AN OVERVIEW OF REFRACTORY CERAMIC FIBERS
// Ceramics Works
By: Jerry Weinstein, PH.D. – Materials Science Engineer
This article will review refractory ceramic fibers (RCFs), which are amorphous, inorganic, man-made aluminosilicate fibers. RCFs belong to a class of materials termed man-made vitreous fibers, which includes glass wool, rock (stone) wool, slag wool, mineral wool, and special-purpose glass fibers.
The products made from RCF wools are most important for thermal-processing installations and industrial furnace construction and insulation. The RCF products are lightweight and easy to handle, with high-temperature capabilities, good thermal shock and chemical resistance, and low thermal conductivity and heat loss. They are generally used in commercial applications requiring lightweight insulation that is capable of withstanding high temperatures, such as furnace and kiln insulation, fire protection, and automotive exhaust systems.
TAILORING ADVANCED CERAMICS TO MEET NICHE PROPERTIES
// Ceramics Works
By: Jerry Weinstein, PH.D. – Materials Science Engineer
Ceramics are traditionally described as inorganic, nonmetallic solids that are prepared from powdered raw materials and fabricated into products through the application of heat. Advanced ceramics represent an “advancement” over this traditional definition, with compositions ranging over oxides, nitrides, silicides, carbides, and combinations thereof. Key characteristic properties of advanced ceramics are hardness, strength, low electrical conductivity, and brittleness, although all properties can be tailored to meet specific niche properties through composition and processing. New materials or new combinations of existing materials have been designed that exhibit surprising variations on the properties traditionally ascribed to ceramics. As a result, there are now ceramic products that are as tough and electrically conductive as some metals.
CERAMIC FIBER MODULE LINING INSTALLATION ON A CURVED VESSEL WALL
// Technical White Paper
By: Philip Kent – Materials Science Engineer
Ceramic Fiber Modules have been implemented in Thermal Oxidizer Units (TOU) and vessels for over 50 years. They are the main choice of high-temperature insulation. This is due to the fact that ceramic fiber blanket, attached with stainless steel pins and washers, has diminishing returns as you increase the thickness of the refractory lining. If your management (or engineers) have decided to install ceramic fiber modules and convert over from blanket and pins, here are some specific guidelines you should consider before embarking on this journey.
Thermal Processing Magazine
// Company Feature
New HQ, Larger Warehouse, & More Inventory
CeraMaterials opened its doors 12 years ago, and during that time, has become a major player for the heat-treat industry. A key ingredient to that success can be reduced down to a simple concept: listening.
“What we try to do that I think a lot of companies miss, and it’s very basic, is actively listen,” said Jeff Opitz, president of CeraMaterials. “When a customer comes to us with a problem or a material request, we’re very intentional about understanding what our customer is asking for, and then rapidly responding with an appropriate solution.”
Jeff Opitz, President