Glass, Ceramics and Refractories

Glass materials and ceramics are used in advanced technologies as well as in manufacturing of other materials. The various components include dental crowns, light bulbs, fiber optic glasses, catalytic converter substrates for car, and others. Refractory ceramics line cement kilns and steel making furnaces, draw heat from cell phones and project jet engines. 

In a broad manner, it should be noted well that ceramic materials are non metallic and inorganic in nature. There are various compounds that are considered to be ceramic materials such as oxides, borides, nitrides and carbides. Glasses are known to be amorphous materials with a wide composition range. Most of the commercial glasses are known to be borosilicate based compounds or silicate compounds. 

It needs to be well noted that glass and ceramics are hard at work and are used in everyday routine. Even in our daily routine, we are surrounded by ceramics and glass. The residence where we live and the place where we work may have concrete, cement, bricks and mortar. Ceramic tiles may be used to decorate rooms and floors as well as kitchen countertops. These roof tiles are also used to create water barriers for drainage systems as well as insulating buildings. 

Smart glass and low emissivity coatings are used to build up and create windows that are capable of controlling the amount of light that comes in. Many a times, glass ceramics and fibers are used to create an insulation layer keeping home cool during summers and warm during the winter season. 

It needs to be noted well that glass and ceramics are beneficial in the kitchen for serving food, cooking and storing. Most of the kitchenware is based on pyrex glass which is considered to be ovenproof and used to cook baked products. Even many washing machines are known to be well coated with porcelain enamel which is resistant to chemicals as well as stain resistant. 

The lighting fixtures are known to comprise of earthenware, porcelain, unique shapes of lamp bases, glas bulbs and lamp shades. Furniture and tables often have sea-through glass. There are various sports in which ceramics and glass are well known and these are – car racing, biking, golf, skiing and snowboarding. High performance ceramics and glass are used in these sports to make durable and lightweight structures such as ceramic brakes for racing cars, ceramic putters, glass carbon laminates for snowboards and others. 

There are various applications of glass and ceramics in everyday life – such as in refractory bricks, tiles, kitchenware, porcelain enamels for appliances, sanitary-ware, lighting fixtures, decorative pottery, roof tiles, garden items, bridges and roads, concrete tennis courts, sports items, windows and architectural glass (in construction), glass fibres for insulation, pool enclosures, kitchenware, bulbs and light fixtures, and much more. The miscellaneous other applications include furniture and mirrors, French doors. TV glass, automotive glass, and others. Thus, it is very well noted that glass, ceramics and refractories have wide number of applications which are indoor as well as outdoor in nature.