Glass & Ceramics Industry

The gold edge on a porcelain plate, the elegant trim on a champagne flute—with precious-metal ceramic colors such as bright gold, bright platinum and burnish gold, Heraeus has been a leader in the decoration of glass and ceramic surfaces since 1896. Today’s generation of thermoplastic bright gold and bright platinum pastes for glass yields dishwasher-safe decorations of the highest quality. The glass industry is one of the largest consumers of precious metals. Strong, heat-resistant components made of platinum-rhodium alloys are used in the production of glass fibers (such as for flame-retardant wallpapers) and flat panel displays. The architectural glass on modern apartment buildings and office complexes is coated with ultra-thin layers of precious metals that minimize the energy necessary for cooling in summer and heating in winter. Sputtering targets are used in the process of coating these large panes.