section_path: Categories/Metallic ceramics
section_name: Metallic ceramics
paragraph_text: Metallic ceramics
  
  There are many ceramic compounds which have metallic electrical conduction, but are not simple combinations of metallic elements. (They are not the same as cermets which are composites of a non-conducting ceramic and a conducting metal.) One set, the transition metal nitrides has significant ionic character to the bonding, so can be classified as both ceramics and metals. They have partially filled states at the Fermi level so are good thermal and electrical conductors, and there is often significant charge transfer from the transition metal atoms to the nitrogen. However, unlike most elemental metals, ceramic metals are often not particularly ductile. Their uses are widespread, for instance titanium nitride finds use in orthopedic devices and as a wear resistant coating. In many cases their utility depends upon there being effective deposition methods so they can be used as thin film coatings.