Silicon Carbide
Silicon Carbide
IPS Ceramics has a long history of supplying cordierite kiln furniture and other ceramics materials to ceramics industries around the world.
Although mostly known for its cordierite kiln furniture, IPS Ceramics also supplies a wide range of high quality technical ceramic materials for applications demanding high mechanical strength, abrasion and chemical resistance, electrical insulation or resistance to high temperatures.
IPS Ceramics offers all the principal types of silicon carbide, a long-lasting, rugged, dependable performer in many challenging environments. Our products, including beams, batts, plates and rollers are made to tight dimensional tolerances and have an excellent load-bearing ability at higher temperatures. Silicon carbide retains most of its mechanical strength at elevated temperatures and exhibits very low levels of creep, making it the first choice for load-bearing applications in the range 1300ºC to 1650ºC (2400ºC to 3000ºF).
Silicon carbide components provide outstanding thermal shock resistance. Unlike traditional ceramics, they also combine low density with high mechanical strength. Additionally, these products offer extreme hardness/abrasion resistance and outstanding chemical stability in aggressive environments.
Silicon Carbide Components
The growing range of silicon carbide components offers industrial engineer high-level performance in a number of crucial areas and is a fine example of the dynamic ability of ceramics to come up with solutions in new areas of manufacture and processing. IPS Ceramics offers the following range of silicon carbide:
- Recrystallised ReSiC has a lower mechanical strength than RBSiC and NBSic, but offers what most other materials cannot – a working temperature of up to 1650ºC (3000ºF).
- Silicon Infiltrated SiSiC and Reaction-bonded RBSiC is a very high strength material that is often used for support beams for kiln structures or kiln-car systems. The beams are lightweight and remain straight after prolonged use. It can be used up to 1380ºC (2500ºF).
- Oxide-bonded SiC offers many of the benefits of using SiC but at a reduced cost. It is mainly used for load-bearing items used in the temperature range 1300ºC–1350ºC (2400ºC-2550ºF).
- Nitride-bonded NBSiC offers properties that are fairly similar to RBSiC (high strength and low creep) but can be safely used to a higher temperature of 1450ºC (2650ºF). It is often used for batts, tiles or plates.
IPS Silicon Carbide
The latest addition to our silicon carbide family is the sintered variety (SSiC). This material is used for engineering components where very high strength is required. SSiC can be machined to very tight tolerances and a very high degree of polishing is obtainable. This makes it an impressive performer in terms of sliding/friction and in any application where an ultra-hard and super wear-resistant surface is required (e.g. seals and pump components). Sintered Silicon Carbide also exhibits an unusually high thermal conductivity while at the same time offering low thermal expansion characteristics.
For high-temperature heat treatment, firing or sintering applications, IPS Ceramics can supply batts, setters, tubes, beams and saggars to meet your kiln furniture requirements up to 1650ºC (3000ºF).
If you would like to know more about silicon carbide or any of our other products and services, please feel free to contact us today for more information.
Other Materials
We also offer:
- Cordierite
- Specialist cordierite (inc. fully dense and machinable blocks)
- Mullite
- Alumina (in various grades up to 99.7% pure).
- Steatite
- Aluminium nitride
- Zirconia and Zirconia toughened alumina