Chemical Industry

The chemical industry in Germany shows a tendency to combine sustainability and economy [Umc09]. Therefore, high functionality and performance with simultaneous durability, low weight and resource conservation are demanded from materials [Geh18]. In the chemical industry, materials are often the basis for innovation [Geh18]. Thus, areas such as solar cell production and energy storage benefit from the development of highly efficient materials [Geh18].

IKH PRODUCTS USED FOR THIS INDUSTRY

Alumina (Al₂O₃)

Due to its excellent price-performance ratio, alumina (Al₂O₃) ceramics are predestined for many technical applications and the most widely used oxide ceramic material [KOL18]. Its low costs are due to the high availability of aluminum (3rd most common element in the earth’s crust) and the costeffective preparation and sintering processes.

Silicon Carbide (SiC)

The annual production of silicon carbide (SiC) exceeds 800,000 t, making it by far the most used non-oxide ceramic. In the past it has been used almost exclusively as an abrasive material, which still accounts for a major part of its usage. The development of new processes for the production of dense components with favourable mechanical properties enabled new fields of application.