ISO 9001

International Syalons Awarded ISO 9001:2015

International Syalons are proud to announce that it has successfully been assessed by Lloyds Register of Quality Assurance against the revised international quality standard ISO 9001:2015. This Quality Management System applies to the manufacture of advanced ceramic powders and products.

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International Syalons at Ceramitec 2018 – Munich

International Syalons’ technical manager Ben Melrose will be attending Ceramitec in Munich, Germany on April 11th – 12th.

The trade fair, which takes place every 2 years, attracts more than 15,000 participants to meet with the 600 exhibitors from around the world. Ceramitec is considered the “go-to” event within the ceramics industry, as raw materials, machinery, systems and processes suppliers and experts meet with manufacturers of all ceramics from classical and white-ware through to industrial, refractory and engineering and technical ceramics, as well as powder metallurgy.

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Syalon in Aluminium Industry

Using Sialon Ceramics for Aluminium Handling & Forming

Aluminium (Al) is the second-most industrially consumed metal worldwide. The global aluminium market produces over 50-million tons of aluminium each year, chiefly through the refinement of bauxite ore at sites in North America, Russia, China, and more. At these sites, industrially viable alumina (Al2O3) is refined from bauxite through the Bayer process, which involves crushing and heating the metal in a pressure vessel with a sodium hydroxide solution at temperatures of up to 200°C. The extracted alumina is then smelted at refractory temperatures of up to 980°C in molten cryolite (Na3AlF6), to produce pure aluminium for use in an enormous range of commercial and industrial sectors.

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Gillian - Finance Manager

Finance Manager Appointment

International Syalons are pleased to announce the appointment of Gillian Bradley as Finance Manager, effective from 1st March 2018.

Gillian is a long-standing and valued member of the International Syalons administrative team, having been responsible for the accounts and payroll for over 14 years, as well as being a member of the Association of Accounting Technicians (MAAT).

The Board have every confidence in Gillian as the latest key member of our management team and expects her addition to further the ongoing success of the business.

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Syalon 050 alpha-beta Micrograph

Introduction to SiAlON Ceramics

SiAlON ceramics are innovative refractory materials based on the chemical composition of silicon nitride (Si3N4). They can compete with the strongest and most durable refractory materials currently available, due to their unique mechanical and thermal properties, with wide-reaching applications in metallurgical, petrochemical, and other high-temperature industries.

 

SiAlONs were designed to have crystal lattice structures which are isostructural with silicon oxynitride, but with broader cell dimensions, to allow for a denser refractory ceramic product. They are compounded from atoms of silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), oxygen (O), and nitrogen (N), which display short, high-strength intra-structural covalent bonds after sintering, creating a rigid atomic structure with high strength and high thermal efficiency.

International Syalons manufactures a range of SiAlON ceramics which utilize both beta (β) and alpha (α) SiAlON crystalline phases. Each of these phases has different physical properties and production requirements, with varying industrial applications. This article will explore these ceramics in more detail:

 

 

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Long Service Awards

This year has so far seen 4 employees reach their 25 years' long service anniversary with ISN. Operations Director Ian Denton, Development Manager Simon Taylor, Senior CNC Operator Alan Stephenson and Bisque Machine Shop Foreman John Brown have all recently reached this milestone.

Chairman Tony Mitchell says "We are immensely proud of the skills, experience and devotion to quality shown by our employees and are delighted to recognise the long service, teamwork and dedication to the Company given by Ian, Simon, Alan and John."

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Management Changes at ISN

Effective from 30th April 2017 Nick Fecitt is resigning his position as Technical Director at ISN. We are extremely grateful for Nick’s contributions to the company and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

Nick will be replaced by Ben Melrose as Technical Manager. Ben is a material science graduate who has worked closely with Nick as his assistant for the past four years. Ben is now well experienced in the processing and properties of nitride and oxide ceramics and has been a key driver in pursuing our ambitious research projects including E.U. funded partnerships. We are fortunate that through our policy of succession planning we have someone who can step into the role vacated by Nick’s resignation.

In addition, Mick Bell has been promoted to the position of Operations Manager, again as part of our succession planning. The Board have every confidence in Mick and Ben as key members of our management team and expect to improve still further our commitment to innovation, quality and performance.

ISN at the Hannover Fair 2017

ISN have a small display at the Hannover Fair from 24th to 28th April, 2017 as part of the Ceramic Applications stand. This will be located in Hall 6, Stand B16. The display will feature a selection of components and brochures featuring our high performance silicon nitride and sialons and zirconia materials, including parts fabricated by 3D printing which are currently attracting a lot of interest.

Our Sales Manager Simon Dodd and Technical Manager Ben Melrose will be attending the Fair on Tuesday 25th April and will be available to meet. Please contact them if you would like to meet to find out more about our materials.