Silicon Carbide
Silicon Carbide (SiC) combines high thermal conductivity with extreme hardness, wear resistance, thermal shock resistance with a weight half that of steel. These features make Silicon Carbide perfectly suited for seal faces and high performance pump components. Silicon Carbide is available in several forms, each with its own unique properties and benefits:
Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide: has a coarse grain and low production costs. This produces a material that has a lower hardness but with a high thermal conductivity.
Direct Sintered Silicon Carbide: a higher grade that reaction bonded Silicon Carbide and is typically used in applications that require high temperatures.
Chemical Vapour Depostion (CVD) Silicon Carbide® (® Rohm & Haas): a face centred cubic, polycrystalline material that is extremely pure with a thermal conductivity of around 300 W/mK.
Silicon Carbide applications:
- Automotive parts
- Valve components
- Turbine parts & components
- Bearings, seals & pump parts
- Heat exchangers
- Regulator plates
- Semiconductor manufacturing
Property | Value |
---|---|
General |
|
Chemical Formula | SiC |
Mechanical |
|
Density | 3.1 - 3.2 g/cm3 |
Hardness | 2550 - 2800 Knoop |
Modulus of Elasticity | 58 - 65 x 106 psi |
Flexural Strength | 59 - 108 kpsi |
Compressive Strength | 550 kpsi |
Poisson's Ratio | 0.11 - 0.17 |
Fracture Toughness | 3 - 3.4 MPa m1/2 |
Electrical |
|
Volume Resistivity | >1014 Ohm-cm |
Thermal |
|
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion | 3.9 - 4.5 x 10-6/°C |
Thermal Conductivity | 71 - 130 W/mK |
Shock Resistance | 350°C Diff |
Maximum Working Temperature | 1650 °C |