After our long experience in machining ultra-hard materials we can offer custom-made products in little or medium series.

There are many types of fine ceramics meeting almost every requirement:

• steatite: high electrical insulating performances with low mechanical resistance,
• alumina: very hard, high corrosion resistance, good mechanical characteristics
• zirconia: high resilience, good corrosion resistance,
• silicon nitride: high resistance to thermal shock, good mechanical and corrosion resistance.

All of them have a good resistance to high temperature.
The technical data of the most used types are in the table.
Many other types can be supplied for specific applications.

Properties	Unit	Alumina			Zirconia	Silicon Nitride
Formula	-	Al2O3	Al2O3	Al2O3	Zr02	Si3N4
Composizion	Gew.%	97,5	99,8	99,99	-	>90
Density	g/cm3	3,78	3,86	3,97	5,95	3,10
Hardness	HV	1600	1900	2100	1200	1550
Compression strength	MPa	2200	2500	3800	2200	3000
Bending strength	Mpa	320	350	470	850	750
Fracture toughness K1c	MN/m3_2	-	3,5	4	-	6
Modulus of elasticity	Gpa	310	350	380	200	300
Coefficient of thermal exp.	10-6/K	7,4	7,8	8,0	9,8	3,2
Thermal conductivity	W/mK	23	29	30	22	40
Specific heat	J/kgK	-	900	900	-	700
Max.use temperature in air	°C	1500	1900	1900	1000	1100
Chemical resistance	acids/bases	good/ good	exc./ good	exc./ good	-	exc./ good