Assessment of the Ceramics Research and Development Efforts of the Bureau of Mines

摘要

This report assesses the ceramics research and development efforts of the Bureau of Mines. It reflects the findings of a working group of the Committee on Mineral Resources Technology that visited the Bureau's Tuscaloosa Research Center. Included are comments on organization, budget, personnel, major experimental methods, and equipment and facilities. The utility of current ceramics research projects is also examined. The committee concluded that the Bureau's ceramics efforts fill a special need and that the current approach and priorities are responsive to that need. Specific recommendations are made concerning the support of current research as well as the expansion of research in the area of high-technology ceramics because it is an important, rapidly expanding field that offers the potential for significant technological achievements and associated economic benefits.