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, ceramics due to their atomic composition are able to stay stable across a wider range of temperatures. Advanced ceramics have half the coefficients of thermal expansion when compared to metals like stainless steel, and this low thermal expansion can be used to advantage on designing assemblies where ceramics can be kept in compression to enhance its mechanical strength.

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Important Materials for Thermal Expansion

(CTE 25°C ➞ 400°C)

In terms of thermal expansion, Zirconia and Alumina rank on the higher end and Silicon Nitride and Silicon Carbide are on the lower end. With a range of materials and grades in our portfolio with varying characteristics, materials like Shapal Hi M soft with its close expansion match to silicon works well in semiconductor applications.

Aluminium Nitride (AlN) – CeramAlum™ PCAN1000

4.5 [10-6/K]
PCAN1000 is our standard high purity aluminium nitride with a thermal conductivity of 170 W/ (m.K). This is the same thermal performance as our substrate material but offers the possibility of larger pieces in length and width and in thicknesses up to 30mm.
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Shapal Hi M Soft™ - Machinable AlN

4.8 [10-6/K]
Shapal Hi-M Soft is a hybrid type of machinable Aluminium Nitride (AlN) ceramic that offers high mechanical strength and thermal conductivity.
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Alumina (Al2O3) – CeramAlox™ Ultra Pure

7.5 [10-6/K]
CeramaAlox Ultra Pure is a very high purity (99.95%) grade of Alumina (Aluminium Oxide) exhibiting an exceptional combination of mechanical and electrical properties.
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Macor® – Machinable Glass Ceramic

9.3 [10-6/K]
Macor is a hybrid glass-ceramic with the versatility of a high performance polymer, the machinability of a metal, and the performance of an advanced advanced ceramic.
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Zirconia (ZrO2) - CeramaZirc™ Ultra Tough

10 [10-6/K]
CeramaZirc Ultra Tough is an advanced zirconia-based ceramic composite material based on partially stabilized zirconia and alumina platelets.
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Ceramic Material Comparison Chart

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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.

Maximum Temperature

Advanced ceramics are well known for their heat withstanding properties in which they only start to melt at temperatures around 2000℃. In comparison to more common ceramic materials such as tile or brick, they start to melt at temperatures around 650℃.

Thermal Expansion