What Is Vitro Ceramic?
Vitro ceramic is a solid material that is partly crystalline and partly glass that forms by the controlled crystallization of glass. It is a glass with a special composition that increases its resistance to heat. Its main applications are for glazing fireplaces, hearths and stoves.
Another name for vitro ceramic is glass ceramic. It is a unique glass composition that is melted and formed like heat-resistant glass. Subjecting this material to a special heat treatment results in a fine crystalline structure throughout the material. The small crystals in the amorphous material prevent cracks from propagating through the glass.
The crystalline structure can either be opaque or transparent and gives the vitro ceramic its unique performance properties. Glass ceramic is highly resistant to thermal shock. Cookware made of this material does not crack when subjected to temperature changes. Due to this property it is also used for nose cones on rockets.
Vitro ceramic is crystalline. Hence, it is a better conductor of heat than conventional glass. Glass ceramics also have the property of having higher strength at high temperatures. Hence, they are used to make electrical insulators that are to operate at high temperatures. Vitro ceramic glass is also available in a self-cleaning version.