Maximum Temperature

Advanced ceramics work at temperatures way above standard ceramics that are clay based , these are typically in the region of 650C, and advanced ceramics are considered up to 2200c and then specialist ceramics classed as UTC or ultra high temperature ceramics operate above that temperature band but these are rare materials. When compared to stainless steel this melts between 1400-1500c, so advanced ceramics can provide a useful solution in critical applications such as aero engines and semiconductor heaters.

When considering materials to be used around 2000c attention should be paid to the atmosphere as most of these materials are nitride or carbide based , and need an inert atmosphere to work as the presence of oxygen can limit the temperature at which these function.

At higher temperatures, its worth discussing other operating conditions such as thermal shock , electrical performance to understand the requirement fully. Materials such as silicon Carbide function well at 2000c and work well with thermal shock, but are not electrical insulators, and alternate materials such as Boron Nitride or Shapal may need to be considered.

Maximum Temperature

Materials Ranked by Maximum Temperature

Boron Nitride (BN) is top of the charts when it comes to maximum temperature withstanding temperatures up to 2000℃. It also has outstanding thermal conductivity and has good machinability amongst other attributes. A close 2nd is Shapal Hi M Soft™ withstanding temperatures up to 1900℃ and also offering high mechanical strength and thermal conductivity.

Boron Nitride Grade A Material Brand

Boron Nitride (BN)

2000 ℃
Boron Nitride (BN) is an advanced synthetic ceramic material available in solid and powder form. It has outstanding thermal conductivity and is easy to machine.
Details
Shapal Material Brand

Shapal Hi M Soft™ - Machinable AlN

1900 ℃
Shapal Hi-M Soft is a hybrid type of machinable Aluminum Nitride (AlN) ceramic that offers high mechanical strength and thermal conductivity.
Details
Silicon Nitride CeramaSil-C Material Brand

Silicon Carbide (SiC) – CeramaSil-C™

1800 ℃
Silicon Carbide (SiC) is one of the lightest, hardest, and strongest advanced ceramic materials with exceptional thermal conductivity, acid resistance, and low thermal expansion.
Details
Alumina Material Brand CeramAlox

Alumina (Al2O3) – CeramAlox™

1750 ℃
Alumina, also known as Aluminum Oxide, is a hard wearing advanced technical ceramic material frequently used in a wide variety of industrial applications.
Details

Ceramic Material Comparison Chart

Created with Highcharts 4.2.0[MPa]Compressive StrengthSilicon CarbideSilicon NitrideAluminum NitrideBoron NitrideAlumina 99.5%ZirconiaMacorShapalCeramAlloy Ultra HardCeramAlox Ultra PureCeramaZirc Ultra Tough0500100015002000250030003500CeramaZirc Ultra Tough Compressive Strength: 2000 [MPa]Highcharts.com

Related Properties

Thermal Conductivity

Thermal conductivity measures how easily heat is transmitted through a material. There is a growing specialist market for advanced ceramics use in applications with high thermal conductivity requirements.

Thermal Expansion

Advanced ceramics have generally low coefficients of thermal expansion which is the measure of how much a material expands due to a rise in temperature. When heat is applied to most materials they expand due to their atomic structure, due to ceramics atomic composition they are able to stay stable across a wider range of temperatures.