Advanced Ceramics for
High-Tech Industries
Materials : Silicon nitride (Si3N4)
Silicon nitride is one of the hardest ceramics but also one of the most resistant. Si3N4 is mainly used in severe environments which combine extreme temperatures with abrasive and/or corrosive medium. Silicon nitride can be of different grades : sintered, hot pressed or reaction bonded.
Selection of materials
Microcertec offers two high-purity Si3N4 grades that are particularly suited for hostile environments :
- sintered silicon nitride
- hot pressed silicon nitride
Both Si3N4 materials are mainly designed to be used in thermal-mechanical or corrosion-resistance applications because they show an outstanding behaviour to resist to wear, thermal shocks and corrosion (liquids and gases). Moreover, these pure Si3N4 grades offer a low thermal expansion.
Properties
Sintered silicon nitride and HP Si3N4 have the following properties :
- low density
- excellent thermal shock resistance
- excellent wear resistance
- excellent corrosion resistance (liquids and gas)
- low coefficient of thermal expansion
- good electrical insulation
- low wetability against molten metals
Our typical applications
Sintered silicon nitride is a ceramic material widely used in the following applications :
- tube and ring faces for mechanical seals
- pump and valve components
- heating tubes for thermocouple
- tools for semicon processing equipment
- welding pins and nozzles
Download
Materials properties data sheet (48 Ko)