GROUP C100 – ALUMINO-SILICATES
The silica-alumina-alkaline porcelain of the C100 group is composed of raw materials such as quartz, feldspars and kaolins. The technical applications of silica porcelain (C110, C111 and C112) occur mainly at low voltage. With the growing demand for electro technical requirements, the ceramic industry has developed porcelain to improve electrical, mechanical and thermal properties by replacing quartz (SiO2) with alumina (Al2O3). The C120 and the C130 porcelain have increasing alumina content, highlighting their high mechanical strength and durability over long periods of time outside.

They are mainly used for manufacturing the heads that support high-voltage cables. Electric porcelains made at VICAR are all in accordance with the C110, C111, C120 and C130 standards. It is also possible to develop products in accordance to specifications requested by customers.

GROUP C200 – MAGNESIUM SILICATES
The name steatite covers a range of materials based on raw materials, mainly talc (hydrated magnesium silicate), with small additions of clay and feldspar or barium carbonate as fluxes. Steatite has excellent mechanical and insulating properties and has been used for electrical, electronic or thermal devices for many years. Typical applications include some types of resistors and circuits, halogen bulb holders, terminals and socket bases, insulators for radio frequency applications, capacitors and brushings, insulators, pipe supports and spaces for special applications, etc. Fosterites are richer in magnesium oxide and have similar applications. All these compositions form the group of MAGNESIUM SILICATES (C200). The type of flux determines the electrical characteristics of the material and gives rise to the following classification: low frequency steatites (C210), normal steatites (C220) or low loss steatites (C221). The group also includes porous (C230) steatites and porous (C240) or dense (250) forsterites.

GROUP C300 – ALUMINA TITANATES
The fundamental characteristic of alumina titanate is its exceptional thermal shock resistance. It has a perfect composition for products that require low conductivity, low humidity and chemical inertia, as well as thermal shock resistance.

GROUP C400 – DENSE CORDIERITES
Alkaline earth cordierites or zirconium porcelains have insulating uses. C410 is a dense material with high mechanical strength and low thermal expansion. They are mainly used to manufacture insulators for fuses, supports and tubes for heating elements of parts requiring high mechanical and thermal resistance. We have materials in accordance with the C410 and C440 standards.

GROUP C500 -CORDIERITES
Cordierite is the most relevant crystalline phase in magnesium aluminosilicate compositions (2MgO.2AI203.5MgO) whose main property is its low thermal expansion. It therefore has outstanding thermal shock resistance as well as good mechanical strength. Compositions C510, C511 and C512 are more or less porous and with a variable cordierite content. The C520 compositions have higher cordierites content and lower porosity. The C530 composition has some amount of mullite due to its higher aluminium oxide content. These materials are inert to the alloys used in heating elements, and can withstand temperatures between 1000ºC and 1200ºC. Their main application is in parts for heaters, heater insulators, supports for electrical resistors, furnace guards and supports or catalyst supports in the automotive industry. They are perfect for applications requiring higher operating temperatures.
We have materials in accordance with the C520 standard, as well as being able to develop products in accordance to customer specific requirements.

GROUP C600 – MULLITES
Group C600 is made up of compositions with high mullite content (3Al2O3.2SiO2). It is divided into two sub-groups C610 and C620, depending on the alumina content present in the composition. C610 includes compositions with 50-65% alumina, while C620 includes compositions with 65-80% alumina. The microstructure of these materials is composed of mullites, corundum and glassy phase and they have low porosity. They are dense materials with good mechanical strength, low thermal expansion and high inertia to chemical attack. Due to these properties, their main applications are in the manufacture of thermocouple protection turbes, rollers for continuous furnaces, refractory parts for foundries, etc.

GROUP C700 – ALUMINAS
Group C700 is made up of those compositions with high alumina (Al2O3) content. It is divided into four sub-groups: C780, C786, C795 and C799 depending on the alumina content present in the composition. Sub-group C780 has compositions with 80-85% alumina; and to meet the requirements of sub-group C799, compositions with more than 99% alumina are needed. Alumina is the most important ceramic material and has a wide variety of applications due to its excellent properties: high strength and hardness, high conductivity, excellent insulating properties and high resistance to wear and corrosion. For this reason, as well as its price and performance, it is used in many industrial sectors: electrical and electronic engineering, chemical industries, as well as biomedical uses such as prostheses or implants.

Many compositions are grouped together under this umbrella name. This term refers to compositions that are used for the manufacture of refractory elements, murals, sculptures or any high temperature application. These compositions are usually made up of a mixture of refractory clays and various qualities of chamotte. The granulometria of these clays usually reach up to 3 millimetres to help withstand the stresses caused by the thickness of the pieces or the thermal shock to which they are subjected. Within this group of compositions is our COMPOSITIONS FOR CRUCIBLES a specific range of ceramic bodies developed for the manufacture of crucibles, both for coating graphite crucibles or for direct use in precious metal smelting processes.

We group various compositions under this denomination, such as the compositions used for the manufacture of elements with controlled porosity. These compositions are used for a variety of applications: water filtration, juices or any type of beverage, filtration of molten metals, thermal insulation, etc. The chemical formulation, distribution and size of the pores generated in these compositions depend on their intended use.

Zirconium Oxide or Zirconia (ZrO2) crystallises in the monoclinic, tetragonal and cubic systems. The transformation to a monoclinic structure involves a sígnicant volumetric change, so that sintered parts must be manufactured in a cubic and/or tetragonal form. Various cations such as magnesium oxide (MgO), calcium oxide (CaO) or Ytria oxide (Y2O3) are used to stabilise these crystalline structures. Stabilisation can be total (fully stabilised zirconia, TSZ) or partial (partially stabilised zirconia, PSZ). PSZ is of great technical importance as it prevents the transformation of the tetragonal to monoclinic phase due to a “pre-stressed” structure, which leads to an increase in strength and hardness. Zirconium oxide has become very important in recent years due to its extreme fracture toughness, high wear and corrosion resistance, thermal expansion similar to cast iron, low thermal conductivity, very good tribological properties and as oxygen partial pressure meter.

Injection moulding compositions are micronized powder formulations that have been processed and conditioned by mechanical and thermal treatments for the preparation of injection feedstocks. A range of compositions are available, covering different ceramic families: steatite, cordierite and alumina. We have the knowledge and know-how to be able to produce, by agreement with the customer, compositions adapted to CIM (Ceramic Injection Moulding) processes.

As well as our standard products, we also offer customised clays to help you find the perfect formula for your product and requirements. After discussing your product with us, we will study the product and develop samples for you to test and approve. There is a minimum quantity order required for the manufacture of these customised products. Contact our team to find out more!