CREEP
The Problem: Time-Dependent Deformation Under Stress
Mechanical creep—the slow, progressive deformation of materials under mechanical stress at elevated temperatures—is a major reliability issue in high-temperature operations. It affects a wide range of industries, including metallurgy, energy, and chemical processing, where prolonged heat and stress can lead to permanent shape change, failure, or contamination.
Key creep-related challenges include:
- Grain boundary sliding in materials with amorphous phases, leading to irreversible deformation
- Void formation and cavitation that accelerate rupture under load
- Thermal gradients creating localized stresses and microstructural instability
- Surface oxidation degrading strength and promoting crack formation over time
International Syalons offers a range of sialon ceramics specifically engineered to maintain structural integrity under long-term mechanical loading and extreme temperatures. These materials outperform traditional metals and conventional ceramics in resisting creep deformation.
- Creep rate ~10⁻⁸ s⁻¹ at 100 MPa
- ΔT = 600°C thermal shock rating
- Creep rate ~10⁻⁷ s⁻¹
- ΔT = 900°C thermal shock rating
Why It Works
Sialon ceramics are engineered with microstructural features that resist deformation even in the harshest thermal and mechanical conditions:
- Melilite Phase Formation: Increases grain boundary refractoriness to suppress creep at elevated temperatures
- Elongated β-SiAlON Grains: Interlock to resist grain boundary movement and block dislocation paths
- Reduced Amorphous Content: Minimizes viscous flow and long-term instability
- High Density (>99%): Prevents cavitation and crack propagation from internal porosity
These features combine to deliver creep resistance far beyond what’s achievable with metals or conventional oxide ceramics.
Application-Focused Solutions
International Syalons’ materials are designed to address a wide range of industrial creep-prone applications:
- Thermocouple Protection Tubes: Syalon 101 resists thermal and mechanical degradation in molten metal systems
- Gas Turbine and Furnace Components: Syalon 050 withstands centrifugal loads, high stresses, and thermal gradients
- Continuous Casting Break Rings: Syalon 110 prevents slag infiltration and maintains shape at extreme heat for extended runs
Tested for Extreme Conditions
Sialon materials undergo four-point bending creep testing at up to 1400°C and 150 MPa. Under these conditions, they demonstrate less than 1% total strain after 72+ hours—outperforming both metals and traditional ceramics in thermal-mechanical environments where long-term reliability is critical.

Contact our team to learn how we can support your application with proven high-temperature performance.

Sialon and zirconia provide the high temperature strength and non-wetting properties necessary for metal casting, extruding, and welding.

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Silicon nitride offers excellent corrosion and thermal resistance and are ideal materials for use in the chemical and process industries.
