As one of the four major material industries (steel, nonferrous metals, organic and inorganic nonmetallic materials), inorganic nonmetallic materials industry plays an important role in China's economic construction. Inorganic nonmetallic materials not only have unprecedented development in variety, but also have further extension in connotation. According to different functions and functions of inorganic nonmetallic materials, inorganic nonmetallic materials can be divided into traditional inorganic nonmetallic materials (building materials) and new inorganic nonmetallic materials.
There are many kinds of traditional inorganic non-metallic materials, mainly referring to bulk inorganic building materials, including cement, glass, ceramics and building (wall) materials. Its output accounts for the vast majority of inorganic nonmetallic materials. Building materials are closely related to people's quality of life. Inorganic nonmetallic new materials refer to new materials with high strength, light weight, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, oxidation resistance and a series of excellent comprehensive properties such as special electricity, light, sound and magnetism. They are functional materials and structural materials that cannot be replaced by other materials. Inorganic nonmetallic new materials have unique properties and are indispensable key materials for high-tech industries. For example, rare earth-doped time-sensitive glass is widely used in laser ranging systems such as missiles, satellites and tank fire control weapons, and radiation-resistant time-sensitive glass is used in attitude control systems of various satellites and spacecraft; Fiber optic panels and microchannel plates are used as image intensifiers and low-light-level night vision components in all-weather weapons. Aviation glass provides key components for various military aircraft in China.
Silica aerogel is the lightest solid material and the material with the lowest thermal conductivity, which is widely developed and applied to the insulation of pipelines and equipment. Laser, nonlinear optics and infrared crystals in artificial crystal materials are used in ballistic guidance, electronic countermeasures, submarine communication, laser weapons and so on. Among special ceramics, high-temperature resistant and high-toughness ceramics can be used in aviation, aerospace engines and satellite remote sensing, and can be used to make bulletproof armored ceramics and special fibers with special properties for electronic countermeasures. Nearly 4000 kinds of new inorganic nonmetallic materials with high performance and multifunction have been developed. These high-performance materials play a very important role in developing modern weapons and equipment.