Silicon carbide, an extreme hard synthetically produced crystalline compound of carbon and silicon, has long been utilized in sandpaper, grinding wheels, and cutting tools since the late 19th century.
Machining behavior of SiCp/Al composites is heavily impacted by their geometrical properties of internal microstructures, with particle size and distribution characteristics having an enormous effect on cutting performance.
High Temperature
Silicon carbide (SiC) is a ceramic material known for its exceptional thermal conductivity and durability, making it the perfect material for heating elements in various industrial applications. SiC heating elements play a central role in electric furnaces as well as playing an essential part in fields from metallurgy to ceramics and electronics manufacturing.
SiC heating elements offer several distinct advantages over metal electric heaters: They don’t oxidize over time or produce silica film due to their high temperature tolerance and consistent performance over large surfaces, and thus make an ideal choice for industrial processes requiring high operating temperatures as well as precise temperature regulation.
SiC heating elements come in two polymorphs: alpha and beta. The alpha variant features Wurtzite crystal structure while beta features zinc blende-type properties reminiscent of diamond. Both types can operate effectively at high temperature environments but oxidation resistance varies based on polymorph’s crystal structure and other attributes.
Molybdenum disilicide (MoSi2) is a dense cermet material, suitable for applications requiring higher operating temperatures and power densities than what standard metallic and SiC elements can support. Often found in aerospace applications where power density requirements exceed existing capabilities.
Keith Company offers both types of SiC heating elements to meet a range of industrial applications. SC-type SiC heating elements are used extensively in heat treatment furnaces for annealing, hardening, tempering and carburizing operations as well as in kilns used for ceramic and glass manufacturing processes.
High Voltage
Silicon carbide elements are widely utilized for high-temperature electric furnaces in metallurgical industries, offering advantages over metal electric heating elements due to their higher operating temperature, resistance against oxidation and corrosion and long lifespan. Maintenance is easy too: usually powered by adjustable transformers or silicon controlled DC voltage regulators with flexible connection possibilities either serially or parallelly.
SiC power electronics typically utilize power devices such as Schottky diodes, p+n diodes (commonly referred to as pin diodes), planar-type vertical MOSFETs and insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT). Their schematic structures are shown in Figure 1. Under forward bias conditions these devices must allow current to pass with minimal resistance while blocking reverse voltage conditions completely.
Physics behind these power semiconductors can be complex and requires special care and consideration. For instance, electron impact ionization coefficients in SiC tend to be much lower than in silicon due to a higher effective mass of electrons present.
SiC diodes must contain an n-layer that is 10x thinner and heavily doped compared to its Si counterpart to achieve equivalent breakdown voltage, meaning their current density-reverse voltage characteristics fall along different curves, which may be explained by impact ionization or band-to-band tunneling effects.
Low Resistance
SiC elements are ceramic products with the ability to conduct electricity. These elements feature metalised ends which allow users to connect various wires or cables directly to them, enabling vertical or horizontal installation depending on installation requirements and working environments such as air, controlled atmospheres or vacuum environments.
Resistance of SiC elements decreases in temperature-controlled environments and gradually increases when exposed to higher temperatures, due to both temperature-related and time-related phenomena; such as formation of oxidation particles from high temperatures generated during furnace operation; additionally, resistance also depends on ambient temperatures within a furnace environment.
Silicon carbide is a chemically stable material with low thermal expansion rates that is unlikely to deform during heating processes, making it suitable for refractories in furnaces with tight spaces or controlled atmospheres or vacuum environments. Refractories made with this material can easily be formed into any desired furnace space thanks to its shape-ability. Silicon carbide elements also have very high operating temperatures capabilities; air, controlled atmospheres or vacuum environments all present no problems when utilized properly.
These characteristics allow them to transfer more power from source to load, necessitating current-limiting devices that protect wiring and transformer windings from overload, as well as prevent nuisance fuse blowing or breaker tripping. A phase-angle control unit is the most effective way of accomplishing this.
High Efficiency
Sic is distinguished by its wide bandgap which allows it to excel where silicon devices fail. Sic can withstand higher frequencies, voltages and temperatures because unlike silicon it doesn’t break down under extreme conditions; furthermore it is much stronger than silicon so can withstand greater mechanical stress making it an excellent choice for harsh environments.
Effective heat dissipation is essential in high-temperature LEDs and laser diodes that provide lighting solutions in automotive lighting, industrial machinery and communication systems that require high performance under diverse operating temperatures. UV detectors and photodiodes, essential tools in medical imaging and environmental monitoring applications, require efficient heat management as well.
SiC’s power stages make an extraordinary contribution to energy storage applications such as charging an electric vehicle and solar systems with batteries, providing greater system efficiencies, increased power density, reduced passive component volume and cost.
EREMA SiC Heating Elements are commonly found in metallurgical and ceramics furnaces for melting, casting and refining metals as well as laboratory furnaces for research and material testing purposes. Furthermore, they’re frequently found in diffusion furnaces used in semiconductor manufacturing – they’re durable enough to withstand extreme environments and temperatures while being coated for additional corrosion protection; plus their threaded bases make mounting simple with no risk of collision with exposed graphite legs!
English 
Swedish