GLASS-CERAMICS - STATE-OF-THE-ART

Recent development and research trends in three important areas are di scussed. These are: (1) developments in well established low thermal e xpansion glass ceramics, (2) diverse approaches to create glass cerami cs with high fracture toughness and (3) sintered glass ceramics. Devel opments are discussed in the light that glass ceramics are more expens ive than glasses and therefore will he commercially successful only wh en the benefit from a glass ceramic component is sufficiently high. (C ) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.