Production alumina-based ceramics

Table 4.1 further shows essential mechanical properties of several products of CeramTec s BIOLOX family of alumina-based materials for femoral heads of hip endoprostheses as well as those of BIONIT manufactured by Mathys Orthopadie GmbH (Bettlach, Switzerland). It is evident that decreasing the grain size of the ceramic precursor powders increases both the flexural strength and the fracture toughness of the material dramatically. 

From the point of view of the volume of production, polycrystalline alumina is the material most frequently used as ceramics for structural applications. However, in comparison with for example, silicon nitride, where the influence of various additives on microstructure and properties has been well characterized and understood, and despite several decades of lasting research effort, alumina remains a material with many unknown factors yet to be revealed. Alumina-based materials can be divided roughly into three groups ... 

Weiland et al observed that a small amount of Pt metal present in the Rh-based catalyst could significantly improve the catalyst activity for ATR of gasoline range fuels. They claimed that the role of Pt is to enhance oxidation activity, whereas Rh provides high SR activity. The Rh-Pt/alumina catalyst used in the study was supported on monolithic honeycombs and had a Rh to Pt ratio of 3-10 by weight. The geometry (metal monolith, ceramic monolith, or ceramic foam) of the support did not affect the product composition. ... 

Care has to be taken in selecting materials for the die and punches. Metals are of little use above 1000 °C because they become ductile, and the die bulges under pressure so that the compact can only be extracted by destroying the die. However, zinc sulphide (an infrared-transparent material) has been hot pressed at 700 °C in stainless steel moulds. Special alloys, mostly based on molybdenum, can be used up to 1000 °C at pressures of about 80 MPa (5 ton in-2). Alumina, silicon carbide and silicon nitride can be used up to about 1400 °C at similar pressures and are widely applied in the production of transparent electro-optical ceramics based on lead lanthanum zirconate as discussed in Section 8.2.1. 

Historically, most of the oxides that were used in refractory applications were traditional ceramics prepared from clays or other readily available mineral-based raw materials. The major categories of traditional refractories are fire clays, high aluminas, and silica [1], The choice of material for traditional refractory applications, as with advanced material applications, was and is based on balancing cost and performance/lifetime. The ultimate use temperatures and applications for some common refractories are summarized in Table 1 [2, 3], The production, properties, and uses of some of these materials are discussed in more detail in the other chapters... 

Afterburning processes enable the removal of pollutants such as hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by treatment under thermal or catalytical conditions. Combinations of both techniques are also known. VOCs are emissions from various sources (e.g. solvents, reaction products etc. from the paint industry, enaml-ing operations, plywood manufacture, printing industry). They are mostly oxidized catalytically in the presence of Pt, Pd, Fe, Mn, Cu or Cr catalysts. The temperatures in catalytic afterburning processes are much lower than for thermal processes, so avoiding higher NOx levels. The catalysts involved are ceramic or metal honeycombs with washcoats based on cordierite, mullite or perovskites such as LaCoOs or Sr-doped LaCoOs. Conventional catalysts contain Ba-stabilized alumina plus Pt or Pd. 

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