A transparent or translucent inorganic material, especially a glass-ceramic and/or composite material, is provided with a low average thermal longitudinal expansion coefficient, .alpha., of from -1.times.10.sup.-6 K.sup.-1 to +2.times.10.sup.-6 K.sup.-1 in the temperature range of -50.degree.-700.degree. C., with the following composition (in weight percent):Li.sub.2 O, 2.5-6.0; Na.sub.2 O, 0-4.0; K.sub.2 O, 0-4.0; Na.sub.2 O+K.sub.2 O, 0.2-4.0; MgO, 0-3.0; ZnO, 0-3.0; BaO, 0-3.5; CaO, 0-1.0; SrO, 0-1.0; Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 18-28; SiO.sub.2, 50-70; TiO.sub.2, 1.0-7.0; ZrO.sub.2, 0-3.5; TiO.sub.2 +ZrO.sub.2, 1.0-7.0; and P.sub.2 O.sub.5, 0-8.0,optionally with coloring components (in weight percent):V.sub.2 O.sub.5, 0-2.0; Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3, 0-2.0; MnO, 0-2.0; Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, 0-2.0; CoO, 0-2.0; and NiO, 0-2.0,optionally, conventional refining agents, such as As.sub.2 O.sub.3, Sb.sub.2 O.sub.3, NaCl, and Ce.sub.2 O.sub.3, and optionally with high quartz (h-quartz) and/or keatite mixed crystals as the essential crystalline phase. The material exhibits a settable transmission and is suitable, in particular, for the production of plates, pipes, and molded articles, wherein the inorganic material has a water content of less than 0.03 mol/l.