| The chemical industry Is quite capable of supplying high purity
ceramic precursors on the largest scale, whether as powders,
colloidal slurries or preceramlc polymers. Particularly InterestIng,
now that "high-tech" ceramics are already entering automobiles
in Japan, and will soon be demanded everywhere on a
massive scale for automobiles and trucks, is the case of silicon
nitride. On the basis of its physical properties, it had been
proposed 36 years ago to be a prime candidate material for
engine applications. Howe~·er., due to the nature of the sociotechnical-
political set-up, the economic, large-scale, high purity
powder synthesis, the without-which-nothing, was not addressed
in the USA.
Lack of market so far is the main reason why the chemical
engineering aspects of ceramic precursors have not been sufficiently
emphasized, but, with the recent developments, it will be
Interesting to see how the community adjusts as major Improvements
in the way materials Innovation• (information openness
and flexibility In technical-networking, time-horizons, legal issues
etc) become necessary In the USA. |
