The April 2017 issue of the ACerS Bulletin is now available online.
And all 64 pages of the new issue—which we’ve dubbed the Business Issue—are jam-packed with exciting content.
For starters, the April issue includes a special built-in Business Supplement section featuring an in-depth market report of the ceramic and glass industry. Did you know that the total industry is projected to reach a staggering value of $1 trillion by 2021? Although traditional glass and ceramics comprise 89% of the global market, technical ceramic sectors are projected to undergo the largest growth in the next five years. What are the predictions for growth in the refractory market? How about electroceramics? We’ve got all those numbers and so much more inside this comprehensive analysis of the industry by market analyst Margareth Gagliardi.
Also in this issue, ACerS president Bill Lee provides his first of a series of updates to members about key themes that Lee is focusing on during his year as president. Read this first installment to find out what industry-focused initiatives Lee is leading within the Society.
The new issue also features an article all about quality control checklists—an essential tool to manage the quality of ceramic products. Author John Niggl of InTouch Services Ltd. (Shenzhen, China) outlines what a comprehensive checklist should include and stresses that manufacturers, suppliers, and inspectors should work together on checklists to ensure effective quality control. Because, as Niggl indicates, quality is built into a product—not added in after the fact.
The April issue also includes our new-this-year business and market view column, which this month examines advanced materials for 3-D printing. The market is expected to reach a $1.5 billion value by 2021 by growing at a whopping 21.5% compound annual growth rate over the next few years. Read on to see more of what’s in store for this booming market.
And speaking of growth of the industry, ACerS is the official media partner for the upcoming Ceramics Expo 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio, April 25–27. Ceramics Expo is the place for all things ceramic and glass, with exhibitors representing the entire supply chain. The new issue of the Bulletin will be available in ACerS booth (#308) at the expo, so be sure to stop by to say hello. If you haven’t registered yet, consider attending Ceramics Expo—it’s completely free!
But this issue of the Bulletin isn’t all business—it’s got plenty of science, too.
Polymer-derived ceramics take center stage in an article by Paolo Colombo, Johanna Schmidt, Giorgia Franchin, Andrea Zocca, and Jens Günster. The authors delve into how the properties of preceramic polymers are enabling additive manufacturing techniques to fabricate advanced ceramics. Beyond just an alternative material, preceramic polymers can actually overcome some of the problems that are intrinsic to additive manufacturing. Plus, modifying the composition, molecular architecture, and molecular weight of preceramic polymers offer unique opportunities to manufacture advanced ceramic components with new functional properties.
Plus, authors Gilvan Barroso, Quan Li, Günter Motz, and Rajendra K. Bordia deliver another great article detailing how polymer-derived ceramic and ceramic-like coatings can offer innovative solutions for real world problems. The homogenous composition, lower processing temperatures, and ease of shaping of preceramic polymers afford advantages over traditional powder-based ceramics. These attributes and more make polymer-derived ceramics well-suited for a variety of applications, from protecting electronics to making anti-graffiti surfaces. Plus, the authors predict that modifications to the precursor materials will continue to expand applications for polymer-derived ceramics—opening doors to corrosion protection, self-lubricating coatings, and so much more.
Plus, there’s lots more good stuff inside this—and every issue—of the ACerS Bulletin. The current issue is free to all for a short time, but remember that all the valuable content in over ninety years of past issues of the ACerS Bulletin is free only to members—so considering joining us today!