Technical ceramic plates or faceplates are often used to protect sensitive or fragile equipment, often electronics, from extreme temperature, a corrosive environment, or an abrasive media. Protective faceplates are often used in sensors measuring a range of properties including temperature, dust , or moisture content.
Mechanical seals are used in the Chemical and Process Industries as seals in equipment such as pumps and compressors. For example, in a pump, when a shaft rotates, the liquid can leak out between the shaft and the pump casing. In this case, to prevent leakage a mechanical seal would be used, which basically consists of a hard material embedded in the casing and a softer material in the rotating shaft. These are made to be in intimate contact. The choice of seal materials depends on the material being pumped, its chemical reactivity, the temperature and the pressure.
Sialons are silicon nitride based advanced ceramics and are characterised by outstanding wear and corrosion resistant properties. In many cases, Syalon 101 makes an excellent choice for the hard faceplate or seal material.
Due to its extreme hardness, high strength and toughness, and low coefficient of friction, Syalon 101 has excellent wear resistance. This combined with outstanding chemical stability, and excellent thermal properties, such as thermal shock resistance, make it an obvious candidate material for many demanding sensor applications.
Syalon 050 is a mixed α/β-sialon advanced ceramic and has been designed to have extreme hardness and chemical and thermal stability, offering greater wear resistance and high strength.


The successful integration of advanced technical ceramics into engineering systems requires close collaboration between you, the end-user, and ourselves, the material manufacturer. Please call +44(0)191 2951010 or email for an initial consultation with our technical sales team, or send us a Request for Quote.
Download our Industrial Wear Applications or Chemical and Process Applications brochures for more details.
For advice on how best to incorporate technical ceramics into existing manufacturing processes see our Resources section for a range of useful articles and guides.

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

Technical ceramics are characterised by excellent mechanical strength and hardness, and are widely used in extreme wear applications.

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