What Makes Silicon Carbide an Outstanding Machining Material?

Silicon Carbide exhibits properties of Diamond. It is one of the lightest, strongest and hardest ceramic materials, which has exceptional thermal conductivity, low thermal expansion and high resistance to acids.  Silicon Carbide is greatly used in areas where there is fear of physical wear and tear because it has good abrasion resistance and exhibits good erosion properties.  Because of its abundant properties, Silicon Carbide is used in a variety of applications those ranging from electrical to mechanical.

Machining is a broad term used to describe a variety of material removal processes in which cutting tools are used to remove unwanted material from workpiece to give it a desired shape.  The workpieces are generally cut from a large piece, which is available in a variety of shapes such as hollow tubes, solid bars, sheet and beams.  With the help of machining Silicon Carbide, number of features can be embedded onto a workpiece including holes, slots, pockets and even more complex shapes and surfaces.

Silicon Carbide is present in three forms, namely Sintered Silicon Carbide, Nitride bonded Silicon Carbide and Reaction bonded Silicon Carbide.  However, other variations of the silicon carbide include- clay bonded silicon carbide, SiAION bonded silicon carbide.

Silicon Carbide is one the amazing ceramic materials, which has a high refractive index, generally greater than diamond's. It contains a perfect blend of high thermal conductivity and low thermal expansion coefficient, which makes it thermal shock resistance and useful in various industries. Because of all these properties, Silicon Carbide is widely used in valve seats, plungers, mechanical seals, burners, blast nozzles and wear parts. Generally Silicon Carbide is machined in biscuit, green and fully dense states.  However, when it is in a biscuit or green form, it can be easily machined to create complex shapes and geometries. Sintering process is required to fully densify the material because Silicon Carbide can shrink upto 20%.  It can also mean that Silicon Carbide does not have very high tolerances when it is machined.

Abrasive machining is another process, which is used to machine materials using tiny abrasive particles to remove material from a workpiece.  It is also considered a mechanical process like milling or turning because each particle cuts into the workpiece.  The process is typically used to improve the surface finish of a part and also shape a workpiece and form features.  You  must always trust reputed companies who have proven track of excellence for machining Silicon Nitride and Silicon Carbide. Since machining is all about precision and accuracy, therefore  you should conduct an online research to reap the desired results. You should always trust the companies which have experience and skills.