High-performance ceramics are used wherever heavy demands are made of the end product and other materials have reached their limits. Ceramics are often used to make high-precision micro components that make a significant but hidden contribution. The many positive characteristics of ceramics make them one of the most important materials with a wide range of possible applications. Industrial ceramics, also referred to as high-performance ceramics, are used in the following industries:
Automobile industry
Ceramics are used for a particularly wide range of applications in automobile construction, for example as insulation rings in brake calipers, in the sensors of the ABS system, and as a particulate filter to reduce emissions. The design freedom offered by additive manufacturing is also giving rise to some promising ideas for further development of lightweight concepts for the future. Developers are focusing on composite materials made of metal and ceramics that demonstrate high dimensional stability and wear resistance, despite their light weight.
Electronics
Since as long ago as the 19th century, ceramics have been used to make electrical isolators and have been an important component in the production of electrical components ever since. In power electronics, cooling elements produced for circuits and LED systems control the temperature of copper pathways and so contribute to an increase in productivity.
Medical technology
Ceramics are frequently used in medical equipment: in ultrasound scalpels, for example, or as a membrane in respirators. The ceramic bone substitute tricalcium phosphate (TCP) is used particularly for prosthetics and implants. These complex medical items are sometimes printed intentionally with pores, to allow the bioresorbent material to support the healing process in a targeted way. Natural bone material grows into the pores and combines with the implant, which over time dissolves completely.
Energy and environmental technology
Components made of technical ceramics are particularly resistant to wear and corrosion. They can withstand high thermal and mechanical stresses and increase the overall durability of components under heavy strain. In this way, ceramic components play a part in increasing the output and efficiency of furnaces, water treatment systems and wind power plants.