Silicon carbide is the hardest ceramic in our catalog (HV 2800, 1.6× alumina) and one of the few that continues operating in continuous service above 1600°C. The default substrate for pump seal faces, SiC heating elements, and extreme-abrasion industrial wear parts. Three grades — pressureless-sintered (SSiC), reaction-bonded (RBSiC), and chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD-SiC) — cover different cost/performance trade-offs.
Property values below are typical for our standard SSiC, RBSiC, and CVD-SiC production grades. SSiC is the default for most engineering applications; RBSiC offers complex-shape cost advantages; CVD-SiC delivers semiconductor-grade purity.
| Property | Unit | SSiC | RBSiC | CVD-SiC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Density | g/cm³ | 3.15 | 3.05 | 3.21 |
| Hardness (HV) | Vickers | 2800 | 2500 | 2900 |
| Flexural Strength | MPa | 450 | 350 | 500 |
| Compressive Strength | MPa | 3900 | 3000 | 4200 |
| Fracture Toughness | MPa·m½ | 4.0 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
| Max Service Temp | °C (oxidizing) | 1600 | 1380 | 1700 |
| Thermal Conductivity | W/m·K | 120 | 110 | 250 |
| Thermal Expansion (RT–1000°C) | ×10⁻⁶/K | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.0 |
| Electrical Resistivity (20°C) | Ω·cm | 10⁵ | 10⁴ | 10⁶ |
| Surface Finish (lapped) | Ra μm | 0.05 | 0.2 | 0.02 |
SiC processing route determines cost, achievable geometry, and final purity. SSiC is the workhorse — reach for RBSiC when you need a complex shape at lower cost, or CVD-SiC when semiconductor purity is non-negotiable.
Our default SiC grade. Highest hardness, best wear resistance, fully-dense, no free silicon. Used for pump seal faces, mechanical seals, slurry pump components, and high-precision wear parts. The reference grade industrial buyers spec.
Lower-cost SiC route, near-net shape forming enables complex geometries that would be uneconomical to grind. Contains 10–15% free silicon — limits service temperature to 1380°C but offers excellent thermal shock resistance.
Ultra-pure SiC deposited atom-by-atom from gas-phase precursors. 99.9999% purity, no porosity, semiconductor-grade. Used for wafer processing chambers, focus rings, and high-temperature optical mirrors. Premium pricing.
SiC ships into six application categories most often across our 42 export markets. Each entry lists the grade we typically supply for that use.
SSiC pump seal faces — the industry-default seal material for centrifugal pumps in chemical, oil & gas, mining, and water/wastewater service. Hardness HV 2800 outperforms tungsten carbide in abrasive duty.
SiC heating rods (Globar-style) for industrial process furnaces, lab tube furnaces, and ceramic kilns. Operates at 1500°C+ in oxidizing atmosphere with self-protective silica layer.
RBSiC kiln plates, posts, saggers, and burner tubes for ceramic sintering kilns. Better thermal shock resistance than alumina kiln furniture, lighter than dense SSiC.
SSiC impeller liners, casing wear plates, and shaft sleeves for high-abrasion mining and mineral processing pumps. 5–10× service life vs hardened steel in abrasive slurry duty.
CVD-SiC focus rings, edge rings, and showerhead components for plasma etch and CVD chambers. Replaces single-crystal silicon in high-power process steps for extended part life.
SiC hot rod igniters for industrial-scale boilers and commercial gas appliances. Higher surface temperature than Si₃N₄ alternative, used in heavy-duty commercial applications.
SiC is the hardness/temperature champion. Reach for it when your application specifically exceeds what alumina can survive — otherwise alumina is more cost-effective.
An Australian copper mining operation was replacing pump impellers and casing liners every 6 weeks on their abrasive copper concentrate slurry pumps. After switching to SSiC liners and impellers in 2022, the maintenance interval extended to 8–10 months — a 6–8× service life improvement, with corresponding labor and downtime savings.
Direct answers from our application team. Email engineering@ceramitell.com with your duty cycle or drawing for a deeper dive.