High-performance concretes are exotic materials

Ceramics, glasses, and cements are synthetic, non-metallic, inorganic materials with somewhat similar physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. Their preparation processes also show similarities. The ceramists consider their favorite materials as high-tech materials, but they often relegate cements and concretes to a low-tech position. Special concretes, however, can exhibit spectacular properties, which allows them to be ranked as high-tech (exotic) materials. Three examples are presented here: (i) very high strength cement-based materials, (ii) monolithic refractories, and (iii) cement-based products designed for trapping chemical and radioactive pollutants. (orig.)