US demand to rise 5% annually through 2017 Demand for advanced ceramics in the US is forecast to rise more than five percent annually to $13.5 billion in 2017. Gains will be driven by the development of new applications for advanced ceramics and by their increased adoption in already established applications based on superior performance and material properties. These trends will be most pronounced in the machinery, transportation, and medical markets, all of which will grow at an above average pace. Growth will accelerate in the large electrical and electronic components markets, while the defense market will remain below its 2007 peak and will not approach the double-digit annual growth exhibited in the past 10 years. Medical market to be fastest growing New bioceramic applications such as knee, orbital eye, and dental implants will help drive the medical product market at a double-digit annual pace over the forecast period, the fastest pace of any market. A shift in prefere...