Applications of Advanced Ceramics in the Chemical, Plastics & Rubber

Applications of Advanced Ceramics in the Oil & Gas Industry

Advanced ceramics have emerged as indispensable materials across the chemical, plastics, and rubber sectors, thanks to their exceptional corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and high-temperature stability. From reactor linings in petrochemical plants to ceramic-coated rollers in polymer processing lines, these engineered materials optimize equipment longevity, improve process efficiency, and enable green manufacturing.

Great Ceramic provides precision-engineered ceramic components specifically designed for the chemical, plastics, and rubber industries. These technical ceramics offer unmatched wear resistance, thermal stability, chemical inertness, and electrical insulation, making them essential for upstream, midstream, and downstream applications.

Why Use Advanced Ceramics?

Advanced ceramics are engineered materials characterized by high purity, controlled microstructures, and superior properties compared to traditional ceramics. Key features include:

Many industrial chemicals are highly corrosive and reactive with metals or polymers. Advanced ceramics like alumina (Al₂O₃), silicon carbide (SiC), and zirconia (ZrO₂) offer outstanding chemical stability, even in strong acids, alkalis, and solvents.

Processes in chemical and rubber manufacturing often involve elevated temperatures exceeding 1000°C. Ceramics such as silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) and aluminum nitride (AlN) maintain their structural integrity at high temperatures, outperforming metals and engineering plastics.

Many processing steps—like mixing, extrusion, and pumping—create abrasive conditions. Ceramic components such as valves, seals, bushings, and liners offer extended service life under these conditions, significantly reducing downtime and maintenance.

In environments where electrical isolation is critical, ceramics like machinable glass ceramic (MGC) and boron nitride (BN) provide both thermal and electrical insulation, protecting equipment and ensuring operational safety.

These attributes make advanced ceramics indispensable in roles where metals or polymers fail—particularly in corrosive, abrasive, or high‐temperature environments.

benefit:

  • High temperature tolerance (up to 1,600 °C)

  • Chemical inertness against acids, alkalis, and solvents
  • Exceptional hardness and wear resistance, extending equipment life
  • Low thermal expansion and high thermal shock resistance
  • Electrical insulation or semiconductor behavior for sensors

Key Applications

In the Chemical Industry

  • Challenge: Reactors and distillation columns are susceptible to corrosion in strong acid and alkaline environments.
  • Solution: Using alumina ceramic linings or silicon nitride coatings can extend service life by 5–10 times.
  • Example: A chemical plant replaced its reactor lining with stainless steel Al₂O₃ ceramic, extending equipment downtime and maintenance intervals from 6 months to 18 months, significantly reducing operating and maintenance costs.

  • Challenge: Traditional metal seals wear rapidly in high-temperature, high-pressure, and corrosive environments.
  • Solution: Aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic seals offer high-temperature resistance (up to 1,400°C) and chemical resistance.
  • Advantages: Stable sealing performance, reduced leakage risk, and improved production safety.

  • Application: Ceramic sensor probes for chemical online monitoring instruments offer the dual advantages of high-temperature insulation and chemical resistance, making them suitable for smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0.

in the Plastics Industry

  • Challenge: High-viscosity plastics create high friction between the screw and barrel, easily leading to equipment wear and production line downtime.
  • Solution: Spraying a silicon carbide (SiC) or boron carbide (B₄C) ceramic coating on the inner wall of the screw barrel reduces friction and extends equipment life.
  • Result: Screw wear is reduced by 60%, and routine maintenance costs are reduced by 40%.

  • Advantage: Using silicon nitride ceramic molds, with their high thermal conductivity and wear resistance, significantly improves the surface quality of plastic parts and production stability.
  • Case Study: An automotive interior parts manufacturer adopted Si₃N₄ ceramic molds, achieving a 15% reduction in molding cycle time and a 30% drop in defective product rates.

  • Requirement: Precise temperature control and fast response.
  • Solution: Aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic heater rods offer high thermal conductivity (>140 W/m·K) and excellent electrical insulation, enabling rapid temperature ramping and stable temperature control.

in the Rubber Industry

  • Scenario: In oil and natural gas transportation, seals are subject to high pressure and chemical corrosion.
  • Solution: Ceramic/elastomer composite seals leverage the ceramic surface hardness and corrosion resistance to extend seal life by 2–3 times.

  • Requirement: Resist corrosion and wear from vulcanizing agents during high-temperature vulcanization.
  • Solution: Silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) or silicon carbide (SiC) linings improve wear resistance and anti-stick properties, ensuring product consistency.

  • Advantages: SiC ceramic rollers offer high surface hardness and excellent wear resistance, making them suitable for high-intensity mixing and reducing downtime for roll changes.
  • Case Study: After upgrading to ceramic rollers, a rubber products factory saw a 20% increase in production capacity and a reduction in maintenance intervals from 20 days to 60 days.

Most Common Ceramic Materials Used

At Great Ceramic, we help our customers in the chemical, plastics, and rubber industries achieve unprecedented levels of performance, reliability, and sustainability by utilizing advanced ceramics such as alumina (Al₂O₃), silicon carbide (SiC), silicon nitride (Si₃N₄), and zirconium oxide toughened alumina (ZTA20).

Ceramic Material Properties & Benefits Typical Applications
Alumina (Al₂O₃) High hardness, good chemical resistance, cost-effective Seals, bushings, guides, valves
Zirconia (ZrO₂) Tough, wear-resistant, corrosion-resistant Pump shafts, plungers, grinding media
Silicon Carbide (SiC) Extreme hardness, thermal shock resistance, excellent corrosion resistance Nozzles, reactor linings, extrusion tools
Silicon Nitride (Si₃N₄) Lightweight, high strength, thermal shock resistance Bearings, mixers, high-temp valve components
Aluminum Nitride (AlN) High thermal conductivity, electrical insulation High-temp electronics, heaters, process monitoring devices
Boron Nitride (BN) Chemically inert, excellent lubricity and insulation Lubricating coatings, insulators, crucibles
ZTA (Zirconia Toughened Alumina) Balanced toughness and hardness Die inserts, guides, wear plates
MGC (Machinable Glass Ceramic) Easily machinable, good thermal/electrical insulation Insulating components, spacers, custom lab parts

Great Ceramic’s Capabilities

At Great Ceramic, we provide custom precision ceramic parts tailored for demanding chemical and plastic processing environments. From zirconia plungers to alumina nozzles and silicon carbide wear-resistant liners, our materials and manufacturing capabilities ensure longevity, precision, and performance.

  • Material Selection Support: Alumina, zirconia, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, SiC, ZTA, BN, MGC, and more
  • Custom Component Design: Based on drawings, 3D models, or customer application needs
  • Advanced Machining: CNC grinding, polishing, hole drilling, slotting, and surface treatment
  • Tight Tolerances: Precision up to ±0.001mm
  • Prototyping and Small Batch Production: Rapid delivery for development and testing
  • Surface Metallization & Brazing Services: For ceramic-to-metal assemblies
  • Substrate Preparation: AlN and alumina ceramic boards with laser cutting and metallization

Relevant Products

Rapid Ceramic Prototyping

Rapid Ceramic Prototyping

Application & Design Support

Application & Design Support

Precision Ceramic Machining Solutions

Custom parts machining

Advanced Ceramic Materials-Technical Ceramics

Advanced Ceramic Materials

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Silicon carbide (SSiC) and alumina are highly resistant to both acids and alkalis, making them ideal for chemical processing applications.

Yes. Ceramic dies, screws, and barrels offer superior wear resistance and dimensional stability, especially when processing abrasive or high-temperature polymers.

Compared to metal parts, ceramic components can last 5–10 times longer, especially under corrosive or abrasive conditions.

Yes. With precision ceramic machining techniques, we can fabricate complex, tight-tolerance parts from alumina, zirconia, MGC, and more.

Ceramic components based on materials such as alumina and silicon nitride can operate for extended periods at temperatures exceeding 1,200°C and in highly acidic and alkaline environments, significantly extending maintenance intervals.

SiC and AlN ceramics have excellent thermal conductivity, ensuring wear and corrosion resistance while maintaining or improving heat exchange efficiency.

Despite a higher unit cost, they can offer a lifespan 2–5 times longer, a lower total cost of ownership (TCO), and significantly better long-term economics than metal.

Great Ceramic

Why Choose Great Ceramic for Applications?

  • Decades of experience in precision ceramic machining
  • Advanced materials including ZTA20, MGC, SSIC, and more
  • In-house capability for surface metallization and ceramic-to-metal brazing
  • Strong R&D support for custom solutions
  • Proven track record in harsh environment applications

Explore our Precision Ceramic Machining Solutions for high-performance chemical, plastics, and rubber components.

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