The sol-gel process is a method for the preparation of inorganic materials and organically modified ceramics by "soft" chemistry. The possibility of adjusting the rheology of intermediates leads to products for coating procedures. As coating techniques dip, spin-on, spray, roll, and others are possible. Different applications for glasses are possible: to improve the surface properties of glass (e.g. strength) and to generate special effects or functions (optical, chemical reactivity, sensitive, protective, and others). A general survey over coating problems is given and some special applications are discussed. (ISC)
