Engineering ceramics.
Alumina. Zirconia.
Hardness extreme.
Engineering ceramics — alumina, zirconia, silicon carbide, silicon nitride. Extreme hardness, high temperature, electrical insulation. Specialty manufacturing required.
Key principles.
Most common
Workhorse engineering ceramic. Hardness 2000 HV. Electrical insulator.
Toughest ceramic
Highest fracture toughness ceramic. Dental, biomedical implants.
Wear & thermal
SiC. Wear plates, semiconductor processing.
Bearings
Si3N4. Hybrid bearings, high-temperature.
Sinter from powder
Press powder, sinter in furnace. Cannot CNC-machine green state easily.
Premium
5-50× metal cost depending on grade.
FAQ
Why ceramics?
Extreme hardness, high temperature stability, chemical inertness, electrical insulation. Where metals/plastics fail.
Manufacturing process?
Pre-sintered green machining. Final-sintered grinding. Most ceramic shaping is grinding, not machining.
Can CNC machine ceramics?
Diamond grinding tools machine sintered ceramics. Slow, expensive. CNC milling of green ceramic possible.
Brittleness?
Major limitation. Ceramics fail catastrophically. Avoid sharp corners, stress concentrations.
Major applications?
Cutting tools (alumina, SiC), bearings (Si3N4), dental crowns (zirconia), heat shields (alumina).
Cost-justified when?
When metals/plastics fail. High temperature, extreme wear, chemical inertness, electrical insulation.