Abstract: A piston arrangement (12) for an internal combustion engine (10) comprises one or more pistons (14) which are at least partly constructed from a technical ceramic material. An axially disposed bore (20) for receiving a heat transfer member (22) is provided in at least one of the pistons (14). The heat transfer member (22) is reconfigurable from a first, solid, state to a second state in which at least part of the heat transfer member (22) is in a liquid state so as to transfer heat away from and thus cool the piston rod (16) as the piston reciprocates. A cylinder arrangement (46) for the internal combustion engine (10) comprises one or more cylinders (48) which are at least partly constructed from a technical ceramic material. One or more grooves (54) are formed in the cylinder (48), to decrease the thermal gradient between the inside and outside of the cylinder (48).