The global ceramics industry encompasses a vast, multi-billion-dollar sector that spans traditional everyday products such as bricks, roof tiles, plates, cups and wall tiles.
But there are also specialist, ‘hidden’ ceramics that are used in aerospace, medical devices and electronics.
“There are around 300 pieces of ceramic in [a] mobile phone,” said Mark Dudson, Special Projects Director at materials science consultancy Lucideon, at the annual British Compressed Gases Association 2026 conference.
Ceramics are outstanding insulators, so they are regularly used to coat and protect sensitive integrated circuit chips in electronics.
Materials such as barium titanate are formed into tiny ceramic capacitors, which help filter out interference to ensure clear call quality on phones while also storing and releasing charge for power management.
Ceramics are also found in water filtration systems used in homes and offices and in the braking systems of some high-performance vehicles.
“There are also advanced ceramics for performance vehicles’ braking systems and they are used in the formation of the turbine blades that sit within the jet engine [for aeroplanes],” noted Dudson.
The materials’ thermal properties are such that ceramic tiles are used to protect spacecraft from frictional heating during re-entry of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Natural gas for firing
The ceramics industry has relied on natural gas for firing processes since the mid-20th century. The fuel is valued for its clean-burning properties, relatively low cost and highly controllable flame characteristics.
However, as manufacturers seek to reduce carbon emissions, attention is increasingly turning to alternative energy sources, including hydrogen.
This is because firing ceramics is an energy-intensive process. According to trade association Ceramics UK, more than 60% of the sector’s energy consumption is used in firing processes, equivalent to around four terawatt hours of natural gas each year.
Mark Dudson of Lucideon spoke at the annual BCGA 2026 event earlier this month.
“To deliver these mystical properties of ceramics that we’ve come to use and exploit in our daily lives, we have to put the ceramics through a heating process and natural gas has been the fuel of choice,” said Dudson.
Natural gas accounts for around 85% of the industry’s energy consumption and is required for firing products at temperatures typically ranging from 1,000°C to 1,750°C.
“The predominant consumer is the brick industry and it’s because of scale,” explained Dudson. “Brick kilns will be 100 to 200 metres long, five to 10 metres wide and running for over 40 weeks of the year at extreme temperatures.”
Decarbonising drive
With firing accounting for most the sector’s energy use, decarbonising the kiln is now a priority.
When the industry began exploring how to reduce emissions, hydrogen quickly emerged as a potential replacement for natural gas.
“Hydrogen is part of the ceramics future,” said Dudson. While electrification will play an important role, industry studies suggest it cannot deliver all of the emissions reductions required on its own.
While brickmakers account for a major share of the sector’s energy consumption, hydrogen-fired kilns could ultimately support the manufacture of the specialist ceramics that underpin modern life.
The same firing technologies are used to produce components for smartphones, medical devices, water filtration systems and aerospace applications, meaning successful fuel switching could reduce the carbon footprint of products that consumers rarely see but on which they rely.
Test facility
To help manufacturers understand what such a transition would involve, Lucideon developed a hydrogen-fired research platform in 2021 with funding from UK Research and Innovation.
The facility was initially designed to test firing with a blend of 20% hydrogen and 80% natural gas at temperatures of up to 1,700°C across a range of products, from bricks and roof tiles to advanced ceramics.
“We fired bricks, tiles, plates – you name it,” recalled Dudson. “Our clients came back to us and said the product performs technically as it would as if we’d fired it on natural gas.”
The project was later upgraded to run on 100% hydrogen, enabling manufacturers to assess whether complete fuel switching was possible without compromising product quality.
Trials included firing sanitaryware products such as sinks and toilets at around 1,200°C over a 13-hour cycle.
Lucideon’s hydrogen-fired kilns operate at temperatures up to 1650°C ©Lucideon
“The client came back to us after they conducted their testing on the product and said the product performs the same as if you’d fired it in natural gas,” said Dudson.
The work was not without challenges. During commissioning, Lucideon experienced a hydrogen-related safety incident linked to residual gas remaining in pipework after a venting procedure.
No-one was injured, but the incident prompted a detailed investigation, revisions to operating procedures and the sharing of lessons learned across the wider ceramics sector.
“It’s a lesson. It’s part of that journey to using hydrogen,” said Dudson. “Through collaboration we’re able to share our learning back with the ceramics industry.”
Hydrogen is viable
“Is hydrogen a viable fuel to replace natural gas? Absolutely,” said Dudson, pointing to plans by brick manufacturer Wienerberger to convert two production kilns to run on hydrogen over the coming years.
“That is great news. So yes, hydrogen is an alternative fuel that will help the industry on its journey.”
For Dudson, however, the technology is only one part of the challenge. Success will depend on collaboration between fuel suppliers, equipment manufacturers, researchers, and ceramics producers as the sector works towards achieving net zero.
“The ceramics industry is at the beginning of its journey on hydrogen,” he said. “It feels challenging at times, but it is doable with support from the wider industry that has the knowledge and can transfer those skills to ceramics.”
As net-zero targets draw closer, the next wave of investment is expected to be driven by decarbonisation mandates and government-backed fuel-switching incentives. Schemes such as the UK’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio are already helping manufacturers trial hydrogen technologies and de-risk the transition away from natural gas.
