Electrical applications are widely divergent because ceramics offer a variety of electrical characteristics. The refractoriness of ceramics has been taken advantage of for many years. Ceramics are available with use temperatures approaching absolute zero and ranging upwards toward 3000 C in reducing and oxidizing environments. Uses continue to be found for ceramics in welding and brazing, cryogenics and high temperature, high purity processing applications. As science and process control have supplanted art in ceramic manufacture, the historical perception of ceramics is changing to one of reliable engineering materials with significant design benefits.
Applications range from optical supports to heat engine components to cutting tools.
Chemical resistance of ceramics offers an effective solution to many severe corrosion problems. Literally billions of dollars are lost yearly to corrosion. Applications from the chemical processing industry and oil well drilling to metal refining to semiconductor processing all rely on ceramics superior resistance to chemical attack.