Glass and glass-ceramic matrix composites for advanced applications: Part II: Applications

Glass and glass-ceramic matrix composites (GMCs and GCMCs) have found numerous technical applications in different industrial sectors due to their unique combination of properties. The most popular applications of such composites are presented in this article. In the aerospace sector, for example, glass and glass-ceramic composites are proposed for the manufacturing of complex shape and precision parts with superior mechanical properties and high temperature capability, thanks to the presence of ceramic reinforcements. In the case of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC), standard compositions of glass and glass-ceramic seals have been reinforced by the inclusion of second phases to improve specific properties of CMCs of interest in SOFC technology. In the field of biomaterials, glass and glass-ceramic matrix composite materials are candidate materials for use in the areas of bone substitution and repair, dental restoration, scaffolds for tissue engineering and drug delivery devices. The use of glass and glass-ceramic matrix composites as substrates for electronic packages is also reported. A detailed description of different usages of GMCs and GCMCs as structural material in a broad range of advanced applications is presented. In most applications, the second phase is considered a mechanical reinforcement with the main goal being the increase of mechanical strength and fracture toughness, without affecting other specific properties relevant for the application considered, such as biocompatibility, electrical properties and translucency of the matrix.