Si3N4, silicon nitride

Exploring the Atomic Structure of Silicon Nitride

Silicon nitride is a ceramic chemical compound comprised of silicon and nitrogen and is widely used across many industries. Silicon nitride offers interesting mechanical and thermal properties, which can be tailored for use in many specific high-temperature and wear-resistant applications, as well as its use as an insulating and chemical barrier in integrated circuits.1 However, to gain a comprehensive understanding of the behavior and properties of silicon nitride, it is necessary to understand its atomic structure. In this blog post, we will explore the atomic structure of silicon nitride and how this influences its properties.Continue reading

Advanced ceramic materials in use at an aluminium foundry

Why Choose Silicon Nitride for Ladles?

Chemical and process industries (CPI) require the routine handling of extremely harsh chemicals, usually in bulk and often in a continuous flow. Non-ferrous foundry applications have similar demands, with aggressive melt chemistries and extreme temperatures being a continuous demand for critical components. Both applications use ceramic ladles and crucibles to correctly handle volatile materials during critical processes. These ladles are containers used to handle and transport non-ferrous metals, such as aluminium and its alloys, and can be hand ladles or ladles designed for robotic arms.Continue reading

Silicon Nitride vs. Alumina Faceplates: A Comparison

Silicon nitride and alumina are advanced ceramic materials frequently used to produce faceplates in the aerospace, automotive, and electronics industries. Faceplates, often called technical ceramic plates, are crucial and common as they are the outer layer of a component designed to protect the internal structure from abrasive media, corrosive environments, or extreme temperatures. Their secondary function is to provide insulation and help regulate the temperature within a device or component. Throughout this blog post, we will look at the similarities and differences between silicon nitride and alumina and why they are suitable for engineering faceplates.

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Syalon 101 extrusion dies

Enduring High Temperatures in Industry with Advanced Ceramics

Advanced ceramics are ideal materials for high-temperature applications because of their low thermal expansion, wide ranging thermal conductivity, and ability to withstand extreme temperatures under high loads without enduring damage. There are several families of advanced ceramics, including ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs), which are known for maintaining their stability at temperatures of over 2000oC. Advanced ceramics are suitable for various demanding industrial processes, during which materials and equipment are subjected to high temperatures that could result in oxidation, creep, deformation, or complete failure if their properties do not suit the applications. This blog post will look at how advanced ceramics are used in industry to overcome high-temperature processes.Continue reading

Why Advanced Ceramics Excel in High-Temperature Environments

Advanced ceramics are inorganic materials that possess specific, high-performance properties. Because of these properties, advanced ceramics play a vital role in many industries and high-temperature environments, such as electronics, metal production, power generation, and other industrial processing sectors. This blog post will analyse what makes advanced ceramics superior materials for high-temperature environments.Continue reading

Aluminium Foundry

How High-Temperature Resistant Materials Function

Heat is an essential aspect of numerous industrial processes: turbines and generators often operate most effectively at higher temperatures; many key chemical process industry (CPI) reactions occur at extreme temperatures; extruded, pressed, and welded metal parts are routinely formed when heated to the point of plasticity. These are just a few examples where temperatures exceeding many hundreds of degrees are routinely generated and sustained. Naturally, all these applications require high-temperature resistant materials that can withstand the enormous thermal shock and long-term stresses associated with these extreme environments. So, how exactly do they work?Continue reading

Corrosion Resistant Ceramics Case Studies

Corrosion-resistant ceramics are often mandatory in harsh environments, namely in the oil and gas industries. This is because ceramics provide high levels of corrosion and thermal resistance and have outstanding wear, and these fundamental properties make them more suitable than traditional metal components.Continue reading

Are Ceramics Corrosion Resistant?

Ceramics are the preferred materials for use in harsh environments because they are highly resistant to corrosion and wear. Aside from being corrosion and wear-resistant, advanced ceramics can also withstand high temperatures, pressures and other extreme conditions. Throughout this blog post, we will look at how corrosion-resistant ceramics are used in the oil and gas industries and what benefits this provides.Continue reading

9 Different Types of Corrosion Affecting Materials

Corrosion is the process by which a material deteriorates due to chemical interactions. All materials are subject to corrosive phenomena, but metals are especially prone to corrosion as surface atoms readily oxidise in specific conditions. There are steels designed to utilise oxidation for corrosion resistance (i.e. weathering steel) and other grades with regenerative patinas engineered to reduce surface corrosion (i.e. stainless steel). But few engineering-grade steels can match advanced, corrosion-resistant ceramics in terms of chemical stability. Continue reading