Calix provides an extensive range of standard sized tiles and custom hexagon tiles to meet severe wear applications, as well as refractory ceramics to meet corrosion, abrasion or high temperature environments.
Traditional high performance ceramic armours have traditionally been produced using hot pressing; however, this process is costly and capacity is limited1. Direct sintering has higher throughput but lower capacity2, and laser-treated panels showed different failure loci than controls and refired panels.
Abrasion Resistance
Silicon carbide is one of the toughest materials ever discovered, boasting one of the highest hardness scores among engineering ceramics (second only to diamond). Furthermore, it boasts excellent abrasion resistance properties.
Resin offers superior erosion resistance over metals. Furthermore, its chemical reactivity, high temperature stability and low thermal expansion properties make it a worthwhile choice when designing hard, wear-resistant surfaces. It should therefore be considered for any application needing these characteristics.
Silicon carbide’s abrasion resistance can be enhanced through various surface treatment techniques that roughen or chemically modify its surface, such as grit blasting, chemical treatments or laser ablation. Research has indicated that using such methods greatly enhances bonding of this ceramic to composite armour adhesives.
Alumina ceramics’ abrasion resistance can be increased through coatings and treatments composed of alumina-based particles; however, their weight limits prevent their use in armor applications; additionally, these ceramics possess less impact resistance than silicon carbide counterparts.
Corrosion Resistance
Silicon Carbide (SiC) is a non-oxide engineering ceramic material with excellent chemical and heat resistance. SiC remains strong even at temperatures as high as 1400degC, making it suitable for mechanical seals, pump parts, semiconductor processing equipment and general industrial machine parts among many other uses. Furthermore, SiC boasts excellent thermal conductivity as well as semi-conductivity characteristics.
Corrosion and erosion of technical ceramics is a complex process, dependent on many variables including application size, shape, operating conditions and chemical environment. Therefore, selecting materials capable of resisting aggressive environments encountered most frequently in corrosion applications is paramount.
Saint-Gobain provides an expansive selection of silicon carbide (SiC) products. Through extensive knowledge of its thermomechanical and chemical properties, developed through multiple manufacturing avenues, we are able to match these materials perfectly to our customer’s specific application needs. Our SiC ceramic tiles come in all shapes and sizes suitable for any piping system imaginable and can even be custom fabricated specifically for you! Additionally, alumina (Al2O3) tiles have proven themselves very corrosion resistant while increasing operational life span of equipment.
High Temperature Resistance
Ceramics offer high operating temperatures, making them the perfect material for applications where rapid heat dissipation is crucial. Their low coefficient of thermal expansion also equips them to withstand temperature fluctuations that might otherwise lead to cracking and failure of other materials.
Silicon carbide boasts an insulating quality that allows it to resist frictional wear. Furthermore, this material excels at withstanding corrosion, abrasion and high temperatures – making it the ideal material for use as components in chemical plants, mills and other industrial equipment subjected to chemical exposure and impact.
ResisTek’s Alumina Ceramic Tiles and Lining are made with 92% pure synthetic Alumina Oxide for maximum performance and durability in equipment used by our customers. Our advanced manufacturing methods help minimize porosity as well as other detrimental properties of this material for exceptional results in performance and longevity of performance for their equipment.
To compare control, refired and laser-treated alumina panels more thoroughly, they underwent STANAG 4569 Level IV ballistic testing and the ceramic fragments were analyzed via scanning electron microscopy. Control and refired panels demonstrated exposed surfaces indicative of failed ceramic to adhesive bonding; on the contrary, laser-treated panels displayed minimal damage with intact surface areas indicating significantly improved adhesion strength due to treatment.
Thermal Conductivity
Thermal conductivity refers to a material’s ability to move heat from one point to another via molecular movement and contact, depending on temperature gradients and specific physical properties of that material. It’s defined as the rate at which one volume of material plate over an area transfers heat per unit time over distance d (D = distance/time).
Silicon carbide and alumina ceramics both possess exceptional thermal properties; however, silicon carbide ceramics can more readily tolerate higher temperatures, making it suitable for applications requiring chemical resistance.
Alumina ceramic offers superior electrical insulation properties, making it a prime material in applications requiring resistance against corrosion and abrasion. Furthermore, its crystalline structure confers exceptional mechanical properties including hardness and wear resistance.
Previous static tests8 have demonstrated that a tungsten carbide cored projectile completely penetrates a rigid but not necessarily fully dense Alumina ceramic tile for thicknesses up to 30mm with impact velocities below 1000m/s. At speeds of over 1000m/s, for tiles of this thickness and velocity, their tungsten carbide core often fractures and disperses into their aluminum alloy core, possibly due to compressive loading during penetration and subsequent crack softening. Laser surface-treated alumina and silicon carbide samples demonstrated different failure sites during ballistic testing. Laser-processed samples were attached with adhesive to a composite backing panel for testing; when subjected to ballistic testing, their adhesive layer failed at their interface leaving fibers embedded within it and covering their ceramic surfaces completely with glue residue.