Technical Ceramics - Materials for Extreme Environment
Ceramics present a unique combination of properties: extreme hardness, resistance to high temperature up to 1500 °C, resistance to wear, thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, tightness to vacuum, resistance to corrosion, antimagnetic, permittivity to high frequency. They could also replace classical metals when operating conditions become much too exigent.
We produce oxide ceramics (Aluminum, Zirconium) and non-oxide ones (Carbide and silicon nitride) in order to meet the most exigent demands in fields such as: nuclear, space, aeronautics, particle accelerators, medication, pharmaceuticals, food industry, chemicals and hyper-vacuum.
Applications of Technical Ceramics
Technical ceramics are high-performance materials that can be used in areas such as the defense industry, aerospace, energy, luxury goods, medical, automotive, metallurgy, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, R&D or furnace construction.
For example, they are used in aeronautics and aerospace because they are much more suitable than metal or plastic parts: they are excellent electrical insulators and have remarkable dimensional stability, even at very high temperatures or under stress. In addition, industrial ceramics are inert and resistant to wear and abrasion. These properties make them ideal for the manufacture of parts such as thermocouples, pistons, cutting blades and rotating joints.
In the luxury sector, industrial ceramics such as zirconia are used for their chemical inertia and wear resistance. They are particularly appreciated in the watchmaking, jewelry and jewelry industries.
In defense, high-performance ceramics are known for their mechanical strength, hardness, lightness and electrical insulation. They are used, for example, in the manufacture of ballistic protection or as hermetic electronic housings in aeronautics.
Applications of Alimina Ceramics
Alumina is a technical ceramic with remarkable properties, in particular it is a very good electrical insulator at high temperatures, up to 1700 °C.
Our pure alumina products can be used in the glass industry, high temperature industrial furnaces, analysis, research and development. These applications require high dimensional stability and good chemical inertness to be resistant to corrosion and creep. DEGUSSIT alumina products offer better properties than most C799 (C710) sintered aluminas on the market.
Aluminum oxide is also used for the manufacture of custom-made parts. Thanks to its high wear resistance, this technical ceramic ensures a long life of the parts and an excellent mechanical reliability. For example, in the food and pharmaceutical industries, pure alumina AL23 or F99.7 can be easily sterilized without corrosion.
We also offer ceramic-to-metal brazed assemblies that provide optimal electrical insulation and vacuum resistance. These components are perfectly sealed under ultra-high vacuum or pressure, at room temperature or under cryogenics.
Our superfinishing abrasives are made of chromium-doped alumina. They come in a range of standard tools: grinding stones, wheels and files. These tools are used for grinding, sharpening or deburring of hard materials. They can have 3 grain finishes: fine, medium or coarse.
Thin substrates are ceramic sheets of large size but small thickness. They are made of alumina or zirconia and are used in many applications, such as medical technology, catalysts, fuel cells, liquid filtration, or as setters in furnaces.
Other Applications
We also offer products made from other ceramic materials than pure alumina. In particular, we offer a range of products made of MACOR®. This glass-ceramic offers excellent electrical and thermal insulation and remarkable dimensional stability. MACOR® is also known for its excellent machinability. These properties allow it to be used in various fields, such as electrical insulation, camera housings (low CTE), mechanical components for vacuum (no outgassing). Unlike other technical ceramics, MACOR® is easily machined with conventional tools.
Ögussa, a subsidiary of Umicore, specializes in the manufacturing of standardized and customized laboratory equipment in platinum and alloys: rhodium, palladium, iridium or gold. Platinum is a precious metal that is easily malleable and resistant to high temperatures. It also has a very good resistance to corrosion/oxidation, which makes it a material of choice for laboratory applications. It can be used to manufacture thermocouples, catalytic converters for vehicles or as a chemical catalyst.
Finally, we offer temperature rings manufactured by FERRO in France. These PTCR rings (Process Temperature Control Rings) allow to measure temperatures between 560 °C and 1750 °C in a precise and reliable way. When placed in an industrial oven, they allow to measure the temperature of the product.