Mining

Mining entails an increased risk for employees and, above all, focuses on safety aspects. These range from flame retardant materials [Möl16] to highly efficient materials for reliable sensor technology [Bar17]. The requirements for the materials are very individual when drilling holes, as the material to be excavated plays a decisive role in the design of the material against tribological stress [Sch15].

IKH PRODUCTS USED FOR THIS INDUSTRY

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.

Boron Carbide (B4C)

Boron carbide is one of the hardest known materials being only second to diamond. Its composition ranges from B4.3C to B10.4C. Technical boron carbide usually has a high carbon content and is labelled B4C, for convenience. Due to its high hardness and Young’s modulus it is very resistant against abrasion and thus used in blast or spray nozzles and as an abrasive.