Future Trends
Ceramics and glasses contain wide ranging applications in domestic use and even wider application in manufacturing technology. The properties that are related with ceramic material call for broader applications and more frequent employ and that are seemingly possible in automotive industry. Despite the information that many automotive manufacturers have opted for ceramic material to replace steel however, both manufacturing cost and methods are hindrance. Mostly the cost of a component in ceramic is five to fifteen times that of consequent steel component. That prohibitive cost can be borne only whether the improvement in performance is probable to be tremendous. Nevertheless attempts are being made to improve performance and reduce cost.
The automotive components such have been replaced via those in ceramic during eighties are oxygen sensors, diesel glow plugs, catalyst supports, rocker arm pads, turbocharger rotors and pre-combustion chambers. However, they are, utilized only in high efficiency and military engines.