium carbide, etc.

Boride ceramics
Boride ceramics: zirconium boride, lanthanum boride, etc.

Silicide ceramics
Silicide ceramics: molybdenum disilicide, etc.

Fluoride ceramics
Fluoride ceramics: magnesium fluoride, calcium fluoride, lanthanum trifluoride, etc.

Sulfide ceramics
Sulfide ceramics: zinc sulfide, cerium sulfide, etc.

other
There are also arsenide ceramics, selenide ceramics, telluride ceramics, etc. 

In addition to single-phase ceramics mainly composed of one compound, there are composite ceramics composed of two or more compounds. For example, magnesium aluminum spinel ceramics made of aluminum oxide and magnesium oxide, silicon nitride aluminum ceramics made of silicon nitride and aluminum oxide, calcium lanthanum chromate ceramics made of chromium oxide, lanthanum oxide and calcium oxide, lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) ceramics made of zirconia, titanium oxide, lead oxide and lanthanum oxide, etc. In addition, there is a large class of cermets generated by adding metals to ceramics, such as oxide based cermets, carbide based cermets, boride based cermets, etc., which are also important varieties of modern ceramics. In order to improve the brittleness of ceramics, metal fibers and inorganic fibers are added to the ceramic matrix. The fiber reinforced ceramic composite is the youngest but most promising branch of the ceramic family. For the convenience of production, research and learning, ceramics are sometimes divided into high-strength ceramics, high-temperature ceramics, high toughness ceramics, ferroelectric ceramics, piezoelectric ceramics, electrolyte ceramics, semiconductor ceramics, dielectric ceramics, optical ceramics (i.e. transparent ceramics), magnetic ceramics, acid resistant ceramics and biological ceramics according to their properties, rather than chemical composition.