Applications

Technical ceramics have applications in areas such as industry, research and development. The various ceramic materials, such as pure alumina, zirconia, silicon nitride and MACOR®, offer a variety of properties such as excellent resistance to high temperatures, high chemical inertia, good wear resistance and outstanding machinability. These industrial ceramics are therefore suitable for particularly demanding applications in fields such as aerospace, medical, glass industry, metallurgy, pharma, food industry, semiconductors, ...

In what areas are advanced ceramics used?


Technical ceramics, in particular Kyocera ceramics, are high-performance materials that can be used in areas such as the defence industry, aerospace, energy, luxury goods, medical, automotive, metallurgy, plastics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, R&D or furnace construction.

For example, they are used in aeronautics and aerospace because they are much more suitable than metal or plastic parts: they are excellent electrical insulators and have remarkable dimensional stability, even at very high temperatures or under stress. In addition, industrial ceramics are inert, wear and abrasion resistant materials. These properties make them ideal for the manufacture of parts such as thermocouples, pistons, cutting blades and rotary joints.

In the luxury sector, industrial ceramics such as zirconia are used for their chemical inertness and wear resistance. They are particularly appreciated in the watchmaking, jewellery and jewellery industries.

In defence, high-performance ceramics are known for their mechanical strength, hardness, lightness and electrical insulation. They are used, for example, in the manufacture of ballistic protection or as hermetic electronic housings in aeronautics.

In what applications are alumina ceramics used?


Alumina is a technical ceramic with remarkable properties, in particular it is a very good electrical insulator at high temperatures, up to 1700 °C.

Our pure alumina products can be used in the glass industry, high temperature industrial furnaces, analysis, research and development. These applications require high dimensional stability and good chemical inertness to be resistant to corrosion and creep. DEGUSSIT alumina products offer better properties than most C799 (C710) sintered aluminas on the market.

Aluminium oxide is also used for the manufacture of custom-made parts. Thanks to its high wear resistance, this technical ceramic ensures a good life span of the parts and an excellent mechanical reliability. For example, in the food and pharmaceutical industries, pure alumina AL23 or F99.7 can be easily sterilised without corrosion.

We also offer ceramic-to-metal brazed assemblies that provide optimal electrical insulation and vacuum resistance. These components are fully sealed under ultra-high vacuum or pressure, at room temperature or in cryogenic conditions. 

Our superfinishing abrasives are made of chromium-doped alumina. They are available in a range of standard tools: grinding stones, wheels and files. These tools are used for grinding, sharpening or deburring of hard materials. They can have 3 grain finishes: fine, medium or coarse.

Thin substrates are large but thin ceramic sheets. They are made of alumina or zirconia and are used in many applications, such as medical technology, catalysts, fuel cells, liquid filtration, or as setters in furnaces.

What other products and technical applications do we offer?


We also offer products made from other ceramic materials than pure alumina. In particular, we offer a range of products made of MACOR®. This glass-ceramic offers excellent electrical and thermal insulation, as well as outstanding dimensional stability. MACOR® is also known for its excellent machinability. These properties allow it to be used in various fields, such as electrical insulation, camera housings (low CTE), mechanical components for vacuum (no outgassing). Unlike other technical ceramics, MACOR® is easily machined with conventional tools. 

Ögussa, a subsidiary of Umicore, specialises in the manufacture of standard and customised laboratory equipment in platinum and alloys: rhodium, palladium, iridium or gold. Platinum is a precious metal that is easily malleable and resistant to high temperatures. It also has very good corrosion/oxidation resistance, which makes it an excellent material for laboratory applications. It can be used to make thermocouples, vehicle catalytic converters or as a chemical catalyst.

Finally, we offer temperature rings manufactured by FERRO in France. These PTCR rings (Process Temperature Control Rings) can measure temperatures between 560°C and 1750°C in an accurate and reliable manner. When placed in an industrial furnace, they allow the amount of heat received by all parts in the furnace (by radiation, convection and conduction) to be taken into account. These rings are the ideal solution for precise temperature control in the firing of technical or traditional ceramics where sintering quality is a critical factor.

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