A dvanced ceramics have been growing steadily in the 1990s, despite the fact that cuts in U.S. military programs have affected some of the anticipated demand in this decade. Many commercial and consumer related applications such as computers and telecommunication equipment have been growing rapidly, contributing to the growth, particularly in the electronics ceramics area.
Advanced ceramics encompass a variety of materials, markets, and applications.
For structural applications, materials include aluminas, zirconia, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, Sialon, and titanium diboride. Most of the electronic ceramics utilize their functional characteristics and encompass a range of materials, from simple oxides and nitrides to complex compounds. Ceramic coatings are a special class of ceramics which exploit the wide range of unique and desirable properties of various bulk ceramics. Chemical processing and environmental-related ceramics use the unique properties of ceramics, such as controlled porosity and inertness. High Tech Ceramics Industry Review brings business planners and industry executives developments in research, technology, company news and markets that occurred in 1997.