Zirconia, or zirconium dioxide (ZrO₂), is an advanced ceramic material which is used in a wide spectrum of applications, including abrasive and high-temperature processes, and in biomedical industries. This versatility comes down to the variable ZrO₂ crystal structure. There are three disctint crystallographic phases of zirconia, and the properties of any given zirconia product depend upon which of those phases the material exists as. 

Sialon ceramics based on high-strength silicon nitride were engineered as a cost-effective solution to some of the most demanding thermal processing and mechanical industrial environments. A tetrahedral arrangement of silicon—nitrogen bonds substituted with the addition of aluminium and oxygen provides exceptional resistance to varied thermodynamic stresses, with enhanced resistance to corrosive attack. These properties are supplemented with high material strengths and physical integrity under applied forces.

Silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) is a high-performance refractory ceramic that can exist in three different crystallographic phases (α, β and γ), each displaying distinct thermodynamic properties. Each of these material phases is suitable for severe working conditions, and silicon nitride been used to manufacture high-temperature components in some of the most demanding industrial sectors worldwide. However, conventional sintering methods struggle to produce fully dense and complex silicon nitride components, and alternative techniques represent significant additional costs. SiAlON ceramics were engineered as a direct solution to these issues.

International Syalons will be attending ALUMINIUM 2018 in Düsseldorf , Germany on October 10th – 11th.

The trade fair, which takes place every 2 years, expects to attract more than 27,000 participants to meet with the 1000 exhibitors from 53 countries form around the world. ALUMINIUM is the world’s leading trade show for the aluminium industry and its main applications, and provides an excellent platform to unite producers, processors and end-consumers as well as technology suppliers.

International Syalons has supplied world leading advanced silicon nitride and sialon products to the molten metal handling industry for many years, utilising the outstanding chemical stability of our materials, particularly in contact with non–ferrous molten metals. The exceptional heat and corrosion resistant properties of Syalon ceramics have been utilised in a range of foundry products, including thermocouple protection sheaths, heater and riser tubes, ladles and other foundry products.

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Silicon nitride-based ceramics are manufactured to exhibit exceptional thermodynamic properties and compete with conventional refractory materials for resistance to corrosive media and highly fluctuating thermal values. These material properties are associated with enhanced mechanical characteristics, including high strength profiles and outstanding resistance to physical stress.

Despite decades of radical material innovations in the aerospace sector, including the gradual adoption of advanced ceramics, aviation still operates on basic principles that were established over a century ago.

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Technical sialon ceramics are manufactured for refractory applications, providing improved thermodynamic capacities over established industry materials such as alumina (Al₂O₃) and zirconia (ZrO₂). Sialon ceramics are unique for their exceptional balance of thermal and mechanical properties, including superior thermal shock resistance and mechanical integrity under temperatures exceeding 1400°C (2552°F).

International Syalons (Newcastle) Ltd. are pleased to announce that the Company has been acquired in full by Calsitherm Verwaltungs GmbH, and as of 18^th July 2018 now are part of the Calsitherm Group.

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Sialons are a unique class of ceramic materials derived from silicon nitride. They are refractories comprising the main alloying elements silicon–aluminum—oxynitride, which have been sintered with an additional oxide stabilizing agent, such as yttria. This yields a high-density ceramic that is isostructural with either alpha (α) or beta (β) forms of high-strength silicon nitride (Si3N4). These established refractories exhibit outstanding tensile strength, thus degrees of physical stability under extreme thermodynamic stress. Composite grades of Si3N4 have been developed to elevate these properties with unique characteristics such as electro-discharge formability and improved resistance to corrosion.

Thermocouple protection sheaths, sometimes called thermocouple tubes, are often fabricated from high-performance refractories such as high-temperature alloys, silicon carbide, and alumina. However, these materials can struggle to compete with advanced silicon nitride alloy ceramics or sialons. This article explores the benefits of sialon thermocouple protection sheaths in more detail.