Ceramics are usually composed of commonly available materials, such as carbon, silicon, oxygen and nitrogen. After they are consolidated under high temperature and high pressure, they can be formed into ceramic materials, which can be used in various household products. Industrial ceramics (also called engineering ceramics or high-performance ceramics) usually contain more complex compounds, including alumina, carbides, nitrides, borides, and zirconia. Industrial ceramics can obtain certain engineering characteristics or specific combinations of several characteristics under different formulations or processes, so that they can often replace metals, polymers and refractory materials in various applications.
The following are several common application examples of industrial ceramics:
Advanced engine technology-the high rigidity and super high temperature resistance of industrial ceramics provide a better material choice for the development of advanced automotive engines (such as adiabatic diesel engines, gas turbines and Stirling engines). Because the high temperature environment of automobile engines requires highly durable and high temperature resistant materials to withstand these conditions, the use of industrial ceramic materials ensures the highest engine performance, while also extending the overall service life of the engine and all engine components.
Welding technology-industrial ceramics are very suitable for welding technology. Parts made of zirconia, such as centering pins, are particularly suitable due to their high toughness and resistance to wear during welding. Especially in the automated production process, components made of industrial ceramics also have obvious cost advantages, the quality of the products is higher and the service life of the machine is significantly longer.
Fluid technology-In the field of fluid technology, the key requirements for components are corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and low specific gravity. Parts made of industrial ceramics have these properties and are also biocompatible, which means they can also be used in the food industry and medical technology.
Mechanical industry-ceramic components need to meet different requirements in mechanical and factory engineering applications. These include high mechanical strength, abrasion resistance, thermal or electrical insulation properties, and thermal conductivity. These are the characteristics that industrial ceramics can have.
Induction technology-industrial ceramics are widely used in the field of induction. Silicon nitride is most commonly used as a material because of its wear-resistant, electrically insulating, and non-magnetic properties. In addition, it has great resistance to temperature changes.
Of course, the use of industrial ceramics is far more than the above industries or technologies, but they also have the disadvantages of poor tensile strength (which can be 15 times lower than the tensile strength of metals), poor strength under point stress, brittleness, and difficulty in designing. Industrial ceramics cannot be used as universally as other general-purpose materials such as metals, glass, plastics, polymers, and refractories. However, their excellent performance in engineering characteristics makes components made of highly specialized ceramic materials increasingly become the only solution to technical problems that cannot be overcome by traditional technologies. And all walks of life are actively trying to use these features to achieve various innovative applications that could not be achieved before, or to update and upgrade existing products to achieve better performance and longer service life. To date, the value of the global industrial ceramics market industry is approximately more than 60 billion U.S. dollars.
Source: Friends of Green Network