Ceramics offer many advantages compared to other materials. They are harder and stiffer than steel; more heat and corrosion resistant than metals or polymers; less dense than most metals and their alloys; and their raw materials are both plentiful and inexpensive. Ceramic materials display a wide range of properties which facilitate their use in many different product areas.
- Aerospace: space shuttle tiles, thermal barriers, high temperature glass windows, fuel cells
- Consumer Uses: glassware, windows, pottery, Corning¨ ware, magnets, dinnerware, ceramic tiles, lenses, home electronics, microwave transducers
- Automotive: catalytic converters, ceramic filters, airbag sensors, ceramic rotors, valves, spark plugs, pressure sensors, thermistors, vibration sensors, oxygen sensors, safety glass windshields, piston rings
- Medical (Bioceramics): orthopedic joint replacement, prosthesis, dental restoration, bone implants
- Military: structural components for ground, air and naval vehicles, missiles, sensors
- Computers: insulators, resistors, superconductors, capacitors, ferroelectric components, microelectronic packaging
- Other Industries: bricks, cement, membranes and filters, lab equipment
- Communications: fiber optic/laser communications, TV and radio components, microphones
