Alumina.
Alumina, more commonly known as aluminium oxide (Al2O3), is one of the most widely used of all the state-of-the-art ceramic materials. It is renowned equally for its high level of thermal insulation and for its low level of electrical conductivity. It is also highly resistant to acids, and is available in various polymorphous forms.
Its properties vary depending on the specific polymorphous form, making it extremely versatile. It is the preferred material out of all advanced ceramics, and is notable for the multiple uses to which it can be put and for its reliability in critical applications. Savar manufactures alumina with levels of Al2O3 that vary from 85% to 99%, all of which are exceptionally stable even at high temperatures and can, therefore, be used in a mutitude of different sectors. For example, porous alumina with up to 94% Al2O3 is used primarily in the Oil & Gas sector, as ferrules for tube sheets, whereas sintered alumina with Al2O3 levels of between 96% and 99% is utilised in the electrical and mechanical engineering sectors, and in the textile industry.
In electrical and mechanical engineering, alumina is utilised for its exceptional resistance and dimensional stability, making it ideal for components called upon to work under extreme conditions. In the steel and glass industry, porous alumina is indispensable for the construction of industrial furnaces that operate at temperatures in excess of 1400°C, guaranteeing durability and reliable performance over the long term. In the heating and petrochemical sectors, alumina is used for the manufacture of ferrules that are crucially important for tube sheets and other components subject to extreme conditions of temperature and pressure.
Properties of alumina.
• Electrical insulation, with excellent dielectric properties
• High thermal conductivity and capacity for heat dispersal
• Resistant to mechanical stress and wear
• Levels of purity that vary from 85% to 99%, adaptable to various applications
• High level of chemical resistance to strong acids and bases
• Maintains its properties even at high temperatures
• High thermal conductivity and capacity for heat dispersal
• Resistant to mechanical stress and wear
• Levels of purity that vary from 85% to 99%, adaptable to various applications
• High level of chemical resistance to strong acids and bases
• Maintains its properties even at high temperatures
Which products can we manufacture?
Savar's alumina is used in the manufacture of numerous products:
• Components for electronics and integrated circuits
• Components for industrial furnaces: tubes for high temperatures
• Wear-resistant precision mechanical components
• Textile and non-textile thread guides
• Ferrules for the petrochemical sector
Sectors of use.
In the electronics industry, alumina is widely used for the manufacture of high-performance components, where resistance and stability are essential for the optimal operation of electronic equipment. In the heating and petrochemical sector, it is used in alumina pastes to produce alumina ferrules and other components that demand high levels of resistance to heat and corrosion. Last of all, in the mechanical engineering sector, alumina is utilised for the creation of precision mechanical components, thanks to its dimensional stability even at high temperatures, its capacity to support intense mechanical stress and its exceptional resistance to wear.
Did you know...?
Bauxite constitutes around 8% of the Earth's surface, and by means of the Bayer process it is crushed into pure aluminium hydroxide, which is then calcinated to eliminate water and to convert it into aluminium oxide, or calcined aluminium – a white powder that is the main constituents of ceramic alumina.
Ferrules for use in the petrochemical sector.
Precision ceramic gaskets for high-temperature applications and demanding heat cycles.
Alumina ferrules are a key component in the petrochemical industry, since they can perform effectively even under high temperatures and in strict heat cycles. These components are designed to protect boiler pipes and other equipment from corrosive gases and from the high temperatures that are typical of sulphur recovery units (SRUs). Savar manufactures high-quality ferrules that have what it takes to satisfy the extreme requirements of these applications while guaranteeing compatability with the other materials used within the system.
What are the advantages?
• Wide range of high-alumina compositions available: offering exceptional resistance to corrosion and erosion.
• Superior resistance to thermal shocks: ideal for variable temperature conditions.
• Precise dimensional tolerances: Savar's ferrules are pre-engineered and formed with tolerances of +/- 0.5% for perfect one-site adapability.
• High reliability: the generous curvature under the head of the ferrule minimises the concentration of stress.
• Heat-management system: protects the tube sheet from excessive heat, enhancing insulation and reducing the space and refractory material required when compared to traditional solutions.
• Ease of installation and maintenance: Savar's ferrules can be rapidly removed for periodic inspections and maintenance, with the option to reuse some or all of the ferrules, thus reducing the cost.
• Reduction of pressure drops: available with various tapered entry and exit profiles, helping to reduce the refractory mass in the furnace while also minimising pressure drops, with respect to installations that use refractory castables.
• Greater operating efficiency: enabling higher process throughput and lower energy costs, delivering higher perfomance and lower costs over time within heat cycles.
• Superior resistance to thermal shocks: ideal for variable temperature conditions.
• Precise dimensional tolerances: Savar's ferrules are pre-engineered and formed with tolerances of +/- 0.5% for perfect one-site adapability.
• High reliability: the generous curvature under the head of the ferrule minimises the concentration of stress.
• Heat-management system: protects the tube sheet from excessive heat, enhancing insulation and reducing the space and refractory material required when compared to traditional solutions.
• Ease of installation and maintenance: Savar's ferrules can be rapidly removed for periodic inspections and maintenance, with the option to reuse some or all of the ferrules, thus reducing the cost.
• Reduction of pressure drops: available with various tapered entry and exit profiles, helping to reduce the refractory mass in the furnace while also minimising pressure drops, with respect to installations that use refractory castables.
• Greater operating efficiency: enabling higher process throughput and lower energy costs, delivering higher perfomance and lower costs over time within heat cycles.
If you're interested in our alumina products or you would like more information, please don't hesitate to contact us. Our team is at your disposal to find the solution that best fits your needs.
Want a custom material?
Let's make it together.
Let's make it together.
Custom materials designed and produced in response to your ideas.
Our technicians analyse every technical detail with a view to meeting your requirements fully, developing specific formulations that satisfy the various technical and performance requirements you may have.
• Refractory products based on silicon carbide, zirconium oxide or fused silica
• Advanced ceramics, oxide and non-oxide
• Advanced ceramics, oxide and non-oxide
• High-porosity ceramics
• Super-refractory products with high alumina content