Sol-Gel Technology for Thin Films, Fibers, Preforms, Electronics and Specialty Shapes

Sol-Gel is a low temperature method that produces ceramics, glasses, composites and hybrid materials with greater purity and homogeneity than high temperature conventional processes. Utilizing the sol-gel process, it is possible to fabricate advanced materials in a wide variety of forms: ultrafine or spherical shaped powders, thin film coatings, fibers, porous or dense materials, and extremely porous aerogel materials.

This book covers the principles, developments, techniques and applications of sol-gel processing. With a particular focus on industrial practice, the book covers not only the fundamentals of the process, but also evaluates current products and discusses future opportunities - both in the short and long term.

Useful for both an industrial and academic audience in a wide range of fields, the book is divided into intuitive sections for ease of reference, covering thin films, fibers and special applications such as performs, micro-balloons and electronics.

Comprehensively updated for the second edition, entirely new chapters have also been added to cover the latest developments in the field, including ferroelectric films, optical waveguides, nanocomposites and aerogels.