The development of the porcelain industry is calling for a third revolution

When doing our interviews in Liling, known as the 揅ity of Porcelain ,?we learned that the porcelain-makers of the city have replaced their traditional high-temperature porcelain made in round kilns with low-temperature porcelain made in production lines. This kind of porcelain is popular but requires more investment. The city spent RMBY200 million installing 207 production lines of this kind. The city has over 200 porcelain-makers. As much as 98% of their products, falling in more than 4000 categories, is exported. The annual output value exceeds RMBY300 million. However, Mr. Hu Liang, the director of the Hunan provincial porcelain research institute, forced a smile and explained that this low-temperature porcelain is also called shiqi. It is a ceramic that looks like both pottery and porcelain. Shiqi never represents a trend in the development of the porcelain industry. Shiqi is popular on the international market solely due to its low cost. Since the market for high-class ceramics is almost completely monopolized by European makers, Chinese enterprises can do nothing but join in price wars in order to be successful on the international market.  

We learned that a ten yuan (Y10) shiqi cup only sells for thirty-two cents (US$0.32), equal to ?of the price on the domestic market.  

An article published in 揅hina Ceramic Information?says that China is undoubtedly a large porcelain producing country, but completely undeveloped. Statistical data indicates that the annual output of ceramics for daily life is about 17 billion pieces worldwide. The annual output in China is about 10 billion, but with only 3.4 billion pieces exported. Most of the exported pieces are low-class, with limited benefits. This has directly led to an increased weakening of the porcelain industry in places that were traditionally famous for porcelain, such as Jingdezhen of Jiangxi and Liling of Hunan. The construction-ceramics industry, including toilets and kitchens, after developing for over a decade, has become the pillar sector in places like Fushan of Guangdong province, Quanzhou of Fujian and Zibo of Shandong. But due to the influence of rapid variations in international trends, a shortage of raw materials, skyrocketing prices and outdated equipment, this industry seems to be caught in the dilemma of circulating at a low level. Ceramics for arts and crafts is the only area that offers an edge over foreign makers. However, this sector, despite its high added value, cannot change the current situation of the development of the porcelain industry. This is because it requires complex techniques and craftsmanship that makes industrialized manufacturing impossible.  

Relevant experts have noted that the porcelain industry has lived through three revolutions: the popularization of ceramics in daily life; the rise of ceramics in construction, including toilets and kitchens; and the change from structural ceramics to functional ceramics. Our traditional ceramics have all been functional, including those for daily life, arts and crafts, and construction. But functional ceramics are high-tech products characterized by high strength, high hardness, high-temperature resistance, corruption-resistance, wear-proof, oxidation resistance and lightweight. There also have optical, electronic, acoustic and magnetic properties that are unique. Functional ceramics are widely used in such industries as mechanical, metallurgical, petroleum, chemical, aerospace, electronics and telecommunications, biological engineering and the development of nuclear energy. Statistical data shows that the demand for new materials made from ceramics on the international market increases by over 20% annually. The turnover of materials made from ceramics was US$5.4 billion in 1986 but US$15 billion in 1990. And it is expected to be US$50 billion by the end of this year. It is very possible that functional ceramics, metal materials and organic high-polymer materials will become the three most crucial members of the field of new materials.  

The third revolution in the porcelain industry has thoroughly exceeded the concept and range of traditional ceramics in terms of manufacturing technology, performance and application. It is true that our country started to work in this area between seven and ten years later than developed countries such as America, Japan and Germany, and these countries have left us about ten or fifteen years behind. But we have some research and development projects that are already at the cutting edge throughout the world since our porcelain industry has a long history and many technically competent people.  

We learned that the Institute of Solid Physics under the Chinese  Academy of Sciences recently developed five complete sets of equipment that manufactures nanometer powders. This development marks the transformation of traditional ceramics production into the age of nanometrology. However, this laboratory-based technology cannot be transformed into industrial production. As a result, annual output continues to be lower than three tons, and the advanced technology that is urgently needed cannot be transformed into a large-scale productive force. Therefore, the third revolution in the development of the porcelain industry, by nature, is a matter of technological achievements in industrialization. It has been learned that the Hunan provincial porcelain research institute began its research and development of high-performance ceramics for engineering purposes in the 1970s. The institute was ordered to develop the high polymer ceramic materials that were used to build the 揝henzhou?spacecraft. This institute will be reformed into a limited joint stock company. The reform will be a beneficial explorative step throughout the development of our porcelain industry.