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.

Advanced sialon ceramics are engineered for numerous high-temperature applications, competing with established technical ceramics and refractory materials with their high strength and durability characteristics. These mechanical attributes are accompanied by outstanding thermal shock resistance, providing supreme physical stability under various thermodynamic conditions.

The Board are pleased to announce that, thanks the continued growth of the Company, International Syalons have appointed a new Quality, Health & Safety Engineer. Mark Earle has been with the Company for several months, and is making excellent progress.

Mark has joined the Company with a wealth of quality assurance experience from within the automotive industry, and is looking to transfer his knowledge and introduce additional procedures and working practices to further improve the quality of our products in line with our ISO 9001:2015 accreditation, and ensure the Company maintains its excellent health and safety record.

The depletion of existing hydrocarbon supplies and reserves is well-documented, with the oil and gas industry becoming increasingly circumspect in its attempts to meet a growing demand with a dwindling supply. Petroleum geology and natural gas exploration has transformed in recent years, augmenting traditional prospecting methodologies with new and emerging technologies. Fracking enables oil and gas suppliers to withdraw hydrocarbons dispersed in the strata of the earth’s crust, but this methodology is divisive from an ethical and environmental perspective.

As a result of the ongoing growth of the company, International Syalons has a number of open job vacancies. Take a look at our careers page for a list of currently available positions.Continue reading→

Sialons are advanced technical ceramics based on silicon nitride (Si₃N₄). They retain the thermodynamic stability and exceptional toughness properties of silicon nitride due to their isostructural composition, but feature larger cell dimensions for the formation of high-density refractory components. This excellent molecular density enables outstanding resistance from severe corrosion and mechanical degradation, which are commonplace in industrial manufacturing environments. Sialons are therefore routinely used for the fabrication of wear components and thermally stable barriers for heat sensitive elements. Cutting tools, grinding media, and thermocouple protection sheaths are all commonly produced using materials from the sialon group.

The demanding specifications of shot blasting equipment require high-performance materials capable of withstanding sustained pressures and temperatures. Conventional metals with outstanding hardness values are routinely used to prepare tough shot blast nozzle linings, but they are incapable of competing with the unique mechanical stability of advanced ceramics like silicon nitride.

This article will explore the capacities of advanced ceramic shot blast nozzles in more detail:

Silicon nitride is one of the most advanced ceramic materials currently manufactured, providing outstanding hardness levels that are rarely matched by conventionally-manufactured components. Most silicon nitride products are electrically insulating, which provides certain industrial benefits for mechanical applications – but it can present difficulties when it comes to machining the material. Material profiling of ultra-hard insulators can result in a significant loss to its desirable properties, and commonly depends upon expensive procedures such as diamond grinding. Meanwhile, electrically conductive materials can be efficiently profiled through electro-discharge machining (EDM) with no loss to material hardness.