Carbide Ceramics

Carbide ceramics are extremely resistant against high temperature, abrasion and corrosion. They have a high thermal and variable electrical conductivity, and are mainly used in mechanical engineering, chemical, and power engineering, microelectronics as well as space engineering.

There are different principles and techniques that are used to combine the outstanding properties of carbides into one material. The particular material is chosen and developed in accordance with the requirements of the application and manufacturing technology. Silicon carbide is the most important material within the group of carbide ceramics, followed by boron, and titanium carbide. The combination of different carbides provides an additional possibility to realize special properties such as high electrical conductivity, high hardness, variable coefficients of thermal expansion and specific gliding properties.

The Carbide Ceramics working group deals with materials and process developments in the following fields:

• Sintered ceramics (pressureless, pressure sintered), esp. SSiC, LPS-SiC
  
• Reaction-bonded and recrystallized ceramics, esp. RBSiC, NSiC, SiSiC, RSiC
  
• Carbides from organic precursors
  
• Oxide bonded SiC, e.g. glass-bonded SiC
  
• Composites on the basis of particular carbides (SiC/TiC/ZrC/B₄C/TiB₂/C)
  
• Ceramics with controlled porosity

 

Products and services offered

 

• Further and new development of carbide ceramics and carbide ceramic composites
• Development of carbide ceramics with application-specific properties like
  • High fracture toughness
  • Defined electrical conductivity
  • High purity <= 10 ppm
  • Defined porosity
• Manufacturing of prototypical components and small series from innovative carbide ceramics

 

Technical equipment

 

• Complete technology and equipment for materials development and component manufacturing; large-size furnaces under protective gas up to 2400 °C
• Application-oriented analysis

 

Examples and references

 

• High-tensile and hydrothermally stable LPS-SiC for roller bearings and cutting edges
  
• Heating elements with PTC effect on the basis of SSiC
  
• Cellular SSiC and SiSiC for burner systems
  
• High-purity SiSiC for applications in semiconductor industry
  
• Porous LPS-SiC for diesel particulate filters