Glass
At CERAM, our extensive experience of a wide range of glassy materials and their properties centres on inorganic glasses, commonly formed by fusion and subsequent cooling without crystallisation. This range includes all “traditional” silica and phosphate glasses used in container and flat glass applications, as well as other glassy materials suitable for applications such as joining, coating and the controlled release of ingredients.
The technical definition of glass covers all materials exhibiting glass transition behaviour, including many plastics and synthetics. There are several major organic groups of glass materials described by the major main glass forming oxides present, e.g. silicate, borate, phosphate. Other less commonly encountered glass groups include vanadates and chalcogenides.
Properties of Glass - Amazing Versatility
With over 50 years experience of glasses and their amorphous structure our experts are able to create bespoke glassy materials with an almost unlimited range of properties, to meet the precise needs of many highly specific applications in many different industries. Our capabilities also include a range of processing options to produce prototypes and production-ready glasses in frit form or specific shapes.
Controllable properties of glasses include:
- fusion behaviour - temperature/viscosity relationship
- aesthetic properties - for coatings, glazes, enamels
- thermal expansivity - tailored for compatibility with specific metals, e.g. copper or cast iron
- thermal stability - yielding the ability to maintain properties at temperatures beyond the range of organic materials
- chemical durability - tailored exceptional resistance to acid/alkali conditions where required
- solubility - in opposition to durability, glasses can be formulated to dissolve or degrade under specific conditions and specifically triggered, particularly when controlled release of benefit ingredients is required
- physical durability - exceptional hardness and abrasion resistance where required, for example in wear resistance coatings
- electrically insulating
- refractive index matching and dispersion - tailored for optical applications and cosmetics, for example yielding specific skin tone appearance.
Applications for Glasses - Virtually Unlimited
Their controllable properties mean that the range of applications for glasses is extensive:
| Industrial Sector | Application Examples |
|---|---|
| Aerospace | High pressure connectors, gyroscopes, radar, instrumentation, feed throughs |
| Automotive | Reed switches, sensors, relays, light controls, air bag detonators, load cells |
| Biomedical | Peizo-electric components and sealing/joining applications in pacemakers, ear implants. Bio-active coatings and fillers for orthopaedic implantations, tissue engineering, dental applications |
| Decorative & Traditional Ceramics | Enamelled metals, jewellery, pipes, storage vessels, glazes |
| Food products, Agriculture and Home & Personal Care products | Controlled release of benefit ingredients and nutrients (e.g. skin benefit agents). Encapsulation of storage unstable ingredients for longer product life (e.g. enzymes, bleaches) |
| Electronics & Telecoms | Thyristors, transistor packages, sensors, capacitors, feed-throughs, smoke detectors, thermostats. Vacuum tubes, fibre optics |
| Fuel cells & Microwave applications | Hermetic and coaxial connectors. Speciality sealing and jointing components |
Glass Innovations Projects at CERAM:
- Ceramic glazes
- Vitreous enamels
- SOFC sealing glasses
- Dental glasses
- Low temperature sealing glasses
- Controlled release of metal ions.
Development & Sourcing of a New Glass Material for Mansol Preforms
Testing & material trials