Ceramic products are becoming more and more abundant. Porcelain flute is loved by young people.
The research and production of China's special ceramics have made great progress in the past 20 years, but their practical application, production level and industrialization degree are still far from those of developed countries. At Jingdezhen International High-tech Ceramics Expo, experts predicted that by 2010 and 2015, the output value of China's special ceramics will reach 30 billion yuan and 45 billion yuan respectively, and the market demand is huge.
Our country is rich in terracotta resources and strong in scientific research. Up to 2002, more than 300 universities, research institutes and production enterprises have been engaged in the research and development of special ceramics in China. Among them, 63.6% are in the research and development of functional ceramics and 36.4% are in the research and development of structural ceramics. The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Silicate Research Institute and Tsinghua University have played an important role in promoting the research of special materials in China.
Special ceramics are widely used in industrial machinery and equipment, gas appliance industry, automobile (motorcycle) industry, textile industry, electromechanical industry, medical equipment and other fields. With the development of economy, the application scope of high-tech ceramics is expanding. Li Yunfei, deputy secretary-general of the Crystal Material Committee of the Chinese Silicate Society, said: "The demand for new materials in various industries in China has promoted the development of the special pottery industry, and the increase of market demand has once again promoted the development of the special pottery industry." It is understood that special ceramics can "go to heaven and earth", "go to heaven" refers to the application of special ceramics in Aerospace Science and technology (17.22, 0.07, 0.41%) industry, and "go to earth" refers to the application of special ceramics in automotive and other industries. At present, special ceramics cover nano-ceramics for electronic industry, ablative materials for spacecraft, gas sensitive ceramics for gas leakage detection, bio-ceramics compatible with body, transparent ceramics for optical materials, etc. Li Yunfei introduced that auto parts industry has become an important application area of special ceramics. Catalytic converters for tail gas control are made of special ceramics. The market for single replacement of catalytic converters will reach 11 million units per year, with a profit of 5.5 billion yuan per year.
Experts believe that although there are many advantages in the development of China's special pottery, there are still many problems.
Firstly, special ceramic materials, especially structural ceramics, have large technical problems, high cost, low reliability and strong repeatability, which lead to relatively narrow application areas; the industrialization of technical achievements needs to be strengthened; the large-scale production technology and process equipment are relatively backward, and need to be reformed urgently; and the investment in technology development is still insufficient.
Secondly, competition from developed countries and international trade friction are also factors restricting the development of China's special pottery industry. At present, the challenges facing China's special pottery industry mainly come from the market competition of developed countries'special pottery enterprises. The United States and Japan have developed rapidly in the production of special pottery. Japan is the largest producer of special ceramics in the world, and occupies a dominant position in the world special ceramics market, especially in the electronic ceramics market. In 1995, Japan accounted for 60% of the world's special ceramics market. In 2000, it declined, but still accounted for 50%. The United States is the second largest producer of special ceramics in the world. Its annual investment in high-tech ceramics reaches 1.2 billion US dollars, and it is in the leading position in basic research and technology in the world. The development of high-tech ceramics in Western Europe is also relatively fast. Nowadays, new ceramic brake discs developed in Europe have been used in super sports cars and the body of Audi A8.
International trade friction is also increasing. China's ceramics will soon become the object of anti-dumping after lighters and leather shoes. At present, domestic ceramic enterprises are actively responding to the forthcoming anti-dumping storm.
Dong Xianlin, director of Shanghai Institute of Silicate and Research Center of Functional Ceramics Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, put forward that in the development of advanced ceramics, we should give full play to our advantages and focus on them. Advanced ceramic materials cover a wide range of materials and applications. We can not cover all aspects. We must adhere to the principle of "doing something, not doing something". On the basis of existing advantages, we should concentrate our efforts on effectively combining the frontiers of international research with the major national needs in order to seek long-term development. At the same time, establish a sound research and development system to play a team role. Advanced ceramics often have clear application prospects and target products. Therefore, a complete research and development system should be established to ensure the continuity of research, development and application.