CELEX: 51979PC0273
Language: en
Date: 1979-06-05
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the adoption of a programme of technological research in the field of clay minerals and technical ceramics (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

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COM (79) 273
Vol. 1979/0106
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                             COM(79 ) 273 final
                                             Brussels , ,5 June
                                                       t . 9) ^  r • krhX
                                                                            M
                                                                          .-W
                              Proposal for a
                             COUNCIL DECISION
              on the adoption of a programme of technological
               research In the field of clay minerals and
                            technical ceramics
                  ( submitted to the Council by the Commission )
C0M(79 ) 273 final
 ---pagebreak---                                                                               CONTENTS
                                                                                                                      Page
                Présentation of the programme                                                                           1
                Scope of the programme                                                                                _ 3
               Financial Estimates                                                                                      6
                Implementation and management of the programme                                                          7
                Dissemination of information                                                                            8
                                                                                   »
                                                                                   f
                                                                                   f
                                                                                   !
                ANNEXES:                                                           1
                Annex 1 :             Financial record                                                              ,   9
                Annex 2 :             Technical annex                                                                  13
                Annex 3 :             Knowledge and inventions                                                         25
                Annex 4 *             Proposal for a Council Decisión
                                       adopting a programme of technological
                                      research on clay minerals and technical
                                       ceramics ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••*»•                                27
                Annex 5 *              Situation of the oeramies industry in
                                      the Community ••••••••••••••••••••••••*••••••••                                  31
                                                                                   i
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 ---pagebreak--- PRESENTATION OP THE PROGRAMME
The Commission is presenting a multiannual programme of joint research and
development extending over four years , the cost of which , for the duration
of the projects , is estimated at 8.2 million EUA ( 4*50 million EUA to be
borne by the Commission ).
The programme which has been drawn up in close consultation with the Commu­
nity ceramics industry , will be implemented by way of shared–cost research
contracts , on the one hand with CERAME-UNIE for the clay minerals , and on
the other hand with GROUPISOL for the industrial ceramics *
Both national research organisations and private industry will participate
in the joint research programme , which will employ 20 research workers and
22 assistants per topic * The programme , which is aimed essentially at encou­
raging a deeper integration of research and development in this industrial
sector will cover two main subjects , namely :
– the technology of clay minerals           (i )   /                     \
               ^         J                  v '    ( see technical annex )
– the technology of industrial ceramics     ( il )
It is justified by the following considerations :
The basic properties of ceramics } resistance to heat and wear , chemioal
inertness , eleotrical behaviour and more recently , higher mechanical strength ,
have led to their use in a whole range of industrial products from domestic
ceramics to areas of advanced technology . Many other industrial Bectors depend
on ceramic components for their further development and growth so that a
coordinated research programme will not only benefit the ceramics industry
itself , but will strengthen the technological base of Community industry in
general . It is justified by the following considerations t
Clay minerals
Improvements in the technology of clay minerals will principally be of benefit
to the traditional ceramics industry .
– This subsector consists of a multitude of small and medium–sized firms who
  supply F. GROWING internal and export market for basic ceramic products .
– The firms are located principally in regions where the raw materials occur
  naturally or are easily accessible , and these are frequently economically
  less favoured areas where the ceramic industry plays an important role in
  the regional eoonomy .
– In view of diffuse structure of the industry it is essential that researoh
  is carried out on a collaborative basis to ensure the best use of the
  limited contributions available from industrial sources and that the results
  are applied as widely as possible . Community participation will encourage
  and strengthen this collaborative base .
– Improved product quality and the evolution of new products is essential
  to maintain the competitive position of the industry on the Community end
  world markets .
– A better knowJ edge c.. the technology of clay minerals would lead to a
  lower specifio ensrgy consumption in the production prooess and the
 ---pagebreak---    development of better heat resisting ceramics will also make a contribution
   to the rational utilization of energy.
- A more effective use of clay minerals and the re-use of industrial mineral
   wastes would reduce environmental pollution by wastes and spoil heaps *
Industrial ceramics
                                                                               »
•- Industrial ceramics are replacing metals as structural elements where
I extreme operating conditions require heat resistance and strength at high
' temperatures or inertness , for example in the development of high tempe-
 : rature gas turbines and power plant and in units for use in aggressive
   chemical conditions . Their use allows the development of higher efficiency
: units where material properties are a limiting factor*
~ In additional fields such as electrical insulators , the competitive posi­
   tion of the Community industry can only be maintained by the development
   of more effective products *
«- The unique semiconducting properties of ceramics can be exploited not only
   in electronic circuit components but in more massive form in a variety of
 ' process equipment components such as heater elements and solid electrolytes
i These properties also permit the development of specific instrument sensors
   which can be used in improving engine and plant performance*
Stimulation of joint research in these fields will strengthen the industrial
tissue and reduoe Community dependence cm imported teohnology*
 ---pagebreak---  SGOPE OF THE PROGRAMME
I.     As regards clay minerals :
1*   Determination of the characteristic properties of clay minerals
     ( chemical composition , state of the surface , porosity and pore size ,
    morphological properties , etc .) and study of their effect on the
    "behaviour of clays during moulding .     This entails :
    1»    study of the interactions in suspensions of aqueous clays ("bonds
          between ions , between molecules , et the water surface , ion
          exchange , etc .);
    2.    study of the electrochemical and electrokinetic properties of clay
          minerals .
The purpose of this project is to lay the technological foundations for
upgrading the less valuable clay minerals and adapting ceramic production
processes to the requirements imposed by less valuable clay minerals and the
wastes of other branches of industry , taking into account the need :
–   to ensure that the process is economically viable ;
–   to raise the technological level of the industry ;
–   to plan for the demands which the market places upon ceramic products ;
–   to use production energy in the roost economical manner ;
–   to protect the environment ;
–   to improve working conditions ;
    to       the Community 's natural resources in the best possible way ;
–   to maintain the level of employment ;
–   to enlarge the basis for industrial innovations .
2#   Scientific study of drying , which requires among other things a
    knowledge of the interaction of clay particles in industrial suspensions
    with different components such as feldspar or quartz , in order to
    ascertain the roec-hanism of water absorption and of drying .
 ---pagebreak--- ♦
! The main operations which consume energy in the ceramic industry are the
I preparation of basic products , drying, "baking and fusion of refractories.
  A variety of techniques will be Btudied from different angles , for
  instance drying "by radiation or by heat pump in these operations , their
  feasibility , the energy and quality aspects .
i
I
I
I 3.  Study of the baking of selected clays alone or in mixtures .     In
      particular , the loss of weight , the gas composition , the energy
      balance and the mineralogical changes will be determined .
<
ι
I
i
i The rate of vitrification , the tensions in the materials , the phenomenon of
  thermal shock and of black heart in ceramic masses , and the possibility of
  saving energy will likewise be analysed.
  To save energy a number of technical solutions can be proposed , such as
  use of low density smoke evaouation systems , recovery of heat , and impro­
  vement of the isotherms and the baking cycles .
  4*  Study of the properties of the baked masses from the mechanical ,
      physical | electrical and chemical point of view.
  5»  Study of the effect of mineralogical properties of clay minerals on
      the behaviour of the product during the different phases of the
      manufacturing technology (moulding, drying, baking) and on the
      properties of the finished produots .
                                         t
  Finally , correlations of a general type will be established , linking up
  all the data oolleoted during the studies of the different items mentioned
  above *
 ---pagebreak---                                        5
 II .   As regards the programme of development of industrial ceramic materials ,
the industrial and research laboratory experts suggested the following six
 studies ( see technical annex ):
1*    Development of the production technology for the manufacture of powders
      optimized for a particular product or purpose , using oxides and
      mixed oxides as the basic materials for industrial ceramic products .
2.    Improvement of the surface state of semi–finished and finished ceramics
      in alumina in order to increase their mechanical strength .
3.    Development of the technology of using zirconium oxide ceramic products
      by increasing their meohanical strength .
4#    Development of the technology of using ceramic materials containing
      electricity^-conducting zirconium oxide .
      Development of the possibilities of using the electrical properties of
      tin oxide .
6.    Development of the technology of further processing and utilization of
      ceraaio fibres and perfecting of the technological bases for new
      production procedures and perhaps invention of new products .
The projects outlined assume that the technological research will not be
conceived solely at the national level , but that later on Community aspects
will emerge and guidelines be laid down , which should allow the separated
research systems , where up until now exchanges have only been sporadic , to
be transformed into an overall efficient system .     The joint research
progrfwune which is the subject of this Commission proposal opens the way
for this promising development .
 ---pagebreak---   !
  ί
                                                      · ι             .·
     FINANCIAL FORECAST .
 f,                                   ■                       .     '
j The maximum EEC contribution for implementation of the proposed programme
    amounts to 4«50 million EUA ( see annex : Financial record ).
i
, The detailed "breakdown of the financing, "by topic and "by project , will be
    carried out "by the programme management body ( see below).
    The Community funds will serve :
    (l ) to finance shared–cost research contracts with the research
             organizations , industry and the universities of the Member States ,
             to the extent of 50% of "the effective cost of the research carried
             out . with a maximum of 2.05 million EUA for each of the two topics .
                                                          I
                                                          I
    (2 ) to manage the programme which will amount to 0,40 million EUA .
                                                       10
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 ---pagebreak--- Management of "the programme
The Commission will carry out the research programme "by means of contracts .
The Commission 's Services will assure the collaboration with the contractors
( CERAME-UNIE and GROUPISOL ) and their programme Management Council , and
will refer , on matter concerning the programmes operation , to the Consulta­
tive Committee for management and research and development programmes
in accordance with the Council 's resolution of 18 . July 1977 relative to
consultative Committees for the management of the research programme
(O.J. N° C 192 of 11.8.1977 , P. 1 ).
 ---pagebreak--- DISSEMINATION OP INFORMATION
The dissemination of knowledge resulting from the programme will be
governed by Council Regulation (EEC ) No 2380/74 of 17 September 1974 »
The contraot clauses applicable to know-how and inventions will b* based
on the principles defined in Annex 3 *
 ---pagebreak---                                         9 -
 ANNEX 1
                                FINANCIAL RECORD
NEW PROJECT .
1.   Budget heading :    section 3720 .
2 » Title of budget headings      actions in the ceramics sector .
3.   Legal basis : Proposal for a Council decision based on article 235
     of the EEC Treaty adopting a programme of collective technological
     research in the field of clay minerals and technical ceramics .
4»   Description , aim and .justification of the project
    4.0 Description of the project – persons involved
          4-0.0 Execution of two research projects , one on the technology
                  of day minerals fl ). the other on the technology of
                  special ceramics (il )
          4.1.0   Persons involved
                  4.0 . 1.1  the ceramics industry
                  4.0 . 1.2 the whole Community
    4.1   Aim of the project
          4*1.0   General aim
                  – to improve the technology of using clay minerals (l )
                  - to broaden the scope of technical ceramics (il ).
          4.1.1   Spécifie objectives
                  – use of clay minerals of lesser quality ;   improvement
                    of technological conditions for the supplying of raw
                    materials and for innovation of products and
                    production methods in the context of the economic
                    policy for the environment and energy (i );
                  – creation of starting materials necessary for
                    production; substitution of ceramic products for rare
                    metals ; development of industrial ceramics through
                    the promotion of innovations , in the context of the
                    economic policy for the environment and energy (il ).
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 10 -
     4®2  Justification of the project chosen
          Implementation of the programme is financed jointly by the
          Community and industry .     The joint character of the research
          allows more eco.noraio use of public funds and encourages private
          endeavours , in particular in the form of supplementary
          programmes carried out at their own expense by certain firms .
          These projects are aimed essentially at encouraging greater
          integration in this industrial sector and at strengthening it
          to faoe competition .
5» Budgetary aspects of the project (in million EUA, at current prices )
     5*0  Effect on expenditure
          5.0 . 1 Miltiannual timetable
                  Miltiannual projects to be entered in the budget as
                  single budgetary commitments for the whole period of the
                  projects and as payment appropriations (TABLE l )
ΜΜΜΜΚΒΜΜΜΜΕΗηβΡΜΜΙΜΜΗΒη
                        Budgetary       Payments forecast – need for payment
                        commitment s    appropriations
                                         ist        2nd   3rd    Subsequent
                                       year       year    year   financial years
 Budgetary
 commitment
 ( single commitment       4.50         0,9        1,70   1,10        0,80
 for the period of
 the projects )
 TOTAL                                       4 .. 50 million EUA
                  These projects will be pursued until 1984 , Table II
                  shows the balance sheet of possible payments *
 ---pagebreak---                                         - 11 -
          Topic I : clay    Topic II : special     Management of
          minerals          ceramics               the programme
 lst
               0.40                0.40               0.100             0.90
 year
 2na
               0.80                0.80               0.100             1.70
 year
 3rd.
               0.50                0.50               0.100             1.10
 year
 4th
               0.35                0.35               0.100             0.80
 year
 TOTAL         2.05                2.05               0.400             4.50
                                                                     million EUA
       5*0.2  Rate of use of the payment appropriations during the
              firts exercise :
              First half–year :   30$ ;   second half–year :  10fo»
5.1    Possible effect on resources
       5.1.1  Method of calculation .     Expenditure by contracts .
              The costs of the contract will depend on the nature of the subjects
              sad the nature of the legal systems of the participating labora­
              tories . It is not possible to set up a uniform method of calcu–
              tion for the participation rates per project .
              In any case , the Commission 's Services and the contractors together
              with their Management Council , will consult the Consultative Com­
              mittee on the management of the research and development program­
              me to be set up in accordance with the Council resolution of
              18 July 1977 (O.J. No. C 192/1 of 11.8.77 ) on the allocation of
              the credits .
                Community     Industry          Total
 Programme
 topic I +         4.1          4.1         8.2 million EUA
 topic II
6.    Supervisory arrangements planned
      6.1   Supervision of the execution of the research oontracts by
            Commission staff and by the ACFM .
 ---pagebreak---                                         12 -
7 . . Financial effect of the pro.iect througjio-ut the period envisaged
      ( in million EUA )
             7.0.1 Expenditure (cost ) to be met by the      4.50
                     Community budget including management
                    expenses of the programme
             7*0.3 Expenditure (cost ) to be met by          4»1
                    other sectors at a national level
                                                   Total     8.60  million E(JA
8.    Information on the Btaff and operating appropriations necessary for
      implementing the pro.iect
      8.0 Necessary staff
            11 CA) tion
                   ( temporary agents for the dura-
                         of the programme )                         , , , . mA
                                                             0# 4° million  EUA
9.   Financing of the pro.iect
     9*3 Appropriations to be entered in future budgets .
 ---pagebreak--- AMEX 2
                            TECHNICAL AMEX
I.   The technology of clay minerals in the ceramics manufaotaring
     process
II . Studies covered by the joint research programme of the industrial
     ceramics seotor
 ---pagebreak--- T.     CLAY MINERALS
Ai mi
To study scientifically and in depth the properties of the clay particle
with a view to :
1 « laying a sound basis of theory *to support today 's largely empirical
      knowledge of the properties and interactions of basic materials in
      the ceramics industry:
2.    manipulating them better :
3. obtaining a better command of manufacturing technology :
4*    obtaining scientifically valid data which will allow the invention of
      new technologies and possibly new products ;
5 * discovering how to use the raw materials present in the Community
      sub-soil which are at present rejected for want of adequate knowledge
6 . thereafter preparing a list of raw materials which oould be used by
      the ceramics industry of the EEC .
Programme contents :
Determination of the characteristic properties of clay minerals (ohemical
composition, surface state , porosity and pore size , morphological
properties , eto*)       study of their effect upon the behaviour of olays
during forming*      This requires :
1 * study of the interactions in aqueous day suspensions (bonds between
      ions , between molecules , at the water surface , ion exchange , etc*)*
2. study of the electrochemical and electrokinetio properties of clay
      minerals , such as the interaction of clay particles in industrial
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 15 -
      suspensions with, different components , e.g. feldspar or quarts , in
      order to reveal the mechanism of absorption of water and of drying .
2.    Study of the baiting of selected clays alone or in mixtures .         In
      particular , the loss of weight , the gas composition , the energy
      balance and the mineralogical changes will be determined .
      The rate of vitrification , the tensions in the materials , the
      phenomenon of thermal shock and of black heart in ceramic masses ,
      and the possibilities of saving energy will be analysed .
3.    Study of the properties of the baked masses from the mechanical ,
     physical , electrical and chemical standpoints .
4.    Study . of the effect of mineralogical properties of clay minerals on
     the behaviour of the product during the different phases of the
     manufactuxing technology ( moulding , drying , baking) and on the
     properties of finished products .
Finally , correlations of a general type will be established linking up
all the data collected during the studies of the different above mentioned
items .
STUDIES COVERED BY THE JOIM1 RESEARCH PROGRAMME OF THE TECHMCAL CERAMICS
INDUSTRY
Research study I :
Itevelcpmen^ £f_the_production ie£hnolo£^_f£r_the__manufacture_of powders
optimised for; a £a£t^cul^_p£odu£t__or £urpo_s_e ,_u_si ng_ox i d e_s and mixed.
oxi.de_s_.as the. basic, materials. for. ^ndu£tirial__C£ramic_j3£odu.ct.s
The practice which until now has consisted in producing basic ceramic
materials mainly by decomposition of hydroxides and carbonates ( Bayer
procedure for the manufacture of alumina ) no longer answers the increased
demands .      Various manufacturing procedures discovered recently may
broaden the possibilities of producing basio materials optimized for a
given purpose , for example :
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 16 -
– sinterable silicon carbide powders ,
– powders for isostatio pressing,
– powders of known particle size for electrical materials ,
– zirconium oxide with stabilized phase and doped in an optimum way ,
• beta-alumina ,
– homogeneous materials for ferrites .
Among the new procedures for manufacturing powders , we would mention :
  the sol–gel procedure , which is , for example , adapted to the manufacture
  of high-melting-point oxide powders (thorium oxide ) that can be sintered
  at relatively low temperatures , i.e. with lower energy consumption and
  less pollution of the environment ;
  co-precipitation , for the preparation of ultra–fine powders , e.g. of
  alumina or of barium titanate , which are suitable starting materials
  for extremely homogeneous and microcrystalline products ;
  hot atomization of solutions using a flame or plasma toroh , and the
  procedure consisting of projecting solutions on to a hot plate or into
  an oven , which allows the manufacture of powders as fine as those
  produced by oo-precipitation, with variable associated properties ;
  hydrolysis of organometallic compounds , which readily offers the
  possibility of gearing the process towards the acquisition of specifio
  powder properties *
Enlargement of the technological scope for the creation of ceramic
starting powders optimized for a particular product or purpose will lay
the foundations for new and improved products , capable of fulfilling key
technological functions and important from the standpoint of social and
economic policy*     Examples of these are :
– substrates , supports and housings for electrical circuits ,
– piezoelectric sensors ,
– solid electrolytes in beta–alumina for electrical energy accumulators
  ( electric drives , miolear energy , low-voltage electricity grid
  systems ),
– bioceramic materials (pins for fractures , bone replacements ,
  reoeptaoles for implantations , parts for artificial organs),
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 17 -
 - substitution for articles made from valuable materials , e.g. :
   • alumina to replace vanadium carbide or tungsten carbide for carbide
     platelets , milling spindle heads aM drill heads ,
   • alumina or ziroonium oxide to replace platinum for crucibles ,
   • silioon carbide to replace molybdenum in steels *
- highly-stressed machine parts such as gas-turbine blades of silioon
   nitride or silicon carbide .
The research will cover , as the most important points , the technology of
powders of zirconium oxide , tin oxide , alumina , beta-alumina , and the
mixed oxides of zirconium oxide , silicon oxide , alumina or titanium oxide .
Once the production technology of these oxides has been developed , the
research can be extended, to other powders such as those of silicon
nitride , silicon carbide , carbon , titanate , zirconates , niobates and
ferrites .
For each pow&or , the research will oover the development of
– the technology of producing    the powders
– the technology of using the powders
– the technology of producing materials manufactured from these powders .
Justification :
In the manufacture of the powders , the United States is considerably in
advance of the EC countries thanks to its technical development in
astronautics , defence and the whole field of electronics .
Even Japan was quick to follow a parallel path and has passed on to mass
production and thus gained the lead over the Community .
This advance enables the United States to deliver high-grade powders to
its branch firms established in the Community , whioh may then deliver
highly-developed products to the manufacturers of electronic components
and equipment installed in Europe .     Firms which are not subsidiaries of
American companies are not able to obtain any of these highly-developed
powders or can only procure them in small amounts at unfavourable prices .
This privileged situation gives the American subsidiaries a competitive
advantage over the Community manufacturers of oxide–based ceramics .
 ---pagebreak--- As a result, there is an acute risk that the manufacturers of industrial
 ceramics products installed in the Community will inevitably find
 themselves in a situation of dependence on the American suppliers .
The manufacturers of electronic components in the Community, who , as a
result of the dominant position on the market of the American suppliers of
 special ceramic materials , dependent largely on US firms , could, however ,
free themselves from this dependence if the Community manufacturers of
industrial ceramic products were in a position to supply products of
similar quality.
If the industrial ceramics industries of the Community themselves develop
these necessary powdered materials , they will be in a position to
guarantee the requisite quality of ceramic products .
Research study II : Improvement of the surface state of semi-finished and
finished ceramics in alumina in order to increase their mechanical strength
The improvement of the surface state of glass with a view to increasing its
mechanical and breaking strength has , in the last twenty years , opened new
fields for the utilization of glass . The surface state is improved by means
of acid-polishing, fire–polishing, mechanical polishing, thermal
hardening, chemical hardening or coating with tin oxide . For ceramic         i
products no comparable process has up to now attained technical maturity, !
although the results of experiments so far offer good prospects for
practical applications :                                                       j
– by quenching sintered alumina in certain oils , it is possible to
   increase considerably the tensile strength of the sample :                 !I
- in a mixture of titanium tetrachloride vapour , methane and hydrogen, it
   is possible to deposit on alumina an adhering layer of titanium oxide ,
   then of titanium carbide , and thus enhance the strength of the
   ceramio material * The treatment can be controlled by means of the
   reaotion temperature , because below 1000°C titanium oxide is formed,
   and titanium carbide above that temperature .
 ---pagebreak---        Research will apply these and related procedures to ceramic materials ,
       discover the structural , thermal , chemical and mechanical changes which
       they cause at the surface of the material and also elucidate the
       physical and chemical mechanisms of the treatment as a basis that will
       allow the greatest broadening of the technological scope offered by
! improvement of the surface state. Wie final aim of this task would be
1 to open up to the ceramic material , alumina, new fields of use such as
i ball bearings or plunger pistons*          j
ι
I
i Justification :
j The project must cope with the future shortage of certain noble metals by
| developing substitute materials. By improving the surface state of
j ceramic products it will be more practicable than in the past to
       substitute ceramic materials for the highly-stressed components in noble
       metals intended for machines , gas turbines , etc . In view of the high heat
       resistance and the corrosion strength of alumina, this substitution will
 : even permit stepping up the function of engines and plant .         How to
 : give a ceramic component mechanical strength equivalent to that of the
 I metal which it is to replace , however , is the key problem facing all the
 | Community producers of oxide–based ceramics. Ihe research necessary to
 ! bring about this aim is of such fundamental nature and general magnitude
  ' as exceeds the capabilities and the material resources of the individual
  j producers#
       Research study III : Development of the technology of using zirconium
       oxide ceramic products by increasing their mechanical strength
   i
   ! Compared with alumina, zirconium oxide possesses certain properties which
   j are so remarkable (e.g. high melting point and great hardness ) that one
   1 may look forward to considerable wider utilization of this material .
       However , its industrial application has so far been limited to fireproof
       bricks for furnaces , obtained by melting and sintering and to chemical
       installations or sintered machine parts , for example thread–guiding
       components in the textile industry, drawplates in the metallurgical
     i and plastics industry and pulverizers in the industrial crushing
       technique .
 ---pagebreak---          The low 'breaking strength has until now restricted wider utilization
         of zirconium oxide and hindered its use in the manufacture of large
         production parts subject to heavy mechanical stresses .
I
         Recently, however , new potential ways of substantially increasing the
         strength of zirconium oxide have been found ; for instance stabilizers
         can be added which cause monoclinic or tetragonal precipitations in the
         cubic phase of the material *    The higher strengths so far obtained in
         this manner already open the way to a number of new potential uses .
         It must be noted , however , that the limit to the increases in strength
  ! that can be achieved have not yet been ascertained.
  !
  i
 i In order to get higher still strength, new stabilizers must be added
  ! to the wide range which exists already , texture studies must be done ,
  ! and the technique for manufacturing sample parts similar to the
  i products used today must be developed.            Another point to be examined is
  | the extent to which the new possibility represented by immersion imparts
  i to the material properties of value from the standpoint of utilization
         technology.                            >
   t
   I
    I Research study IV : Development of the technology of using ceramic
   i materials containing zirconium oxide as a conductor of electricity
    i
     I
     i At high temperatures , zirconium oxide is a conductor of electricity.
     • Its conductance is due to the mobility of the electrons and the
         oxygen ions .
     i
     i
     i Thanks to this property, zirconium oxide tubes have already earned a
     ; place on the market as electrical heating elements in furnaoes .
      ; As an oxygen ion conductor this material is also suitable for measuring
      j the oxygen content of hot gases and melts .       For example , oxygen probes
      | made of zirconium oxide are already widely used during the melting
       i of steel .                               !
                                                  »                       ..
       1                                          I
                                              •   I
                                                   i
                                                    I
                                                   I
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 21 -
The potential uses of zirconium oxide as a thermal fuse and measuring
probe are far from "being exhausted , because the technological principles
in regard to this material have not yet been sufficiently explored .
It appears possible to use it for automatic optimizing of energy
consumption in oil-fired heating installations , combustion engines and
thermochemical production installations . Whilst its field of use is
certainly not narrow , one cannot as yet perceive its full extent . It is
essentially characterized by the remarkable properties of zirconium
oxide , and particularly its high melting point and its chemical inertness .
This material thus represents a latent factor in the technological and
economic development of the industry , the rationalization of energy
consumption and the protection of the environment .
In order to exploit this user potential , we need to establish the
technological fundamentals of the product . It is necessary , for example ,
to examine systematically the links existing between the mechanical ,
thermal , electrical and electrochemical properties and the temperature ,
ambient atmosphere ( e»g . the partial pressure of oxygen ) and doping
( e.g. the valency of cations ).
Justification :
This project will lay the foundations for important technical innovations ,
for example the manufacture of sensors for monitoring functions in
motor vehicles , ovens and exhaust-gas installations .    The settings made
possible by the use of these sensors will allow substantial energy
savings .
These oansors ars of particular importance to the motor-car industry ,
since the settings they allow make it unnecessary to add lead to the fuel ,
and this will help considerably to protect the environment . Research
into the possibilities offered by zirconium oxide sensors of substantially
lowering the carbon monoxide content in combustion–engine exhaust gases
is also    iportajit from the economic viewpoint . If legislation came in
requiring Ihis , the industrial ceramics industry today would be caught
unprepared and would depend on imports from the United States ,
 ---pagebreak--- since the latter already applies provisions of this type and., as a
result , the industry has already carried out developments in this
direction. The major risk in the Community as regards amortizing the
development costs will be distributed aoross the whole of the branch
by means of the joint action project .
Research study V ; Development of the possibilities of using the electrical
properties of tin oxide
Tin oxide has long been used as an opacifying agent for glazes and
enamels and as a component of matt glass *
In recent times unusual electrical properties of tin oxide have been
discovered. Consequently tin oxide electrodes are used instead of
molybdenum electrodes for electrically heating the glass-melting
furnace when the glasses contain oxides that rank higher than molybdenum
in the table of electrochemical voltages (e.g. PbO, AlgO^, CuO, Fe^O^)»
Coatings or glazes containing tin oxide serve to improve the surface .
They axe electricity^-conducting and therefore suitable for operating-
theatres , organic laboratories , rooms where explosion risks exist , or
high-voltage insulators , and are replacing lead glazes which are
regarded as dangerous for the environment . The n-type semi-oonductor
tin oxide can be used as an indispensable electronic and electro-optical
material .
Development of new uses depends on , first , greater mastery of the
technique of manufacturing tin oxides or mixed glass-and-ceramic
systems containing tin oxide and, secondly, a systematic examination
of these materials from the point of view of their properties and
their reactions in the field of 6olid state physios .
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 23 -
Research study VT : Development of the technology of further process in/:
and utiliz.it ion of ceramic fibres and, perfecting of technological
bases for new production procedures
Recently, ceramic fibres of alumina and zirconium oxide have really got
off the ground . In the meantime , a European manufacturer has begun
to market such fibres .
These fibres are very resistant to chemicals and to high temperatures
and can also be used as heat-insulat ing material in places where other
materials are not strong enough to last well but where insulation
is particularly desirable . This is the case in the construction of
metallurgical ovens and thermochemical equipment .
Simply on the grounds of the energy-saving measures imposed by economic
factors , it is imperative to promote wider production and use of
ceramic fibres .
Ceramic fibres in bonded fabric form have already proved their worth as
oven linings . This use could be considerably simplified , and followed
by other uses , if the fibres were further transformed in which ceramic
starting materials prepared from fibres are pressed or cast and finally
sintered . The product obtained would then be a solid construction
material characterized by extreme lightness and high thermal and
chemical resistance . It would be mechanically suitable for machining ,
but could be manufactured in an almost limitless range of shapes .
Prom the point of view of economic and technological policy, it is
worthwhile to discover and extend the technology of manufacturing
and using such a material , which moreover could be used for a number
of other purposes , for example as piping for very hot , chemically
corrosive liquids and gases , as structural parts for reaction tanks
in the chemical industry, as a filtering medium , a support for catalysts ,
for confining high temperatures in the smallest possible space , and
so forth .
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 24 -
Hitherto , ceramic fibres have been proauced by drawing or blowing
from the melt . In view of the significance of the fibres in the public
mind , it would be desirable to create technological production
foundations for other manufacturing processes .   Some unconventional
methods would give greater freedom in the choice of starting
materials . One should , for example , find out how to obtain crude
ceramic fibres , which could then be baked , by impregnation of textile
fibres in suspensions of ceramics or by electrophoretic deposition
of ceramic powders on metal or carbon fibres .
Just if icat ion :
The utmost must be done to enlarge the technology of manufacturing,
and using ceramic fibre , a material of such importance in connection
with energy policy. Isolated firms would find it too difficult to
resolve the fundamental problems . But , if the fundamental technological
principles , and in particular those relating to use , are researched by
collective effort this study will put the industrial ceramics industry
in a better starting position to conquer new markets and at the same time
contribute towards the energy savings that are now so necessary.
 ---pagebreak---                                     - 25 -
ANNEX 3
                        KNOWLEDGE AND INVENTIONS
A. Knowledge
The contacts concluded, in implementation of this Decision will contain
clauses permitting :
1 . Communication to the Commission of the knowledge resulting from the
research entrusted to the contractor , with the right to use it for its own
needs , particularly for the management of the programme .
2 . Confidential exchange , between contractors , doing research on the same
topic , of any information which is necessary to the successful execution
of the research and of which they have free disposal .
3® The compiling , for each research topic , of annual status reports which
the Commission may coraaxunicate to the ACPM®
4 * The compiling , on the initiative of the contractor at the request of the
Commission , of special reports intended for the Kember States and for
persons and firms who carry on in the territory of a Member State , a
research or production activity justifying their access to such reports .
5 . The compiling , for each research topic , of a final report intended for
publication , it being understood that , at the reasoned request of the
contractor , the distribution of all or part of this report amy be
restricted to the Member States and to persons and firms who carry on ,
in the territory of a Member State , a research or production activity
justifying their access to these reports .
B « Inventions
    Under Council Regulation ( EEC ) I?o 2380/ 74 the inventions , whether
patentable or not , resulting from the execution of the programme can
belong to the contractors , or , if some of them so wish , be disposed of
to a legal person created by them . If 'the contractors surrender these
inventions , the Commission may claim ownership of them for the Community.
 ---pagebreak--- Die contractor will be required to exploit such inventions or to have
them exploited under conditions which are in conformity with the
interests of the Community, pursuant to Article 3 of the above-mentioned
Regulation* The granting of licences that allow products or equipment
manufactured in non-member countries to be imported into the Community
will not normally be considered as conformable with the interests of the
Community and will be subject to prior authorization by the Commission.
2 . In selecting contractors the Commission will give preference to
those who have conoluded or are willing to conclude among themselves
an agreement on coordinated exploitation of the inventions and know-how
which emerge from research falling under the same topic * This agreement
must provide for the granting of licences on other inventions or the
supplying of other know*-how of which the contractors have the free disposal ,
insofar as this is necessary to such coordinated exploitation*
 ---pagebreak---                                    - 27 -
ANNEX 4
Proposal for a Counoil Decision on the adoption of a programme of
technological research in the field of clay minerals and technical
ceramics
THE COUNCIL OP THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Eoonomic Community,
and in particular Article 235 thereof ;
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ;
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ;
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee ;
Whereas on 14 January 1974 1 "the Council adopted a Resolution on the
coordination of national policies and the definition of projects of
interest to the Community in the field of science and technology ;
Whereas , underArticle 2 of the Treaty , the Community has inter alia
the task of promoting throughout the Community a harmonious development
of economic activities and a continuous and balanced expansion ;
Whereas      improvements in the technology of clay minerals and also in
the technology of the production and use of technical ceramio produots ,
which have become necessary for economic and social reasons and which will help
towards achievement of the above-mentioned Treaty objectives , depend
upon the carryings-through of certain wide-ranging technological research
work ;
Whereas joint research in this industrial sector plays an important role
in the development of the ceramic industry since this bra-rich consists
mainly of email and medium-sized undertakings which are not , or are not
sufficiently, in a position to undertake research of their own ;
Whereas , because the manufacture of classical ceramic products suoh
as insulators   is developing more and more in oountries which are
becoming industrialized outside the Community, it is essential that the
European industry devote itself to the technology and manufacture of
products embodying the highest technical knowledge and skill ;
 ---pagebreak---                                         - 28 -
  Whereas , "taking into account the limited national capabilities in the technology
  of olay minerals and technical ceramics , likewise the general interest
  expressed by the sector in the development of such technology , and in
  order to employ in the "best possible way the research potential available
  in the Community , the ceramios industry has drawn up a programme of joint
  research at Community level , the total financial cost of which amounts to
  8.2 million EUA ;
 Whereas a Community programme is designed to raise the technological level ,
 to increase the competitiveness of undertakings , especially that of small and
medium-sized undertakings ; and to further the aims of the Community policies
 on energy and the environment ;
Whereas this programme is also designed to improve the supply of raw materials
  for special materials , to facilitate innovation as regards both products and
production, to permit economic growth of the sector and thereby to raise the
  level of employment , and to strengthen development of economically unfavoured
 regions ;
 Whereas, furthermore, this Community programme , which is designed to be incorporated
  in the joint programme referred to above and to facilitate its implementation ,
  constitutes an important integrating faotor for the oeramics industry ;       1
 Whereas the joint research programme is the result of cooperation of
  several years * standing within the ceramics industry and therefore offers
the assurance that it will be rationally and successfully carried through ^
Whereas the research projects which are the subject of this Decision appear ;
 to be necessary if certain Community objectives relating to the functioning ■
of the common market are to be attained;
Whereas the Treaty establishing the European Eoononsio Community makes no
 provision for the powers of action Required for these purposes ;
Whereas CREST has delivered its opinion on the proposal of the Commission,
!                   *             ♦ ' .      « •                                 !
 ---pagebreak---                                        - 29-
HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS     :
                                   Article 1 .
A Community programme of research in the fields of technology of clay
minerals and technical ceramics , as set out in the Annex , is hereby
adopted for a period of four years .
                                   Article 2 .
The global requirements for the whole duration of the programme are
estimated at 4.5 MUCE and a staff of 2 agents , the European unit of
account being defined by article 10 of the Financial regulation of
21 December 1977 the sums quoted being given only by way of indication
                                   Article 3 .
The Commission shall carry out the programme by means of contracts .
It will be assisted in this task by the advisory committee on the
management of the programme of. research and development in the field
of "primary raw materials " set-up by Council decision of 6 March 1978 .
and whose mandate and membership are defined according to the Council
resolution of 18 July 1977 relating to consultative committees in
the field of research programme management .
                                 Article 4 .
Dissemination of information resulting from the execution of the
programme shall be effected under the terms of Council Regulation
( EEC ) 2380 / 74 adopting provisions for the dissemination of information
relating to research programmes for the European Economic Community .
Done at Brussels ,
                                                     For the Counci l ,
                                                     The President .
 ---pagebreak--- AMEX
Programme of research on the technology of clay minerals
                                                                               f
Main objectives : use of poorer-quality olay minerals , improvement of the      :
technological conditions that now restrict the supply of raw materials to
the ceramio industry and the innovations in products and production which
are desirable for reasons of economic , energy and environmental policy#
Programme :  initially , coordination of research in the field of clay minerals ,
to be followed "by technological research work in the context of a joint action
project of the ceramics industry , namely, thorough examination and development
of the bases underlying the technology of upgrading and utilizing day minerals ,
and drawing-up of a proposal to intensify the use of raw materials and to
improve the ceramio production process .
Programme of research on the technology of special ceramio materials
Main aims :  provision of basic materials for special ceramio materials ,
replacement of rare metals by ceramic products , development of industrial     ;
ceramics by the encouragement of innovations in products and production
which are desirable for reasons of economic , social , energy and environment '
policy .                                                                       !
                                                                               I
Programme : initially , coordination of research in the field of industrial ,
ceramics , to be followed by technological research work in the context of a
joint project of the industrial ceramics industry, namely , developing        j
of methods for the manufacture and processing of basio materials for
speoial ceramio materials , improvement of Bpeoial ceramic materials          j
and development of the teohnology of UBing them*                       :
 ---pagebreak---    ANNEX 5
                                                                                1
   SITUATION . LOCATION AM) DEVELOPMENT OF THE CERAMICS INDUSTRY IN THE COMMUNITY
   1 .  STRUCTURE
   The ceramics industry may be divided into:                                    j
                                          i
   Construction ceramics :                                                    ,
   sanitary equipraent , construction parts , tiles , stoneware pipes *           (
                                                                                  !
   Domestic ceramics :                    '                                       !
,                                                                                 i
   crockery , decorative articles                                                 i
                                                                                  i
   Industrial ceramics :                                                          i
 ■                                                                                f
   parts for electrical and chemical equipment and installations , for tools      i
   and machine-tools and for other purposes , medical for example .               ;
                                                                                  !
   Fireproof ceramics :                                                           1
                                                                                  r
   refractory parts for furnaces and metallurgical plant .                        i
;                                                                       •         i■
   Brickworks :                   *                                               1
                                                                                  I
   roofing tiles , bricks .                                                       !
1                                                                             '   i
   The ceramics industry of the Community numbers some 1 200 firms employing      j
   a total of about 250 000 people . Some ten firms employ more than 2 000        :
   persons . Around half the firms , and in the area of tile manufacture
   nearly three–quarters of the firms , employ less than 100 persons . The        j
   proportion of female labour is relatively large ;     in the production of
   crockery and decorative ceramics , it exceeds 5Qffo *
   The ceramics industry is mainly concentrated in certain regions which are
   distinguished ty the presence ( in the past ) of the raw material for
   ceramics or are based on national factories set up in the eighteenth
   century . From the economic point of view , some of the regions are not
   very well favoured and so the oeramios industry carries particular            i
   responsibility for their development .                                        :
 ---pagebreak---      2.  LOCATION OP THE CERAMICS INDUSTRY IN THE EC REGIONS
   ! GERMANY :
                                                                                  I
   I The production of porecelain for crockery and industrial ceramics is
   ; concentrated in the north-east of Bavaria. The local production of insulators
   ; accounts for 4Q& of the Community output . In the' case of crockery , German
  ^production amounts to 5 of the Community output ,                               i
   : An important zone for manufacture of pottery and sanitary equipment is found
     in the Saarland , centred on Mettlach/Perzig. In the Westerwald (Rhineland-
     Palatinate ) there are a large number of firms making tiles , drawn tiles , |
   ; rustic ceramics and sanitary equipment .                                       j
  ! UNITED KINGDOM:                                                                 j
  j The production of pottery and porecelain for both domestic and industrial
  | usage is concentrated in the district of Stoke-on-Trent ( Staffordshire ),     j
  ; a distriot which is in fact known as "the Potteries" • United Kingdom
 : production of earthenware crockery represents about 6Gjo of the Community
 ! output *
!! NETHERLANDS :                                                                   ii
< The ceramios industry is concentrated in the regions of Maastricht and
j Delft where the majority of tiles , sanitary equipment and orookery are
i
 i produced .                               «
! BELGIUM:"
I
I
     Generally speaking, the ceramios industry is established in the Borinage ,
     the Centre , Charleroi and Li&ge dist riots .
1                                                                                   !
| DENMARK:                                                                          j
i_         ...       _      ...          .                             ...          i
; The prduction of porcelain for crockery and insulators is concentrated
     praotically exclusively in the Copenhagen area.                                j
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 33 -
ITALY :
The production of porcelain crockery and sanitary equipment is located
in Lombardy and in certain parts of the south . Earthenware crockery
 ( faience ) comes principally from the Civita Castellana region .  Tile
production apart from that located in Lombardy , is strongly concentrated
in the region of Emilia Romagna ( Sassuolo zone ) where 5^ of the population
working in industry are engaged in tile-making . Ninety per cent of the tile
producers in the European Community are in Italy ; local production
represents 60fo of Community output .
FRANCE :
Manufacturers of sanitary ceramic wares are dispersed throughout the
country . A large number of tile and fireproof–product factories are
found in the north , particularly in the region of Lille and Maubeuge .
Factories for fireproof products are also concentrated in the RhSne Valley .
Certain eastern areas , and particularly Sarreguemines t are centres of
production of earthenware crockery , tiles and fireproof products .
The Pyrenees region has a number of firms producing industrial ceramics
( e„g , Tarbes)®   In Burgundy and in the centre of the country there are
producers of tiles and eartherware crockery ,
Frodi.ictj.on of porcelain crockery is concentrated in Haute-Vie mie with
Limoges as the centre and in Cher ( Berry region ) * These two areas
account for 9Ofo of the French production of poreoelain , three-quarters
of which comes from Limoges .
A certain number of earthenware factories occur in Brittany and these make
crockery and ornamental ceramics .
With the exception of sanitary ceramic wares , there has been little industrial
development of ceramics manufacture in the southern regions . Nearly all the
firms are of the cottage-industry type . The producers of decorative tiles
in Languedoo in particular are facing serious economic problems .
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 34 -
 Organization of the industry :  at the naxion?-! level the ceramics industry-
 is not organized in a uniform way .  Sometimes there is a national federation
 of ceramics industries , sometimes there are parallel sectoral organizations .
The industrial ceramics branch , which was originally concerned mainly with
the manufacture of electrical insulators , thus "belongs in some cases to
the organization of electrical industries .
At the Community level , the branches of fireproof ceramics , sanitary
ceramics , crockery ceramics , industrial ceramics and the tile industry
have their ovm sectoral organizations which are composed of the corresponding
national organizations and are united in CERAME-UNIE ( Office for Liaison
of the Ceramics Industries of the Common Market ). The sectoral organization
of industrial ceramics is called GROUPISOL .    The national umbrella
associations or general associations of the ceramics branches are also
members of CERAME-UNTE .
The Community sectoral organization of the brick industry is not part
of CERAME-ITNIE .
Production and trade :   the ceramics industry has a "turnover of 4 000 million u.a .
It represents about 0»jfo of the Community 's gross national product and
occupies the top position in the world , followed closely by Japan .
Admittedly production saw a drop of 13$ from 1974 "to 1975 » an(l in the
sectors of crockery and traditional tiles fell by 21 and 2 3$ respectively ;
but from 1971 "to 1975 i"t rose by 20-25$ .
During recent years ( 1970-75) » Community exports of ceramio products have
increased annually by 32$ and they represent at the present time 2CJ?o of
production. Imports represent 6$ of production and each year they increase
by an average of 18$ ,
The main competitors of the Community ceramics industry are the state-trading
countries and China , various small East-Asian countries ( South Korea ,
Singapore , Taiwan), Spain , Brazil and above all Japan , Some of these
competitors benefit from low wage–levels and government subsidies . It
is mainly the competition of the state-trading countries which disturbs
the market , since they can often sell their products at manufacturing
costs well below those of the Community .
 ---pagebreak---                                       - 35 -
The United States is by far the "biggest customer . Where industrial
ceramic products are concerned , however , they are , with Japan , the
keenest competitors .
Raw materials intended for the manufacture of ceramic products , among
which clay minerals are quantitatively the most important , are for the
most part extracted within the Community . Some raw materials , however ,
can be obtained outside the Community in better quality or under more
advantageous conditions . A certain number of basic substanoes for
special ceramic materials can be obtained only from a few non-member
oountries , because either the Community does not possess natural
deposits of them or these substances have to be prepared by new production
techniques which the Community firms have not yet mastered .
According to the estimates , production costs in the ceramics industry
break down as follows : 4O-6J/0 for wages , 10-20^ for raw materials and
auxiliary materials , 1Cff0 for energy and 10-2C7j0 for plant and premises .
From 1964 to 1970 ( 193 million u.a .), investments doubled .
The large fraction devoted to wages obviously creates trading difficulties
for the ceramics industry of the Community , as compared with low-wage
countries . On the other hand , the Community industry that makes machine
tools and plant for the manufacture of ceramic products unquestionably
occupies a dominant position at world level . It is therefore largely
geared to export and , in numerous cases , it equips the competitors of the
Community ceramics industry with the most modern means of production .
Technological development : public opinion generally underestimates ceramics
technology . This is because it stems from a skill that stretches back into
prehistory and people tend to think first of the craftsmanship or the
artistic aspect . In addition , it has only been during the last 25 years
that development has taken a great leap forward transforming the ceramic art ,
far more than did the technical progress of several centuries , into an
industry characterized in certain cases hy a very high technological content .
 ---pagebreak---  Production is in general largely automated and the working conditions for
 employees have markedly improved . In the same way , the staff are moving over
 from production work to supervision of materials , process control and
upgrading of the product .
Forecasts on future development :  the qualitative improvements in ceramio
products and the opening up of new fields of use have enabled the oeramios
industry to maintain the level of employment in. spite of thoroughgoing
rationalization and extensive automation .
Future development must satisfy the following requirements :
– In view of the fact that the present professional qualifications of workers
do not always correspond to the requirements imposed by technological
progress in ceramic production special attention must be given to the
training of a body of highly-qualified workers .
– Increasingly , the ceramics industry has need of starting materials
endowed with specific properties , and this requires innovations in the
area of basic ceramic materials .  Hence an effort must be made now to
intensify the employment of ceramic raw materials by making usable the
lower-grade materials which are today discarded and by channelling towards
the ceramic production process waste from other branches of industry .
– Since energy represents a cost factor which is continuously increasing ,
the industry must in future seize all opportunities , however limited , of
using energy in a more rational way .
– Immense possibilities are offered to the ceramics industry if it
follows the path taken by this young branoh , industrial and special
ceramics . To this end , and independently of a continual exploration
of potential uses , carried out at the interdisciplinary level , it is
necessary :
– to master the soience and technology of present and future ceramic materials
– to study systematically the interrelationships of the properties of
   ceramic materials with other phenomena which oocur in natural and
   engineering sciences .
 ---pagebreak---                                      - 37 -
                                        i
 – to develop interdisciplinary mixed technologies ,
 – to ensure that rare special raw materials and basic materials with a
    high technological content are available to the industrial ceramics
    industry .
 The political evaluation of the ceramics industry : a high added value
 "brought about by starting with generally cheap raw materials , a turnover
 of 4 000 million u.a ., a balance-of-trade surplus , 250 000 workers
 and 1 200 firms , the majority of which are small or medium-sized firms , are
 already-mentioned factors which allow evaluation of this industrial branch
 from the standpoint of economic policy . As to supply policy , it is
worth noting that in general the ceramic product is composed of native
materials and that in various cases it can take the place of rare metallic
raw materials * The fact that ceramic products are easy to crush is of
 importance to the environment policy . As to energy consumption, in
the ceramics industry it is moderately high but , in mariy economic fields ,
its products contribute largely to rationalizing the consumption and
conservation of energy . In addition , where other materials can take
the place of ceramic materials , the substitutes are generally produced
by energy-intenBive processes or have a much shorter lifetime . In
assessing the importance , in the public interest , of the ceramics industry , ,
one should take into account all these economic factors , but also
certain aspects of technological and cultural policy .
Its evaluation as regards technological policy rests upon its function
as a supplier to other branches of industry and other technical activities .
Here we are speaking of industrial ceramics , which is both an outcome
and a driving force of technical progress , even in the area of advanced
technology . Other branches of the ceramics industry also possess a
high potential for technological innovation , for example ceramics for
construction , which may play a considerable role in the renovation and
rationalization of the buildings industry .
The " cultural policy " aspect is connected with the fact that ceramic products
are for a large part durable investment goods purchased by households and
used for a number of generations . Their shape and working do not only
follow economic constraints of production or utilization , but cure also
                                             • ! ·>      << : ■;
 ---pagebreak---  governed lor aesthetics and old traditions . To that extent , therefore ,
 the ceramic product , particularly as regards ornamental ceramics , tiles
and crockery , and to some extent also sanitary and construction ceramics ,
is a cultural and even an artistic product endowed with the extraordinary
acceptability of a durable domestic object . It is also a challenge to
the creativity , as regards decoration and shape , of the many people who
work in ceramics as designers or industrial artists in the firms or as
freelance or amateur artists . All give shape to individual , local ,
regional , national , European, traditional or avant-garde concepts , and
through their ceramic creations influence the present and future
sentiments , thoughts and acts of those around them . As a result , ceramio
products also occupy an assured place in cultural policy .