“哥伦比亚”号航天飞机使用34,000块瓷砖。在这些瓷砖上采用真空箱蒸汽相法沉积Dow Corning z-6070硅烷,形成航天飞机的绝缘外层。这样可减轻580磅重量(将1磅载荷送入轨道,估计费用为1,000美元)。采用这种专门工艺(洛克希德导弹与空间公司的研究分部研制的)可使每次飞行节省500,000美元。硅烷赋予瓷砖以疏水性,使这些瓷砖在地面上时具有防潮性。这是很需要的, The space shuttle Columbia uses 34,000 tiles. Dewar Corning z-6070 silane was deposited on these tiles using a vacuum box vapor phase process to form the insulating outer layer of the space shuttle. This will reduce the weight of 580 pounds (1 pound load into the track, the estimated cost is 1,000 US dollars). Using this specialized process (developed by Lockheed Missiles and Space Company’s Research Division) can save up to $500,000 per flight. Silane imparts hydrophobicity to tiles, making these tiles damp-proof when on the ground. This is very much needed