[Spiryt]

hi I've got a question about siliceous(silical) plates, which are used to cover the space shuttle external-sheathing. I would like to know what it is on the chemical point of view and how they make this plates:)

greets :]

[P]

When I was at school in the 80's, they told us that they were made from alumina silicate and titanium dioxide ceramic composites.    I would assume the technology is similar today, but would have been developed by now to improve insulation and adhesion.

[ATMyller]

Space shuttles don't use just one type of heat shielding.
The nose and wing edges are covered with a carbon composite material (carbon fiber reinforcement in a matrix of graphite with a silicon carbide coating).
The bottom is covered with silica fiber tiles made from very pure quartz sand with borosilicate glass coating (the remaining black parts that are not carbon composite).
The sides and top are made of same silica fiber tiles, but with aluminium oxide coating (the white parts).

Here a link for the carbon composite: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinforced_carbon-carbon
The silica tiles are essentially a type of glass fiber. Somebody else might know better if is there any chemistry involved in fiber extruding.