HEXOLOY® SILICON CARBIDECeramic Materials For High Performance ApplicationsCeramic Materials For High Performance Applications

Worldwide Leaders in Ceramic TechnologyNo other company in the world hasmore expertise with silicon carbidethan Saint-Gobain Ceramics. We makemore of this remarkable material forhigh-performance components thananyone else in the world.

It began in 1891 when a young scientist, Dr. Edward Goodrich Acheson,attempted to make artificial diamonds.Instead he invented silicon carbide (SiC),the first man-made abrasive hardenough to cut glass. Acheson trade-marked his discovery under the nameCarborundum, the name also given to the company he founded. TheCarborundum Company developedmany variations of silicon carbide over

the years, including the extemelystrong and versatile material known as Hexoloy® sintered silicon carbide.In 1996, The Carborundum Company’sadvanced ceramic business wasacquired by Saint-Gobain along with its century-long heritage of leadingceramic technology.

Today Saint-Gobain has earned a reputation for providing advanced,high-tech ceramic components toworldwide markets. These marketsspan multiple industries, requiringmaterials that are resistant to extremetemperature, thermal shock, highimpact, abrasion and corrosion.

The Hexoloy® DifferenceDesign engineers have discoveredthat traditional views of ceramicsdon't apply to Hexoloy® silicon car-bide products. Hexoloy productsopen new application and designpossibilities that are impracticalwith ductile metals and lesserceramic materials.

Hexoloy sintered alpha siliconcarbide is produced by the pres-sureless sintering of ultra-puresubmicron powder derived fromthe original Acheson process. Thispowder is mixed with non-oxidesintering aids, then formed intocomplex shapes by a variety ofmethods and consolidated by sintering at temperatures above2000°C (3632°F).

The sintering process results in a single-phase, fine-grain siliconcarbide product that's very pure anduniform, with virtually no porosity.Whether submerged in corrosiveenvironments, subjected to extremewear and abrasive conditions, orexposed to temperatures of 1650°C(3000°F), Hexoloy sintered alpha silicon carbide will outperform othercommercially available ceramics ormetal alloys, including superalloys.

Hexoloy silicon carbide is ideal forapplications such as automotivewater pumps, chemical and slurrypump seals and bearings, nozzles,pump and valve trim, paper andtextile equipment components,ballistic armor and more. Its uniqueproperties can make a significantdifference in a wide variety of highperformance applications.

It’s energy-efficient.Hexoloy silicon carbide’s maximumservice temperature of 1650ºC allowsprocesses to run hotter and cleanerresulting in energy savings and lowermaintenance and downtime costs.

It resists corrosion, oxidationand erosion.The high density, low porosity andchemical inertness of Hexoloy siliconcarbide permit it to function in envi-ronments of hot gases and liquids, inoxidizing and corrosive atmospheres,and in strong acids and bases, even atextremely high temperatures.

It resists heat.The high thermal conductivity ofHexoloy silicon carbide, combined withits low thermal expansion, producesexcellent thermal shock resistance far better than tungsten carbide,aluminum oxide and RB silicon nitride.These properties make it a promisingcandidate for replacing ductile metalsin high temperature applications.

It can be formed into complexshapes.New research allows Saint-Gobainto mass produce complex shapes byextrusion, dry pressing and isostaticpressing at room temperature.Additional features can be achievedthrough green machining of thesecomponents prior to furnacing.

It requires minimum machining.The as-fired surface finish of Hexoloysilicon carbide parts is excellent. Thissurface quality, combined with tightdimensional control, yields parts thatmay require little or no additionalmachining or finish grinding, dependingon application.

It's hard.Hexoloy silicon carbide is one of thehardest high performance materialsavailable.Hardness (Knoop): 2800 kg/mm2 at room temperature.

It’s strong.Hexoloy silicon carbide parts exhibitextremely high strength and excellentresistance to creep and stress ruptureat temperatures up to 1650°C (3000°F).Flexural strength: (4 pt.): 55,000 psi(380 MPa).Fracture toughness:4.20 x 103 lb/in2/√mModulus of elasticity (RT): 59 x 106 lb/in2(410 GPa).

It’s light.Hexoloy silicon carbide weighs lessthan half as much as most metal alloys,40 percent as much as steel and aboutthe same as aluminum.

It’s dense.Densities of fired parts are consistentlyin excess of 98 percent of the theoreticaldensity of Hexoloy silicon carbide - 3.21 g/cm3.Density: 3.10 g/cm3 minimum.

It’s wear resistant.The extreme hardness and smallgrain size of Hexoloy silicon carbidemake it ideal for applications whereparts are subject to high abrasionand sliding wear.Specified wear rate (pin on disc):SiC vs. SiC 1 x 10-9 mm2/kg.Coefficient of friction (pin on disc):SiC vs. SiC 0.2.

Chemical ProcessingHexoloy silicon carbide has long been the material ofchoice for mechanical seals and high performance bearings used in a variety of chemical processing industries. It is also ideal for sparger tubes, nozzles,vessel linings and other demanding applications in the chemical, petrochemical, petroleum refining, phar-maceutical and pulp and paper industries. Hexoloycomponents are custom made to meet specific applica-tion requirements. They offer universal corrosion resistance, low coefficient of friction, excellent wearresistance, high strength, and high thermal conductivity.

Engineered Products For Worldwide Markets

Fluid HandlingMechanical seal faces and high performance bearings made ofHexoloy silicon carbide are ideal for a wide variety of demandingfluid handling applications such as automotive water pumps,chemical processing, refining, mining, pulp and paper processing,mixers and refrigeration. They offer universal corrosion resistance,low coefficient of friction, excellent wear resistance, high strength,and high thermal conductivity.

Photo courtesy of QVF Engineering GmbH.

ThermalFor the toughest high temperature applications, Hexoloysilicon carbide will outperform most metal, refractory andother ceramic materials. The material's low coefficient ofthermal expansion and high thermal conductivity give itexcellent thermal shock resistance, allowing it to surviverapid thermal cycling. At elevated temperatures, Hexoloysilicon carbide actually increases in strength where otherceramics and metals quickly drop off. Thermal componentsare available custom made to meet customer requirements.These include burner nozzles, thermocouple protectiontubes, immersion heater tubes, recuperation tubes, oxygensensors, test fixtures and furnace belt links. Hexoloy siliconcarbide is also ideal for kiln system components such asbeams, tiles, batts, posts and rollers.

ArmorSaint-Gobain Ceramics offers a broad range of ceramic materials forcomposite armor protection systems including Hexoloy silicon carbide,Norbide® boron carbide, reaction bonded silicon carbide, alumina,sapphire and others. The various properties of these materials, such as high hardness, compressive strength and elastic modulus providesuperior ballistic capability to defeat high-velocity projectiles for transport aircraft, helicopters, land vehicles, AC-130U gunships and body armor. Materials can be supplied as finished components, unfin-ished, machined blanks, pressed near net shape blanks, high volumepressed net shape components, and complex, highly machined parts.

Photo courtesy of Company Schwartz.

AutomotiveHexoloy silicon carbide seal faces for water pump and othertransportation applications are proven superior in meetingthe requirements of vehicles around the world. Saint-GobainCeramics currently supplies over 50 million seal faces for useby global automakers, replacing seal faces made of materialssuch as aluminum oxide, carbon graphite and bronze. Manyleading automakers and truck engine manufacturers haveconverted 100% of their production to seal assemblies usingsintered silicon carbide as one or both of the seal faces.Benefits include extreme hardness and high strength, highabrasion and wear resistance, excellent corrosion resistanceand superior thermal shock resistance.

Specialty Markets

SemiconductorApplications for Hexoloy in high technology industriesinclude components for semiconductor wafer processingsuch as vacuum chucks, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP)blocks and susceptors. These applications take advantage of Hexoloy silicon carbide's thermal expansion match to silicon, high elastic modulus, chemical inertness, and highthermal conductivity. Hexoloy silicon carbide is well suitedas a structural material for low mass wafer carrier compo-nents, and rigid, dimensionally stable platforms with exceptional flatness for wafer lapping and polishing.

MiningHexoloy SA silicon carbide, a fully dense, monolithic ceramicwith high thermal conductivity and excellent corrosion anderosion resistance offers distinct advantages for miningapplications. Hexoloy SA valve trim has set performancestandards for use in nickel and gold ore processing and hasprovided reliable performance in extreme temperature,pressure and corrosive environments.

Hexoloy® SAHexoloy® SA SiC is a pressureless,sintered form of alpha silicon car-bide, with a density greater than98 percent theoretical. It has a veryfine grain structure (4 - 10 microns)for excellent wear resistance andcontains no free silicon, which makesit highly chemically resistant inboth oxidizing and reducing environments.

Saint-Gobain Structural Ceramic Materials

Hexoloy® SPHexoloy® SP SiC is a sintered alphasilicon carbide material designedspecifically for optimum perform-ance in sliding contact applicationssuch as pump seal faces and productlubricated bearings. This materialimproves upon the exceptionalfriction properties of Hexoloy SASiC (sintered alpha SiC) throughthe addition of size-controlledspherical pores.

Hexoloy® SEHexoloy® SE SiC offers an excellentalternative material to metals,superalloys and other ceramics forapplications such as chemical processing, high temperature furnaces, and other demanding,severe environment applications.Hexoloy SE SiC provides exceptionalproperties including extremehardness; high strength; virtuallyuniversal corrosion resistance; hightemperature stability; high thermalconductivity.

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Hexoloy® SGHexoloy® SG SiC is a unique, patentedanalogue of Hexoloy SA SiC. It is asintered silicon carbide and has nofree silicon metal. It is electricallyconductive, permitting DC-magnetronsputtering rates approximatelyhalf that of aluminum. It also hasexcellent thermal conductivity.

Norbide® Hot Pressed Boron CarbideNorbide® Hot Pressed BoronCarbide (B4C) is one of the hardestmaterials known and offers excel-lent chemical and wear resistancefor demanding applications such asblast nozzles, monument nozzlesand lightweight armor components.Components made with NorbideB4C offer longer service life whichcan translate into lower costs,reduced maintenance and lessdowntime for many applications.

Noralide® NBD-200 HotPressed Silicon NitrideNoralide® NBD-200 Hot PressedSilicon Nitride ( Si3N4) offers acombination of characteristics thatmake it an ideal material for sealface components in nuclear appli-cations, as well as other applicationswhere maximum fracture tough-ness and flexural strength arerequired. Hot-pressed for maximumstrength and density, NoralideSi3N4 provides better fractureresistance than other ceramicmaterials.

Saint-Gobain Structural Ceramic Materials:Typical Physical Properties

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Saint-Gobain Structural Ceramic Materials:Typical Physical Properties

Pre-Sinter (Green) MachiningMachining in the pre-sintered orgreen state is often desirable becauseit allows manufacturing of finishedshapes without expensive grinding ofsintered material. Green machining isaccomplished using conventional CNClathes and mills. Stock removal can beaccomplished 15 times faster in thegreen state than in the sintered state.Green machining provides parts totolerances of 0.5 percent to 1.0 percentof their final dimensions. Typical greenmachined surface finishes range from32 to 64 micro inches.

FormingEconomical forming is determined by volume and tolerances of the finalpart. Dry pressing to size is the mosteconomical forming method for volumes of 300 pieces or more. Thismethod helps to justify the initialexpense of tooling designed specifi-cally for each part. Isostatic pressing issuited to low volumes and prototypeitems.

ExtrusionExtrusion is used for high-volume,constant cross-section long-lengthtubing and rod where a constant crosssection over long length is desired.Saint-Gobain Ceramic’s extruded products offer our customers a partwith optimized balance of length combined with minimal weight andwall thickness. Our capability rangesfrom 1/2” OD (12mm) up to a cross section of 2” x 2” (50.8mm x 50.8mm)in lengths of up to 15 ft (4.5M) and 10 ft (3.0M) respectively.

Fabrication ProcessesGrinding/FinishingFinal grinding is done with diamondwheels and costs increase substantiallyas blueprint tolerances tighten. Partgeometry and concentricity/parallelismalso affect costs. For example, improvingoutside diameter tolerances from +.020inch to +.010 inch can increase the priceby 2X. Improvement from +.020 inch to+.002 inch can increase the price by 4X.Saint-Gobain has the capability of grind-ing to close tolerances on most shapes(.0005 inch).Typical ground parts exhibitfinishes of 16 micro inches or better.When surface finishes are critical forimproved friction and wear perform-ance, finishing operations such as lappingand honing can improve surfaces up to4 micro inches. Lapping and polishing can provide surface flatnesses to onehelium light band.

Quality AssuranceOur company mission is to maintainthe highest level of quality for ourcustomers. Saint-Gobain has state-of-the-art nondestructive evaluationequipment for final quality inspec-tions of internal structures. Theseinclude bulk and surface wave ultrasonics, fluorescent dye pene-trant, radiography, acoustic emission and photomicrography.

Customer Service & Support

You can count on Saint-Gobain Ceramic’sexpertise to help you specify the correctstructural ceramic materials to meetexacting component design criteria. Ourapplications engineering support teamhas the experience and talent to providesolutions for product design problems.Our proven manufacturing capabilitiesensure world class supply and qualityassurance and our structural ceramic specialists provide cost effective partprocurement. Our dedicated customerservice personnel provide the responsive-ness and follow-up necessary to meetyour requirements. Saint-GobainCeramic’s ISO 9001 2000 certificationmeans a higher level of quality serviceand support to match all of your company’s needs.

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Our parent company, Saint-Gobain Corporation, is one ofthe largest engineered materials suppliers in the worldwith more than 1000 companies and more than 230,000employees in 45 countries. Saint-Gobain is a world leaderin its three main sales sectors: housing products, glassand high performance materials. Our global team focus isto create shareholder value, provide exceptional productavailability and offer product performance that servesapplications needs and supports customers.

For more information, contact one of the offices in ourworldwide network or visit www.saint-gobain.com.

Your Worldwide Source For High Performance Ceramic Materials

Saint-Gobain Ceramics offers vastresources to meet your needs for struc-tural ceramic/silicon carbide products.With global representation and manu-facturing locations in North America,Europe and Asia we can deliver yoursolution when you need it, where youneed it, in virtually every corner of theworld.

North America (USA)Our Hexoloy silicon carbide premix facility,manufacturing plant and R & D facilitiesare located in Niagara Falls, NY, USA. Ourteam of experienced and talented salesand applications engineers provide cus-tomer engineered products to help solveyour product design problems. You cancount on the proven expertise from thisteam to help you specify the correctstructural ceramic materials to meetyour exacting component criteria.

Europe (Germany)Located in Moenchengladbach, Germany,our high volume Hexoloy silicon carbidemanufacturing plant is dedicated to themanufacture of water pump seal facesfor the automotive industry. Our experi-enced manufacturing team produces ahigh volume of water pump seal faces inboth Hexoloy SA & SP SiC for worldwideconsumption.

Asia (China & Japan)Saint-Gobain sales offices in Shanghai,China and Seto, Japan offer global representation for all custom engineeredHexoloy SiC components producedthrough the Hexoloy silicon carbidemanufacturing plant in Niagara Falls, NY,USA. Our dedicated sales team will helpassist you by offering solutions to all ofyour design needs.

Contact information for our worldwidelocations can be found on the oppositepage.

www.hexoloy.com

©2009 Saint-Gobain CeramicsAll Rights ReservedForm No. A-1204902/09

Hexoloy® Norbide®, Noralide® and AlNimax™ are trademarks of Saint-Gobain Ceramics.

North AmericaSaint-Gobain CeramicsStructural Ceramics Hexoloy® Products23 Acheson DriveNiagara Falls, NY 14303Telephone: 716-278-6233Fax: 716-278-2373E-mail: scd.sales@saint-gobain.comwww.hexoloy.com

EuropeSaint-Gobain Advanced CeramicsMoenchengladbach GmbHPostfach 401254Nobelstrasse 641189 Moenchengladbach, GermanyTelephone: 0049 2166 5509-0Fax: 0049 2166 5509-10

AsiaSaint-Gobain Advanced Ceramics

(Shanghai) Co., Ltd.Bldg. 7, No. 88 Lane 2888, Hua Ning Rd.Xin Zhuang Industrial ZoneShanghai 201108, P.R. ChinaTel: +86 21 6489 9993Fax: +86 21 6442 2667e-mail: hexoloy.china@saint-gobain.comwww.hexoloy.com.cn

Saint-Gobain KK (Seto Site)26 Shimo-Jinya-ChoSeto, Aichi, Japan 489-0051Tel: +81-561-97-0808Fax: +81-561-82-2384

Cover valve photo courtesy of Caldera Engineering.