Kiln furniture is defined as a vehicle for carrying ceramic objects for firing. It is called furniture since it is the seat of ceramic articles, which need to be fired at elevated temperatures. Kiln furniture serves as the support for firing different types of ceramic materials, which by themselves, could not be fired without being supported on ceramic bases. The kiln furniture industry is playing an important role in today's economy by providing the means for firing not only materials to manufacture crockery and heavy porcelain articles like washbasins and commodes, but also a variety of ceramic components, the number of which has grown with the expansion of electronic ceramics and computers.
According to a soon-to-be-released updated report from Business Communications Company, Inc, RGB-273 Kiln Furniture, the total worldwide market for kiln furniture is expected to grow from $186 million in 2002 to $211 million in 2007. The U.S. share in the world market will increase from 22.7% to 24.1% as the U.S. market grows at an AAGR (average annual growth rate) of 3.8% through 2007. This modest growth is in part due to the unexpected events occurring in the U.S. since the September 11 terrorist attacks and the recent Iraq war.
The kiln furniture market depends largely on the general economy with consumer spending sentiment, and hence, it is subject to variations with economic movement. Since kiln furniture is used repeatedly for running through the firing cycle several times, the need for new kiln furniture is rather limited. Even then, the market of kiln furniture is a sizable one. Also, it has been found that in general, the energy needed to fire kiln furniture is higher than the materials fired on the furniture. Hence, the most recent trend has been to manufacture lighter weight kiln furniture, which consume less heat and, hence, are more fuel-efficient.
The market for low-temperature firing (with cordierite composition) of items like ceramic tableware provides the maximum volume. Automotive manufacturing suppliers primarily use the high-temperature alumina kiln furniture (for firing spark plugs); thus, the automobile market largely dictates the market for high alumina kiln furniture. Thus, in a good economic environment, both cordierite and high alumina kiln furniture enjoy good markets. Both silicon carbide and recrystallized silicon carbide provide the main support for strength and firing in an inert atmosphere and are used at high temperature. The use of stabilized zirconia is not very common (because of its inherent thermal stability problem), and had come into use only recently.
In recent years, the use of cordierite kiln furniture has been increasing rapidly in the Far East, including Taiwan, South Korea, Philippines, and India. In recent years, the significant increase in automobile export from South Korea largely increased their consumption of high alumina kiln furniture.
Although the kiln furniture industry does not dictate a high volume in value, it is significant from a practical point of view, since the use of kiln furniture is an essential aspect of firing articles that are used everyday throughout the world.
