Ceramic Industry February 2011

February 2011 | Volume 161 | Issue Number 2 www.ceramicindustry.com

2011

R&D Lab Equipment and Instrumentation Directory

Special Section | Brick & Clay Record

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Experts

DTA and TGA analysis can help predict drying and firing behavior of raw materials.

Customized Sankey diagrams visually highlight heat inputs and losses in dryers and kilns.

Technical Consulting on process energy conservation and product quality is a growing service at Harrop. Each year, dozens of customers engage us for technical analysis and unbiased advice on kiln energy use and drying and firing problems. Here’s what we offer: • Complete process energy audits to measure thermal efficiency and recommend both operational and capital improvements • Diagnosis and solutions to product quality problems • The largest, most qualified Tech Services staff of any kiln supplier in the U.S. • In-house 10,000 sq. ft. testing lab and pilot plant to characterize raw materials and develop optimized drying and firing cycles. For expert help, look no further than Harrop. Visit www.harropusa.com, or call us at 614-231-3621 to discuss your special requirements.

Fire our imagination www.harropusa.com

³ TABLEOFCONTENTS February 2011 | Volume 161 | Issue Number 2

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DEPARTMENTS

FEATURES

Inside CI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Letter to the Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 International Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Ceramics in the News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 People in the News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Kiln Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 What’s New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Buyers’ Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Services Marketplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Classified Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Advertiser Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

³R&D Innovations: Discovering Medusa The snake-like “Medusa front” offers a new view to help improve lithium battery performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 ³Materials Characterization and Problem Solving Advances in instrumentation allow the observation and measurement of smaller features, achieve better detection limits, and determine more accurate chemical and structural parameters than ever before . . . . . . . 14 ³Advanced Digital Microscopy Digital microscopes have been developed to overcome many conventional optical shortcomings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 ³2011 R&D Lab Equipment and Instrumentation Directory Our exclusive annual quick-scan chart provides a handy resource for the selection of a range of laboratory equipment and instrumentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

SPECIAL SECTION | FIRING/DRYING ³Investing in Ceramics: Thermcraft Celebrates 40 Years Company president Thomas M. Crafton credits customer-focused approach as a key to success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 ³Firing Evolution A kiln has been developed to meet multiple manufacturing needs and act as a starting point for a new approach to firing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

SPECIAL SECTION | BRICK & CLAY RECORD ³Case Study: Efficiency Breakthrough At Belden Brick, success depends on more than just making brick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 ³New Purpose, New Opportunity Mid America Brick is repurposing a former A.P. Green Refractories plant for the manufacture of face brick and related products. . . . . . . . . . . . . 35  Denotes articles with global emphasis

ON THE COVER: Cover design by Cory Emery. CERAMIC INDUSTRY (ISSN 0009-0220) is published 12 times annually, monthly, by BNP Media, 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $178.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $216.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $228.00 (Int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by BNP Media. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CERAMIC INDUSTRY, P.O. Box 2145, Skokie, IL 60076. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to CERAMIC INDUSTRY, P.O. Box 2145, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or [email protected].

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³ INSIDECI by Susan Sutton | Editor-in-Chief, Integrated Media

R&D Race? According to the recently released “2011 Global R&D Forecast” from Battelle-R&D Magazine, worldwide spending on R&D is forecast to reach $1.2 trillion this year (a 3.6% increase over 2010). While U.S. spending is anticipated to grow by just 2.4%, to $405.3 billion, the U.S. will remain the top spender, funding one-third of global R&D. The report also reveals that China has overtaken Japan as the second-highest funder of global R&D. China’s investment in R&D has not suffered from the economic recession; in fact, the country has increased R&D spending by approximately 10% each year for roughly a decade. “The continued expansion of R&D in China is both inspiring in magnitude and worrisome from a U.S. competitive perspective,” said Marty Grueber, a Battelle research leader and co-author of the report. “The Chinese are doing everything in their power to grow and develop through an increasing understanding and emphasis on research and technology. Even most of their highest ranking political leaders are engineers.” In addition, emerging economies are expected to begin making more of an impact in the global R&D arena. In addition to China, countries such as Korea, India, Russia and Brazil are increasing their rates of R&D spending at a quicker pace than traditional leaders U.S., Japan, and Germany. Manufacturers in our industry have continued their innovation efforts despite these trying economic times, and our annual R&D Lab Equipment and Instrumentation Directory is here to help that trend continue. Take a look on pp. 22-25 of this issue, and be sure to keep the directory handy when sourcing your R&D project needs. Suppliers of products ranging from balances and blenders to X-ray diffraction instruments are listed, along with contact information.* The quick-scan chart is designed to help you easily locate the products you need to continue to focus your R&D efforts and maintain an edge in the marketplace.

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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

ADVANCED CERAMICS & GLASSES DIGEST Our new advanced-focused e-newsletter launches this month. Be sure to visit the website to subscribe!

Surinder Maheshwary, Director, Quality Assurance/Process Improvement, Dal-Tile International; William Babik, Technical Sales Manager, Nabertherm Inc.; Charles Semler, Ph.D., Refractories Consultant, Semler Materials Services; Gary Childress, General Manager, Orton Ceramic Foundation; Matthew Centa, Technical Support Manager - Ceramics & Glass, Rio Tinto Minerals; James E. Houseman, Ph.D., President, Harrop Industries, Inc.

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

INSIDE LOOK Take an Inside Look at upcoming industry events. This month, we feature Pittcon and the Green Manufacturing Expo.

R&D LAB EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION DIRECTORY The online version of the R&D Lab Equipment and Instrumentation Directory is searchable by product or company, and includes extras such as hotlinks, spec sheets, and videos for select suppliers.*

DIGITAL EDITION CI’s digital editions are easy to read, search and download. This month’s digital edition is sponsored by Netzsch Instruments Inc.

*Supplier listings indicate paid advertising. Contact Ginny Reisinger at [email protected] for pricing.

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³ LETTERTOTHEEDITOR



³INTERNATIONALCALENDAR Feb 2-4 COMPOSITES 2011 ³ Fort Lauderdale, Fla., www.acmashow.org

Dear Editor, During the first half of the 20th century, the engineering employee enjoyed a stable employment environment, while the latter half of the century enhanced engineers’ esteem, in part because of the space program and Silicon Valley. But engineers also began to experience a decline in status and a shift in employment. Harvard University promoted buying new products and research, and companies favored buying and selling one another. An inventor and their invention might be sold, and the inventor might be subsequently terminated as the acquiring company sought to cut expenses. It is common practice for a company to require employees, as a condition of their employment, to assign all patent rights to the employer. This assignment of rights was fine in the days of stable and continued employment, and long-term benefits. With the current instability of companies, however, this assignment of rights can be grossly unfair to the patentee. The refusal of an employee or prospective employee to sign over all patents rights can result in dismissal or rejection of the applicant. The individual refusing to assign rights is free to go and be employed elsewhere. But the same employment conditions probably exist elsewhere as well, so the employee is left only with the option of signing if they want to be employed. Creativity is the cornerstone of a person’s ability to successfully patent. Creativity may be stifled if one believes that they will not share in the benefits yielded from the patents (many senior staff members advise against pursuing a patent or new venture). Even if creativity is not stifled, it is grossly unfair to the individual if the company enjoys long-term benefits and the person is eliminated from participating in those benefits. In addition, reorganization under the protection of bankruptcy can eliminate any financial agreement that may have been made to compensate the individual in the long term. The nation needs patents and patent protection to move ahead. Individuals need to know that their efforts will be rewarded. The common practice of assigning patents needs to be reviewed. It will not be explored by companies without some push from the government. Many patents never come to fruition. The reward should only relate to gross sales associated with the patent. If the patentee is not satisfied with the financial arrangement, the patentee should be able to invalidate the patent. This would give leverage to the patentee in negotiations. —Eugene P. Lunghofer

s w e i V r u o Y e r a h S ry! t s u d n I e h t h t i w E-mail your letters to Susan Sutton, Editor-in-Chief, Integrated Media, at [email protected].

Feb 13-16 Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy 2011 Conference and Expo ³ Washington, D.C., www.fchea.org Feb 14-16 TiO2 2011 Conference ³ Scottsdale, Ariz., www.tio2conference.com Feb 20-23 Spring 2011 Alberta Gift Show ³ Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, www.cgta.org March 6-9 Montreal Gift Show ³ Montreal, Canada, www.cgta.org March 8-10 Bulk Solids Handling Course ³ Houston, Texas, www.asme.org/education * March 13-18 Pittcon 2011 ³ Atlanta, Ga., www.pittcon.org March 14-16 Conference on Injection Molding of Metals, Ceramics, and Carbides ³ Orlando, Fla., www.mimaweb.org/mim2011 * March 14-17 Coverings ³ Las Vegas, Nev., www.coverings.com March 15-17 6th Indian Ceramics Materials and Technology Exhibition ³ Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, www.indian-ceramics.com * March 17-20 DECO ’11 Seminar and Conference ³ Pittsburgh, Pa., www.sgcd.org * March 23-24 St. Louis Section 47th Annual Symposium ³ St. Louis, Mo., http://ceramics.org/dates-deadlines/ st-louis-sectionrcd-47th-annual-symposium * March 30 - April 2 NCECA 2011 ³ Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla., www.nceca.net April 4-8 2011 Industrial Combustion Seminars ³ Lebanon, Pa., www.hauckburner.com April 5-7 AeroDef Manufacturing ³ Anaheim, Calif., http://aerodef.sme.org April 18-20 4th Annual Tactical Vehicles Summit ³ Alexandria, Va., www.TacticalVehiclesSummit.com May 2-4 INTERTECH 2011 ³ Chicago, Ill., www.intertechconference.com May 10-12 Pneumatic Conveying Course ³ Houston, Texas, www.asme.org/education May 18-21 PowderMet 2011 ³ Chicago, Ill., www.mpif.org JUNE 6-9 ArmorCon ³ Vienna, Va., www.ArmorConExpo.com * Look for Ceramic Industry magazine at these events! For a more detailed listing, visit our website at www.ceramicindustry.com.

CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

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³ INTHENEWS Ferro Purchases Tile Coatings Facility

Ceradyne Acquires VIOX Corp.

Ferro Corp. has completed the purchase of a newly constructed ceramic coatings plant in Fayoum, Egypt. Ferro anticipates that the new plant will allow it to more costeffectively serve the growing tile manufacturing market in Egypt and other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The facility was purchased from principals of Pharaohs Ceramic Group. Ferro plans to install additional equipment to expand capacity. When the initial buildout of the facility is complete, the company expects the site to have the capacity to produce 200 million lbs of tile frit and glazes annually. “The tile market in the Middle East and North Africa is growing rapidly,” said Peter Thomas, vice president of Ferro’s Polymer and Ceramic Engineered Materials Group. “We’re pleased we will be able to produce materials locally and provide customers with competitive pricing, along with local design service and technical support to enhance their manufacturing processes.” Visit www.ferro.com for additional information.

Ceradyne Inc. has acquired specialty glass company VIOX Corp. The purchase price of approximately $27 million in cash paid at closing includes a post-closing adjustment in approximately two months, plus contingent payments up to a maximum of $22 million, based on VIOX achieving certain sales diversification and earnings targets during the 30-month period following the closing. For the 12-month period ended September 30, 2010, VIOX had sales of approximately $22 million with strong operating margins. Ceradyne anticipates that this acquisition will be immediately accretive. VIOX is a 40-year-old corporation that develops, manufactures and markets specialty glass compositions for a range of electronic, industrial and health care markets. In recent years, VIOX developed a specialty glass formulation for polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic solar applications. VIOX also produces bio-active glasses for the healthcare industry. These compositions have demonstrated an ability to react with and promote human bone growth. VIOX will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Ceradyne Inc. and will be incorporated into the company’s Advanced Ceramic Operations segment (ACO), headed by Ceradyne vice president David Reed. Ceradyne announced it intends to leave all current VIOX personnel in place in Seattle, including VIOX’s current president, Reynold Hagel. In addition, Ceradyne says it intends to provide financial, technical and other Ceradyne resources to facilitate the anticipated growth of VIOX. For more information, visit www.ceradyne.com or www.viox.com.

Hauck Announces Combustion Seminars Hauck Manufacturing Co. will hold two Industrial Combustion Seminars this year: a two-day session on April 4-5 and a three-day session on April 6-8. The combustion seminars provide flexible training for technicians or design staff. From basic combustion science to advanced computer-driven modeling of combustion applications, the seminars provide crucial information for the efficient use of combustion equipment. The two-day session provides fundamentals of combustion combined with lab exercises and demonstrations; the three-day event includes the use of e-Solutions for Combustion as a tool to solve combustion design issues. For additional details, call (717) 3890474 or visit www.hauckburner.com.

Peruvian Company Installs CERIC Dryer LADRILLOS LARK of Peru recently invested in a technologically advanced 8

production and drying line of hollow bricks and hourdis stones. With the installation of a new CERIC rapid dryer, the company has reduced the drying time of its products from 30 hours to three hours, thus reducing production times and increasing sales capabilities. Visit www.ceric.com for additional details.

Heraeus Completes Clevios Acquisition Heraeus announced it completed its acquisition of H.C. Starck’s Conductive Polymers Business Group, effective December 1, 2010, thus expanding its portfolio of coating materials for important growth markets in the electronics industry. “The Clevios™ product portfolio represents an essential component in the long-term expansion of Heraeus’ leading technological position in the market,” said Roland Gerner, Ph.D., CEO, Heraeus Precious Metals Business Group. “We are opening up completely new approaches in the important growth markets in the electronics industry for our customers around the world and bringing to market innovative metallic and organic materials that enable unique, client-specific

February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

solutions thanks to their combination of high conductivity, transparency, and ease of processing.” For additional information, visit www.heraeus.com or www.clevios.com.

Owens Corning to Sell Masonry Products Business to Boral Owens Corning has reached a definitive agreement with Boral Industries Ltd. to sell its Masonry Products business. The divestiture will be in two stages: Owens Corning will sell a 50% stake in its Masonry Products business to Boral Industries Ltd. for $45 million at closing. The Masonry Products business will then be operated jointly until early 2014, after which Owens Corning will sell its remaining 50% stake for $45 million and may receive additional proceeds depending on the business’ financial performance in 2013. Owens Corning will record an impairment charge estimated to be $115 million, which is primarily related to goodwill and other intangible assets assigned to the business in 2006 as part of fresh start accounting. Boral will assume operational control of the business at closing. During

O-I Acquires Northern China Plants Owens-Illinois Inc. (O-I) has entered into an agreement to acquire the glass container manufacturing business of Hebei Rixin Glass Group Co. Ltd. in northern China. With this acquisition, O-I expanded its capacity in China to more than 1 million metric tons (up from 440,000 metric tons) in 2010, reportedly making the company China’s second-largest glass container manufacturer. The acquisition, located in the Beijing/Tianjin region of China’s Hebei province, includes two plants and delivers an additional 270,000 metric tons of capacity. The Hebei province is the third-largest glass market in China, representing approximately 10% of the total Chinese market. “This acquisition supports our strategy of expanding in emerging markets with strong growth and long-term earnings potential,” said Al Stroucken, chairman and CEO. “Our operations in China now include eight glass manufacturing plants, as well as a plant in Tianjin that produces molds for glass manufacturing. The newly acquired plants have lower cost profiles than our existing operations in China, thereby enabling us to expand our reach beyond the premium markets and into the rapidly growing mass beer market.” For additional details, visit www.o-i.com.

the period of joint ownership, Owens Corning and Boral will work together to ensure maximum performance. The transaction was expected to close by the end of 2010 and is subject to regulatory approval. Visit www.owenscorning.com or www.boral.com for additional details.

Asahi Establishes New Company in China Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. (AGC) has established AGC (China) Holdings Co. Ltd., to support its business activities. In addition, a chief representative will be appointed to represent the AGC Group in China. The new company will be engaged in various activities beyond the framework of

an individual business unit. Specifically, the company’s role will include information gathering on economic and industrial policies of the Chinese government, supporting business activities of the business units in the country, and developing new business/participating in new business projects. For more information, visit www.agc.co.jp.

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IN THE NEWS

VAC-U-MAX Moves to New Headquarters VAC-U-MAX recently announced it has relocated to a new 71,000-square-foot facility, which includes a fully functional, state-of-the-art 6000-square-foot test and demonstration facility. The new facility, located at 69 Williams St., Belleville, N.J., places the company’s assembly, fabrication, inventory and corporate offices under one roof. “The move enables us to increase our communication, improve our workflow process and allows us to work as a more cohesive unit,” said Doan Pendleton, vice president of Marketing and Sales. For further information, call (800) 822-8629 or visit www.vac-u-max.com/-vacuum.

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NSG Group Plans Automotive Glazing Expansion The NSG Group has announced plans to expand and upgrade its automotive glazing operations in Mexicali, Mexico. The investment involves the construction of a new plant adjacent to the existing plant, which will produce laminated parts (windshields), combining new advanced manufacturing technologies with the company’s solar absorbing automotive glasses. The expansion, scheduled to be completed in early 2012, will increase the NSG Group’s Automotive capacity in Mexico by around 30%, allowing the production of some 2.5 million car windshields a year. Approximately 160 jobs will be created locally. “Mexico is an important market for us,” said Craig Naylor, president and CEO. “The overall vehicle market in Mexico is increasing and Mexicali is strategically positioned to export to North, Central, and South America. This investment will allow us to meet an increasing demand for our value-added product range. It will also position us to enhance our new model introduction capabilities in line with our technology and quality commitments.” For more information, visit www.nsggroup.net.

NSL Analytical Announces Ophthalmic Lens Tests NSL Analytical Services Inc. has announced two new ophthalmic lens tests that are compliant with ANSI Z80.1 requirements. The new ANSI Z80.1 2010 standard describes two new lens tests. ISO 8980 Part 4 specifies optical and non-optical requirements, including durability and test methods for antireflective (AR) coatings on spectacle lenses. ISO 8980 Part 5 specifies the requirement and test method for spectacle lens surfaces that are claimed to provide a basic level of abrasion resistance, including those with coatings. For additional details, visit www.nslanalytical.com. 

NEW E-NEWSLETTER Advanced Ceramics & Glasses Digest provides a roundup of news and issues related to the advanced ceramics and glasses sector. To subscribe to this new FREE e-newsletter, visit www.ceramicindustry.com. 10

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³ PEOPLEINTHENEWS Owens Corning has appointed Chuck Dana to the position of group president of Building Materials, while Arnaud Genis has been appointed group president of Composites, succeeding Dana. Karel Czanderna, currently Building Materials group president, has resigned and will leave the company following a transition period. All changes are effective immediately. Dana has more than 25 years of financial and general management experience. He has contributed in a number of key leadership positions at Owens Corning since joining the company in 1996. Genis previously served as vice president and managing director of Composites Europe. He has more than 20 years of experience in a variety of global composites roles. PPG Industries has announced the appointment of Anup Jain as vice president of Strategic Planning and Corporate Development. Jain will join the company’s operating committee and report directly to chairman and CEO Charles E. Bunch at PPG’s Pittsburgh headquarters. Jaim assumes leadership for PPG’s strategic planning from Aziz Giga, PPG vice president, strategic planning, and treasurer, who will continue to serve as vice president and treasurer and as a member of PPG’s operating committee. The board of directors for Corning Inc. has elected two new senior vice presidents, effective immediately: Christine M. Pambianchi and Gary S. Calabrese, Ph.D. Pambianchi joined Corning in 2000 as Division Human Resource manager of Corning Optical Fiber, and went on to become director of Human Resources for Corning Optical Communications and director of Business Human Resources. Named division vice president of Business Human Resources in 2004 and elected vice president in 2007, she became vice president of Corning’s Human Resources function in 2008. Calabrese joined Corning in 2008 as vice president of Science & Technology. In November 2009, he took on the additional role of director of Photovoltaic Glass Technologies.

Starbar and Moly-D elements are made in the U.S.A. with a focus on providing the highest quality heating elements and service to the global market.

The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) has elected Nyle Wadford of Neuse Tile as its president for the 2010-2012 term. Wadford will replace John Cox, who served as president from 2008-2010. 

! Stay Connected Visit www.ceramicindustry.com/connect and keep in touch with colleagues in the Ceramic Industry magazine group on LinkedIn.

Over 40 years of service and reliability I Squared R Element Co., Inc. Akron, NY Phone: (716)542-5511 Fax: (716)542-2100

Email: [email protected] www.isquaredrelement.com

CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

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➤ The snake-like “Medusa front” offers a new view to help improve lithium battery performance.

Discovering

Medusa

A

benchtop version of the world’s smallest battery— its anode a single nanowire one seven-thousandth the thickness of a human hair—has been created by a team led by Sandia National Laboratories researcher Jianyu Huang. To better study the anode’s characteristics, the tiny rechargeable lithiumbased battery was formed inside a transmission electron microscope (TEM) at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) research facility jointly operated by Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories. “This experiment enables us to study the charging and discharging of a battery in real time and at atomic-scale resolution, thus enlarging our understanding of the fundamental mechanisms by which batteries work,” says Huang of the work, which was reported in the December 10, 2010, issue of the journal Science. Because nanowire-based materials in lithium ion batteries (LIBs) offer the potential for significant improvements in power and energy density over bulk electrodes, more stringent investigations of their operating properties should improve new generations of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, laptops and cell phones. “What motivated our work is that lithium ion batteries have very important applications, but the low energy and power densities of current LIBs cannot meet the demand,” says Huang. “To improve performance, we wanted to understand LIBs from the bottom up, and we thought in-situ TEM could bring new insights to the problem.”

Research Details Battery research groups do use nanomaterials as anodes, but in bulk rather than individually—a process, Huang says, that resembles “looking at a forest and trying to understand the behavior of an individual tree.” 12

February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

The tiny battery created by Huang and coworkers consists of a single tin oxide (SnO2) nanowire anode 100 nanometers in diameter and 10 micrometers long, a bulk lithium cobalt oxide cathode 3 mm long, and an ionic liquid electrolyte. The device offers the ability to directly observe changes in atomic structure during charging and discharging of the individual “trees.” An unexpected find of the researchers was that the SnO2 nanowire rod nearly doubles in length during charging—far more than its diameter increases—a fact that could help avoid short circuits that may shorten battery life. “Manufacturers should take account of this elongation in their battery design,” Huang says. (The common belief of workers in the field has been that batteries swell across their diameter, not longitudinally.)

The web of dislocations is caused by lithium penetration of the crystalline lattice. Huang’s group found this flaw by following the progression of the lithium ions as they travel along the nanowire and create what researchers christened the “Medusa front”—an area where the high density of mobile dislocations causes the nanowire to bend and wiggle as the front progresses. The web of dislocations is caused by lithium penetration of the crystalline lattice. “These observations prove that nanowires can sustain large stress (> 10 GPa) induced by lithiation without breaking, indicating that nanowires are very good candidates for battery electrodes,” says Huang. “Our observations—which initially surprised us—tell battery researchers how these dislocations are generated, how they evolve during charging, and offer guidance in how to mitigate them,” Huang continues. “This is the closest view to

³

The Medusa twist—a formerly unobserved increase in length and twist of the anode in a nanobattery. (Courtesy of the DOE Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies.)

what’s happening during charging of a battery that researchers have achieved so far.” Lithiation-induced volume expansion, plasticity and pulverization of electrode materials are the major mechanical defects that plague the performance and lifetime of highcapacity anodes in LIBs, Huang says. “So our observations of structural kinetics and amorphization [the change from normal crystalline structure] have important implications for high-energy battery design and in mitigating battery failure.” The electronic noise level generated from the researchers’ measurement system was too high to read electrical currents, but Sandia co-author John Sullivan estimated a current level of a picoampere flowing in the nanowire during charging and discharging. The nanowire was charged to a potential of about 3.5 volts, Huang says. (A picoampere is a millionth of a microampere; a microampere is a millionth of an ampere.) The reason that atomic-scale examination of the charging and discharging process of a single nanowire had not been possible was because the high vacuum in a TEM made it difficult to use a liquid electrolyte. Part of the Huang group’s achievement was to demonstrate that a low-vapor-pressure ionic liquid—essentially, molten salt—could function in the vacuum environment.

the DOE’s Office of Science through the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies and the Energy Frontier Research Centers program.  Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated and managed by Sandia Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. With main facilities in Albuquerque, N.M., and Livermore, Calif., Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness. For more information, visit www.sandia.gov.

Furnaces/Ovens

Further Study Although the work was carried out using SnO2 nanowires, the experiments can be extended to other materials systems, either for cathode or anode studies, says Huang. “The methodology that we developed should stimulate extensive real-time studies of the microscopic processes in batteries and lead to a more complete understanding of the mechanisms governing battery performance and reliability. Our experiments also lay a foundation for in-situ studies of electrochemical reactions, and will have broad impact in energy storage, corrosion, electrodeposition and general chemical synthesis research.” Other researchers contributing to this work include Xiao Hua Liu, Nicholas Hudak, Arunkumar Subramanian, and Hong You Fan, all of Sandia; Li Zhong, Scott Mao, and Li Qiang Zhang of the University of Pittsburgh; Chong Min Wang and Wu Xu of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; and Liang Qi, Akihiro Kushima, and Ju Li of the University of Pennsylvania. Funding for the project came from Sandia’s Laborator y Directed Research and Development Office and

• Box, tube, rotary, muffle, and more • Lab Scale through production units

Replacement Parts • Elements for any manufacturer • Thermocouples and insulation to complete furnace rebuilds

(724) 283-1212 [email protected] www.atspa.com

CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

13

Materials Characterization and Problem Solving ³ Advances in instrumentation allow the observation and measurement of smaller features, achieve better detection limits, and determine more accurate chemical and structural parameters than ever before.

A

by Ian A. Mowat, Director, Sales & Customer Service; Jeff Shallenberger, Director of Analytical Services—NJ; Karol Putyera, Vice President—GDMS Services; Xinwei Wang, Senior Scientist—Analytical Services; John Newman, Director of Analytical Services—MN; and Jim Vitarelli, Director of Analytical Services— NC, Evans Analytical Group

14

good understanding of material structure and composition is essential to any industry that uses a wide range of materials in a variety of applications, such as the ceramic industry. In conjunction with the physical testing of material properties, obtaining detailed and reliable information on structural parameters and composition can be of extreme importance during materials development and applications testing. The many analytical instruments available today for obtaining information about materials properties and characteristics are as diverse as the materials used and the applications for ceramics themselves. The latest advances in instrumentation allow the observation and measurement of smaller features, achieve better detection limits and determine more accurate chemical and structural parameters than ever before. The use of advanced ceramic materials has increased dramatically during the past few decades. For example, ceramic-based materials have become widely accepted for use in medical applications, particularly for orthopedic and dental implants. These bioceramics represent a diverse class of materials divided into the following three major categories: bio-inert ceramics such as alumina- and zirconia-based high-strength ceramics; bioactive glass or glass/ceramic

February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

composites that can form direct chemical bonds with living tissue; and ceramics that mimic natural bone, such as calcium phosphate-based ceramics. Although most synthetic bioceramics offer physical and/or chemical properties that meet or even exceed their natural counterparts, they can result in a number of adverse physiological reactions. Thus, the biocompatibility and mechanical strength of implant materials is becoming an important focus area. Examples include the development of composite materials and the use of specialty coated base materials.

Choosing the Right Technique The right analytical tool must be used for the cost-efficient problem solving and characterization of ceramic materials, (i.e., one that has the correct measurement capabilities and characteristics to address the problem at hand). Measurement-related factors include depth of analysis, detection range and analytical spot size. The type of information desired (or available from a given measurement) should also be considered. Information of interest can include bulk elemental composition, the presence of trace contaminants or dopants, chemical bonding information, crystallographic information (e.g., grain size and orientation), and roughness. Figure 1 lists the detection range (Y-axis) and analytical spot size (X-axis)

Figure 1. Bubble chart illustrates analytical dimension (X-axis) against detection range (Y-axis).

Figure 2. Depth of analysis chart.

for a range of techniques. This method of presentation provides an effective method for visualizing many techniques that sometimes have overlapping characteristics. Techniques with blue bubbles provide elemental information while those in red can also provide chemical bonding or even molecular information (if of interest). Techniques above the chart are imaging-only techniques and provide no compositional information; only visual information is provided, in some cases down to the angstrom scale. Techniques to the right of the chart are bulk-only techniques and do not provide any spatially resolved data, only composition information. In some cases, the detection limits are in the parts-per-billion (ppb) to partsper-trillion (ppt) range. Figure 2 shows the typical depths of analysis for various analytical techniques.

The depths of analysis range from only the top few atomic layers to many micrometers into the sample. Matching the problem or characterization need with a technique that has an appropriate depth of analysis is critical to providing results that are relevant, useful and meaningful. If a tool with a large (i.e., deep) analysis depth is used to characterize a very thin film or contaminant, the chances are very low that the contaminant or thin film will actually be identified, correctly characterized or even detected. Similarly, trying to characterize the bulk of a material with a surface sensitive technique may be misleading, as outer surfaces are often substantially different than the inner bulk of a material due to segregation, contamination and other processes.

Specific Techniques Various types of analyses can be of impor-

tance to ceramic materials developers and users, and can be organized as follows: • Visualizing a sample (e.g., microscopy) • Determining the composition (major elements) of a sample • Determining trace elements (< 1%) present in a sample • Determining the crystallographic properties of a sample • Determining the thermal stability of a sample (e.g., weight loss or phase changes) • Investigating the surface of a sample or a sample that has a thin film on its surface Several of these categories include multiple techniques, such as optical microscopy or electron microscopy. Even within electron microscopy, the user might have a choice between scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The following sections discuss some of the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. (Note that the materials used in these examples are for illustrative purposes only and that the techniques discussed can typically be applied to a wide range of ceramic materials.) Microscopy Microscopy techniques provide highmagnification images of samples to observe topography and features of interest. Microscopy can also be performed on crosssectioned samples to image buried features, layers, interfaces and crystalline structures. The previously mentioned SEM and TEM are essential for applications where resolutions greater than those provided by optical microscopy are required. SEM is one of the most popular analytical tools because of its ability to provide highresolution images with excellent depth of field. Figure 3 (p. 16) shows SEM images of various ceramic nanoparticles at different magnifications. Detailed information about the surface morphology and particle size can also be obtained. For additional information about a sample with even greater magnification, TEM and scanning TEM (STEM) are options. In this case, samples must be thin enough that electrons can pass CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

15

MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION

Figure 4. TEM images of various ceramic nanoparticles.

Table 1. Typical GDMS test results for selected elements on a variety of bioceramic materials (mg/kg). Typical Detection Limit As 0.1 Hg 0.1 Cd 0.1 Pb 0.1 V 0.05 Cr 0.05 Mn 0.05 Ni 0.01 Cu 0.05 Mo 0.5 Rh 0.1 Ru 0.1 Pd 0.1 Pt 0.05 Os 0.05 Ir 0.05 ND = not detected

Figure 3. SEM images of various ceramic nanoparticles.

through them (typically < 150 nm). Thus, the analysis is restricted to small particles unless thin slices of the sample can be prepared, either through physical polishing or by cutting the sample with a focused ion beam (FIB). Figure 4 shows TEM images of ceramic nanoparticles obtained without sample preparation. In this case, 16

Hydroxyapatite Powder ND 0.7 ND 1.9 0.7 2.1 3.1 1.7 0.8 ND ND ND ND ND ND ND

the different crystallites within each particle can be seen due to their different orientation relative to the transmitted electron beam passing through the sample. A range of analytical options is available for both SEM and TEM. The most common is energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), which permits qualitative or semiquantitative elemental analysis from micron or sub-micron features. Available on TEM or STEM only, electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) can be used for compositional information, especially for lighter elements. Quantitative Elemental Survey Analysis of Bulk Materials Beyond particle size and morphology, another important aspect of materials analysis is elemental composition and the potential presence of trace elemental con-

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Y2O3 Powder ND ND ND 2.2 0.5 1.1 ND 0.1 0.22 4.2 ND ND ND ND ND ND

Zirconia Alumina Solid 0.35 ND ND 4.5 0.62 0.7 0.55 0.37 ND ND ND ND ND ND ND ND

taminants. An accurate survey analysis of all elements present may be a requirement to identify all of the constituents present, from matrix elements to trace levels. Unwanted trace level impurities can be introduced into ceramics from various sources, such as raw materials, reactors, catalysts, transferring pipelines, molding components and other equipment used in manufacturing. Techniques available for multi-element analyses with trace level sensitivities include inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS). GDMS is one of the most sensitive analytical methods available for the quantitative trace elemental analysis of solid materials. It combines the stability

60

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-15.0

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200

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-40 1000

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Figure 5. TGA (left axis) and DTA (right axis) of bulk and nanoparticle calcium phosphate. 10°C/min, nitrogen atmosphere. 2.5

x 105

C-C O

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CO3 Intensity (a.u.)

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Figure 6. XPS survey scan of nano-hydroxyapatite particles (left). High-resolution XPS scan (right) of carbon spectrum showing the presence of calcium carbonate functionality.

of a glow-discharge atomization/ionization source with the high sensitivity and specificity of an analytical mass spectrometer. GDMS can detect and quantify the trace elemental contents in the broadest range of solid materials (e.g., from conductive metals to ceramic insulators and from large pieces to powders). It is a direct solid sampling technique that eliminates the need for dissolution of the sample prior to analysis. Due to the simple calibration requirements and matrix insensitivity, one of the unique advantages of GDMS is that it can analyze multi-compositional and multi-

layered samples directly. In addition to quantitative bulk measurements, it can provide both layer and substrate information over broad concentration ranges in coatings or composites. Detection limits for GDMS are in the ultra-trace range for most elements. Table 1 illustrates the use of GDMS to analyze three different ceramic samples. In all cases, the achievable detection limits are in the sub-ppm (by weight) range. Because of the increased use of bioceramic material in surgical implants, a standardized test method has been developed by ASTM International (ASTM F

1581-08E1, “Standard Specification for Composition of Inorganic Bone for Surgical Implant”). This method covers the material requirements for the chemical composition of bone (apatite) ceramics intended for surgical implants. Limits are prescribed for: arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead and other heavy metals, which can be determined by ICP-MS or graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GF-AAS). Another aspect of this test method is the determination of the Ca:P ratio using ICP-OES. Pure hydroxyapatite has a Ca:P ratio of 1.67. Table 2 (p. 18) illustrates the compositional data of major elements (P, Ca, O) and trace elemental impurities of As, Cd, Hg and Pb for several raw materials, as determined by ICP-MS and instrumental gas analysis (IGA) for light elements (carbon and oxygen, in this case). Crystallographic Measurements X-ray diffraction (XRD) is a powerful nondestructive technique for characterizing crystalline, polycrystalline and microcrystalline materials. It provides information on crystalline structure and phase; preferred crystal orientation (also known as texture); and other structural parameters such as average grain size, degree of crystallinity, strain, and crystal defect density. XRD peaks are produced by the constructive interference of a monochromatic beam of X-rays scattered at specific angles from the lattice planes in a sample. XRD is an extremely valuable tool for the analysis of ceramics, providing basic phase identification to more complex analyses such as determining percent crystallinity and crystallite size, and monitoring phase change processes. Thermal Analysis Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential thermal analysis (DTA) are essential tools to examine the thermal behavior and stability of ceramic materials. These techniques find particular application in the field of nanomaterials, where the properties of nanoscale materials are not necessarily the same as those of bulk materials. CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

17

MATERIALS CHARACTERIZATION Table 2. Major and trace element analysis (mass fraction) of bioceramic raw materials as determined by ICP-MS and IGA. ICP-MS IGA P (wt%) Ca (wt%) Ca/P (at/at) As (mg/kg) Cd (mg/kg) Hg (mg/kg) Pb (mg/kg) C (mg/kg) O (wt%) Hydroxyapatite, SRM NIST 2910a 18.0 38.9 1.67 Hydroxyapatite nanopowder (97%) 18.2 43.6 1.86 < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 7500 37 Hydroxyapatite, Reagent Grade 19.2 39.8 1.60 < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 810 13 Calcium Phosphate (< 100 nm BET) 17.1 33.0 1.49 < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 1.0 1000 46 Calcium Phosphate, Synthetic (HA-S) 23.0 32.7 1.10 < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 780 38 Tricalcium Phosphate 21.0 41.0 1.51 < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 150 29 Calcium Oxide (98%) 0.03 71.9 < 0.1 < 0.1 < 0.1 <0.1 2500 27

Hydroxyapatite is often applied as a coating on an inert metallic implant such as Ti-6Al-4V. A typical deposition method is to use thermal spraying to coat the amorphous hydroxyapatite nanopowder precursors onto the metallic implant. TGA/DTA is vital in investigating the morphological stability of the precursors and in helping to develop the heat treatment protocols for forming hydroxyapatite coatings of the required density or porosity. Figure 5 (p. 17) shows the TGA (left axis) and DTA (right axis) of bulk and nanostructured calcium phosphate samples. Nanopowder calcium phosphate exhibits a slight weight loss (~ 1.6 wt%) up to 800°C, likely due to surface desorption. The DTA data of this nanopowder form sample reveals an intense crystallization peak around 680°C, compared to the bulk material. Surface Analysis The modern use of ceramics and nanomaterials may involve the construction of layered laminated materials or the creation of a coating. In both of these scenarios, the surface chemistry of the particle or material may play a considerable role in its behavior. In order to address this possibility, tools must be used that have a shallow information depth (see the left-hand side of Figure 2, p. 15). Two tools that fit this requirement well and are able to analyze ceramic materials include time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These techniques have information depths within the 10-100Å range, meaning that they are not suitable for bulk analysis without some 18

means of penetrating deeper into the sample (such as with an ion beam), but they do give highly specific surface information. TOF-SIMS generally provides excellent sensitivity for species adsorbed on surfaces and can obtain elemental, organic and some inorganic information. XPS has the ability to determine the chemical states of the various elements present on the surface. These characteristics make these techniques excellent choices for the analysis of residues on a surface, such as on ceramic circuit boards. In Table 2, it can be seen that the hydroxyapatite nanopowder has a substantial carbon content (7500 ppm by weight), as determined by IGA. IGA is a bulk analysis technique that provides the total carbon concentration only. It does not provide any chemical information or depth-specific information. In order to obtain additional information about the carbon, XPS analysis was used, as shown in Figure 6 (p. 17). The XPS survey spectrum shows the presence of the expected O, Ca and P, along with almost 12 atomic% carbon at the surface (i.e., much higher than the bulk amount measured by IGA). Some hydrocarbon contamination would be expected due to atmospheric exposure; however the high-resolution XPS carbon spectrum shows that a significant percentage of the carbon was present as a carbonate within the upper 100Å of the sample. This observation also explains the higher-than-expected Ca:P ratio observed on this sample (1.86 compared to 1.67, see Table 2). These results strongly suggest that a thin CaCO3 surface layer was covering the hydroxyapatite. Small amounts of carbon-

February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

ate are sometimes substituted in hydroxyapatite to make them more “bone like,” but this particular sample was designed to be pure hydroxyapatite with no calcium carbonate. From a biocompatibility point of view, the bone cells exposed to this sample would see CaCO3 only and not hydroxyapatite. Only a surface-sensitive technique such as XPS would be able to detect such a thin surface layer and characterize it.

Conclusions While it is important to understand the physical and mechanical properties of ceramic materials used in all types of demanding environments, only a full understanding of the surface and bulk compositions of those materials allows one to understand why they may behave in a particular manner in a given test or environment. A full understanding of surface and bulk composition also enables better prospects for modifying a material to achieve even better performance. The examples presented in this article only partially demonstrate the current breadth and depth of modern techniques available for ceramic characterization. Increasing our knowledge and understanding of new and previously established materials can help improve performance and enhance the product development cycle.  For additional information, contact Evans Analytical Group at 810 Kifer Rd., Sunnyvale, CA 94086; (408) 530-3500; fax (408) 530-3501; e-mail [email protected]; or visit www.eaglabs.com.

Advanced Digital

Microscopy

by Andrew Kominek, Senior Market Development Specialist, Micro Analysis Group, KEYENCE Corp., Itasca, Ill.

W

ith relatively few progressions in conventional optical microscopy during the past decade, pushing through the physical limitations of these systems has proven to be challenging. Despite this stand-still, engineers have recently been able to develop solutions to some of the limitations in modern microanalysis. Using an integrated design approach, digital microscopes have been developed to overcome many of the shortcomings of conventional optical microscopes. One of the major difficulties in observing and analyzing ceramic materials is their typical complete lack of contrast, especially when viewed through a traditional optical microscope. However, the advanced features of fully integrated digital microscopes, coupled with high-resolution zoom lenses and digital camera technology, can enable users to image samples that were previously relegated to the realm of a scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Increasing the Depth of Field Relatively few technological advances have been made from decades-old optical microscopes to those on the market today. Conventional microscope systems have virtually reached their peak in standard con-

➤ Digital microscopes have been developed to overcome many conventional optical shortcomings.

figuration and optical design, with emphasis on the reduction of chromatic and spherical aberration of the optics. Highresolution and high-magnification observation appeared to be achievable with the advancements in zoom lens optics, digital camera and imaging technologies. For conventional optical technologies, however, depth of field was lost as the magnification increased or when a digital camera was attached to the microscope system, causing higher magnification image capture to become problematic. With the development of integrated digital microscopes over 20 years ago, it was thought that future improvements in electronics and semiconductor technology would help facilitate the advancement of microscopy. One of the major obstacles in material inspection applications is the limited depth of field offered by conventional microscope optics. Typical microscope objectives can only focus on a small section of a target at a given time. Optimizing the optical properties of a lens to increase its working distance and expand its depth of field while still producing a high-resolution image was a major challenge facing digital microscope developers. While stereoscopes have the ability to achieve this type of performance, the depth of field is lost when a camera is attached. The

optimally designed optics and integrated charge-coupled device (CCD) camera of a digital microscope work together to capture sharply focused images with a high depth of field. This enabled a dramatically increased ability to observe surface structure and detail. Naturally, when the magnification is increased, the depth of field is diminished. For higher magnification observation, a function was developed to produce an extended depth-of-field image (see Figure 1, p. 20). While some systems must capture and then process the images on a separate PC, more advanced digital microscope systems can produce an extended depth-of-field image in real-time through an adjustment to the focus knob. As the lens is moved through the different focal planes, an algorithm can dynamically capture only the focused pixels, compiling them into a fully focused image. Due to the brittle nature of ceramics, the observation of fractured areas is a common application that is not easily accomplished with typical optical systems. This same algorithm can also be used to produce a 3-D model of the surface of an object (see Figure 2, p. 20). The relative heights at which pixels come into focus are stored and then used to reconstruct the surface topography of the target. 3-D CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

19

ADVANCED DIGITAL MICROSCOPY

Figure 2. 3-D image reconstruction of a ceramic surface. (Lighting adjustment used to enhance surface texture.) Figure 1. Advanced digital microscope systems can produce an extended depth-of-field image in real time.

measurements such as volume, distance, angle and others can be obtained with an accuracy of ±1 micron at 1000x magnification. After a 3-D model of surface topography is generated, profile information such as depth can be generated and exported as a CSV file.

Free-Angle Viewing When using a conventional industrial microscope, metallurgical scope or stereoscope, the user is presented with the challenge of perfectly mounting their sample for observation. Most industrial inspection applications require multi-angle viewing. Typically, the user needs to either mount the part with putty or even hold that part in their hands to observe all of the sample’s surfaces. Advanced digital microscope systems can be equipped with a multi-angle stand, allowing the user to tilt the lens and camera around the target being viewed. The lens is mounted into the arm of the stand, which is equipped with a coarse and fine adjustment focusing knob. This arm can also be upgraded to precision motorized control. The benefit of this multi-angle viewing stand is that the sample simply needs to be placed onto the stage for viewing. Instead of manipulating the target itself, the lens is actually manipulated around the target, providing almost 180° rotation about the Z axis. In addition, the X-Y stage rotates 360° to allow for complete multi-angle viewing of the part without any mounting or hand manipulation. This is particularly useful when viewing a fractured surface, since a top-down view will not typically provide the user with all of the necessary information regarding the cause of the failure.

Resolution and the Pixel-Shift Method Whether for basic observation or image capture, a higher resolution image generally provides for better analysis. Ceramic materials can have extremely detailed surfaces, often requiring a high-resolution image in order to adequately capture all of the unique characteristics of a particular sample. Since more advanced digital microscope systems are completely integrated, the resolution and color clarity of the camera is integral to the performance of the system. 20

February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

Typical camera systems used for microscopy have a basic CCD resolution of about 1.5-5 megapixels. In order to provide users with a larger image file, techniques are used with these systems to increase the resolution of the resulting image. Interpolation is a common method, whereby the jagged, pixilated edges of an image are smoothed using an average of pixel coloration along the edges of a target. When the user zooms in on the resultant image, this method effectively reduces the jaggedness of the pixilated edges. A disadvantage of this technique, however, is that the resolution of the image is not actually increased since pixel information is interpolated. Instead of interpolating data, higher end systems use the pixelshift method to increase the resolution of a capture image (see Figure 3). Piezo-crystal actuators are attached to the different sides of the CCD. When supplied with a voltage, these crystals expand and physically shift the CCD, ultimately shifting it in a 3X3 array, capturing pictures at each new position. This process creates nine real sub-pixels for every pixel, increasing the pixel value of the CCD image from 2 megapixels to 18 megapixels, for example.

Lighting Optimization Viewing a sample under optimal lighting can make the difference between a mediocre image and a groundbreaking one. Different types of lighting accentuate various features on a sample; in certain lighting, some of these features may go unseen. One of the major challenges of traditional optical microscope systems is their inability to create different reproducible lighting scenarios for observation. Digital microscopes with zoom lenses can integrate the lighting with the lens so the target in the field of view is always viewed under optimal lighting conditions. For highly reflective samples or other lighting challenges, a full lineup of lighting adapters for the lenses (e.g., diffuse, polarized and variable-angle lighting) can be used. Several different software functions can also be employed to push beyond these limits to obtain a sample’s optimum brightness and contrast. From there, the user can choose between combinations of edge, color or contrast enhancing illumination to quickly find the most suitable lighting for the application. Even when the lighting scenario has been chosen, the user can switch and apply different configurations to the image.

Figure 4. Operating principle of the HDR function.

Figure 3. Interpolation vs. pixel-shift method.

One of the most distinctive and useful of these reproducible lighting scenarios is the High Dynamic Range (HDR) function (see Figure 4). The HDR function first captures multiple images at different brightness levels, and then compiles them into a single image with exponentially higher levels of color gradation. The HDR function takes the image from an 8-bit color resolution (256 levels of color gradation) to 16-bit color resolution (65,536 levels of color gradation), allowing the user to see details on the target that weren’t observable with conventional 8-bit imaging. Specifically, the HDR function generates images with much higher contrast than conventional microscope images, produces vivid color and also eliminates glare from reflective surfaces (see Figure 5). Furthermore, the increased image data (e.g., texture, brightness, color and contrast) can be amplified or suppressed with a slide-bar to isolate or accentuate different features of the sample. By suppressing the texture, for example, users can isolate particles of a specific color without having shadows affect the color extraction process.

Precision and Versatility In order to make measurements using a conventional optical microscope system, users must capture the image, export it to a PC, and use separate analysis software to obtain any measurements. Digital microscopes integrate both 2- and 3-D measurement capabilities. Users can make 2-D measurements like radius, distance, angle, or area on a 2-D image, while 3-D measure-

Figure 5. White ceramic surface shown in conventional (left) and HDR images.

Figure 6. 2-D measurement and documentation.

ments such as volume, angle, distance, or profile are also possible. Individuals concerned with the quality of their ceramics can easily measure features like micro-cracks or porosity and reduce the amount of time needed for inspection (see Figure 6). While conventional optical microscope magnifications are specified based on the product of the objective and ocular lenses, the definition for digital microscope magnification is quite different. Since these systems usually employ zoom-style tube lenses to display and image directly on a monitor, the magnification is calculated based on the size of the medium used to view the target. In most cases, all-in-one digital microscopes display an image on a 15-in. screen and define their magnifications accordingly. For example, a typi-

cal magnification range for an integrated digital microscope is 0.1-5000x. In addition to their high resolution and large depth-of-field, another major benefit of these lenses is their working distance. Conventional optics, while providing a high-resolution image, do not usually allow a user much space between the top of the sample and the bottom of the objective lens. At 1000x, for example, the working distance for an objective lens can be as small as 0.2 mm. Zoom lenses can achieve a similar magnification while still maintaining a working distance of over 4 mm, with some lenses providing as much as 4 in. or more at other magnifications. As scientists find increasing applications for ceramics, the need for versatile lenses will become a necessity for inspection and development work. By using a digital microscope with zoom lens, applications in ceramics such as examining disk brakes, turbine blades, medical implants, ball bearings and armored vests can be easily performed.  For more information, contact KEYENCE Corp. at 1100 North Arlington Heights Rd., Itasca, IL 60143; (888) 539-3623; e-mail [email protected]; or visit www.keyence.com. CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

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R&D LAB EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION DIRECTORY

Kilns





X

X





X

X















 







Dryers

Furnaces

Sample Prep

Rapid Prototyping Equipment

Pug Mill/Extruder

Presses

Sieves

Mixers

Mills

Blenders

Balances

Company

Grinders/Media

2011 R&D LAB EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION DIRECTORY

Firing/Drying

Forming and Finishing

Batching and Materials Handling

Anter Corporation 1700 Universal Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15235-3998 (412) 795-6410, Fax: (412) 795-8225, www.anter.com/cird

Applied Test Systems, Inc. 154 E. Brook Ln., Butler, PA 16001 (724) 283-1212, Fax: (724) 283-6570, www.atspa.com

Buehler Ltd.

(Illinois Tool Works Inc.)

X

41 Waukegan Rd., P.O. Box 1, Lake Bluff, IL 60044 (847) 295-6500, Fax: (847) 295-7979, www.buehler.com

CM Furnaces Inc. 103 Dewey St., Bloomfield, NJ 07003 (973) 338-6500, Fax: (973) 338-1625, www.cmfurnaces.com

Datapaq, Inc. 187 Ballardvale St., Wilmington, MA 01887 (978) 988-9000, Fax: (978) 988-0666, www.datapaq.com

EXAKT Technologies Inc.

X

7002 Broadway Ext., Oklahoma City, OK 73116 (405) 848-5800; (800) 866-7172, Fax: (405) 848-7701, www.exaktusa.com

Glen Mills, Inc.

X

220 Delawanna Ave., Clifton, NJ 07014 (973) 777-0777, Fax: (973) 777-0070, www.glenmills.com

X

X X

X

Harrop Industries Inc. 3470 E. Fifth Ave., Columbus, OH 43219 (614) 231-3621, Fax: (614) 235-3699, www.harropusa.com

L & L Special Furnace Co. Inc. 20 Kent Rd., P.O. Box 2129, Aston, PA 19014-1494 (610) 459-9216, Fax: (610) 459-3689, www.hotfurnace.com

LAB-TEMP by Thermcraft, Inc. 3950 Overdale Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27107 (336) 784-4800, Fax: (336) 784-0634, www.thermcraftinc.com

Linseis Inc. 109 North Gold Dr., Robbinsville NJ 08691 (800) 732-6733; (609) 223-2070, Fax: (609) 223-2074, www.linseis.com

Matrix Enterprises 858 Maple Ln., Waterville OH 43566 (419) 878-0001, Fax: (419) 878-4241, www.matrix-ent.com







 











 









Mohr Corp. P.O. Box 1600, Brighton, MI 48116 (810) 225-9494, Fax: (810) 225-4634, www.mohrcorp.com

NETZSCH Instruments NA LLC 37 North Ave., Burlington, MA 01803 (781) 272-5353, Fax: (781) 272-5225, www.e-thermal.com

Oxy-Gon Industries Inc. 42 Old Route 28, P.O. Box 40, Epsom, NH 03234 (603) 736-8422, Fax: (603) 736-8734, www.oxy-gon.com

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February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

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X

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Other Instrumentation

X-Ray Diffraction Instrument

Viscometers

Thermomechanical Analysis

Thermal Diffusivity

Thermal Conductivity

Thermal Analysis/DTA

Environmental and Safety Products

Surface Area Analyzers

Spectroscopy Instruments

Powder Testing

Particle Size Analyzers

Nondestructive Testing

Hardness Testers

Dilatometers

Differential Scanning Calorimeter

Other Lab Equipment

Vacuum Cleaners

Exhaust Hoods/Fans

Dust Collectors/Control

R&D LAB EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION DIRECTORY INSTRUMENTATION

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X

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R&D LAB EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION DIRECTORY

Dryers

X

X

Furnaces

Sample Prep

Rapid Prototyping Equipment

Pug Mill/Extruder

Presses

X

Sieves

X

Mixers

Mills

Blenders

Balances

Company

Grinders/Media

2011 R&D LAB EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION DIRECTORY

Firing/Drying

Forming and Finishing

Batching and Materials Handling

Particle Sizing Systems 8203 Kristel Cir., Port Richey, FL 34668 (727) 846-0866, Fax: (727) 846-0865, www.pssnicomp.com

Retsch, Inc. P74 Walker Ln., Newtown, PA 18940 (866) 473-8724, Fax: (267) 757-0358, www.retsch-us.com

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Rigaku Americas Corporation

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9009 New Trails Dr., The Woodlands, TX 77381 (281) 362-2300, Fax: (281) 364-3628, www.rigaku.com

Shimadzu Scientific Instrument Inc. 7102 Riverwood Dr., Columbia, MD 21046 (410) 381-1227; (800) 477-1227, Fax: (410) 381-1222, www.ssi.shimadzu.com

X

Starkey Machinery Inc.



P.O. Box 207, Galion, OH 44833 (419) 468-2560, Fax: (419) 468-1698, starkeymachinery.com

TevTech LLC 100 Billerica Ave., North Billerica, MA 01862 (978) 667-4557, Fax: (978) 667-4554, www.tevtechllc.com

Thermcraft Inc.



P.O. Box 12037, Winston-Salem, NC 27117 (336) 784-4800, Fax: (336) 784-0634, www.thermcraftinc.com

Union Process Inc. 1925 Akron Peninsula Rd., Akron, OH 44313 (330) 929-3333, Fax: (330) 929-3034, www.unionprocess.com

X

X

X





X Blue checkmark listings indicate display advertisers in this issue.

Don't See Your Company Listed in the 2011 R&D Lab Equipment and Instrumentation Directory? 24

February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

February 2011 | Volume 161 | Issue Number 2 www.ceramicindustry.com

2011

R&D Lab Equipment and Instrumentation Directory

X

X

X X X

X

X X X X

X

X

X

Other Instrumentation

X-Ray Diffraction Instrument

Viscometers

Thermomechanical Analysis

Thermal Diffusivity

Thermal Conductivity

Thermal Analysis/DTA

Environmental/Safety Products

Surface Area Analyzers

Spectroscopy Instruments

Powder Testing

Particle Size Analyzers

Nondestructive Testing

Hardness Testers

Dilatometers

Differential Scanning Calorimeter

Other Lab Equipment

Vacuum Cleaners

Exhaust Hoods/Fans

Dust Collectors/Control

Kilns

R&D LAB EQUIPMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION DIRECTORY INSTRUMENTATION

X

X

X X

X

Contact Ginny Reisinger to be listed next year— e-mail [email protected] or call (614) 760-4220 for pricing and additional details.

CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

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³ KILNCONNECTION by Ralph Ruark | Senior Technical Editor

Focus on Color

I

am flying home as I write this column, having spent the last week working for a small company in the center of Mexico. It was a wonderful trip—great weather, good flights (by that I mean that they arrived on time and my luggage actually arrived with me), and a lovely location in San Miguel de Allende. On top of that, it was the first international trip that my new wife and I had taken together. What made a good trip even better, though, was the opportunity to work with my client—a company located outside of San Miguel. It is an unusual company; the owner/manager is a degreed architect who gradually developed a number of ceramic decorative/structural designs. Over time, he decided to design ceramic products as functional art, and he started his own company.

Several parameters must be maintained if colors are to be correct. His design genius can be seen in many high-end construction projects all over North America, and he has begun to market his products in the Far East and Europe as well. The company’s products include floor and wall tile, architectural moldings, and outright art products. They all have one thing in common—they are so strikingly beautiful that it is almost a shock each time you see them. At every exhibition, visitors routinely stand transfixed when they see these products.

Important Considerations From a manufacturing point of view, however, the products are difficult. Dozens of glazes, stains, engobes, multiple red and white bodies, and separate bisque and glaze firings make this a tough plant to run, particularly because the quality levels are so stringently set. Colors must be matched, of course, but the subtle tones around puddled glazes outlining relief areas have to be perfect. The facility runs as a job shop and has literally a dozen kilns, ranging from continuous kilns (tunnel and roller) to a variety of periodic kilns. Because production lot sizes are varied, the kiln selected for firing a particular product can vary

from one day to the next, and cycles for a single product can range from 3 to 17 hours, cold-to-cold. Despite these variables, colors must match. Our studies of color vs. firing cycle data show that several key parameters must be maintained, regardless of kiln cycle, if colors are to be correct. The basic key factors affecting color include the following. Atmosphere If the O2 levels go below 3-4% at soaking temperatures, subtle unacceptable color changes can occur. I have not found much difference in color above the level of 4% O2. Some pieces can cause their own atmosphere reduction, however, by evolving CO+H2 in delayed oxidation. The reducing agents strip oxygen atoms away from oxides on the glaze, causing extreme color variations and changes in localized areas. Temperature When firing so many different kilns and demanding a consistent result, operators can only use the kiln thermocouples as a guideline, at best; the use of PCE monitors and/or firing rings is absolutely imperative. We all know that short cycles require higher temperatures to achieve the same level of body maturity as long cycles. In addition, thermocouples do vary and are not the accurate sensor that everyone would like to believe. Field temperature and moisture conditions, calibration, ageing of lead wire and thermocouples, etc. can result in significant errors of 1.5% or more. Cooling Rates The initial cooling rate affects crystal growth in the glaze, and can alter the glaze shine or degree of matte appearance. The final cooling rate can subtly change the glaze coefficient of expansion until the fictive temperature is reached. This can be an issue in glaze fit, when the body and glaze coefficient of expansions are a little too close for comfort.

Color Mastery Mastery of these factors—along with continuous testing and improvement—is essential to match glaze colors. Especially when ceramic products such as these sell for $100-300 per square foot, they have to meet demanding standards. Knowing the impact of key variables is the best way to manage color. 

Ralph Ruark is a registered professional engineer with degrees in ceramic engineering and business, and 37 years of experience in the ceramic industry. He formed Ruark Engineering Inc. several years ago and serves as a technical consultant to a number of ceramic manufacturers and kiln companies. He is dedicated to assisting ceramic companies with a variety of kiln and firing needs, leading kiln analysis efforts, providing training expertise, and improving operations. Ruark can be reached at (941) 730-2253, fax (888) 370-2546, e-mail [email protected] or online at www.ruarkengineering.com. Any views or opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not represent those of Ceramic Industry, its staff, Editorial Advisory Board or BNP Media.

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February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

special section | firing/drying

Thermcraft 40 Celebrates Years ➤ Company president Thomas M. Crafton credits customer-focused approach as a key to success. by Teresa McPherson, Managing Editor

T

hermcraft Inc. was founded demand for its heating equipment, the on January 7, 1971, by current company added a high-bay area and a CEO Morris L. Crafton. The 10-ton bridge crane to the facility. At the company began operations on same time, space for the manufacturing the second floor of a downtown Winston- of diffusion heaters for the semiconductor Salem building, but soon required addi- industry was added. An off-site warehouse was built in 1989. tional space and moved to a Several acquisitions were larger facility the next year. made thereafter, includThermcraft currently operates ing the assets of Automated in a state-of-the-art facility Te c h n o l o g y Sy s t e m s i n with 3600 square feet of office 1990; in 1991, the assets of space and another 70,000 Marshall Furnace Co. were square feet of manufacturpurchased. Two years later, ing space. The 12-acre tract of Thermcraft purchased the land provides additional space assets of Accutherm Inc. and for future expansion. thus expanded its line to offer Over the years, the comAccutherm-style furnaces. In pany has made several invest1996, Thermcraft purchased ments to grow the business. Thomas M. Crafton, Thermcraft president. the assets of Lab-Temp Inc. In 1982, due to increasing

Thermcraft Winston-Salem campus.

and moved that company’s operations to Winston-Salem, again increasing its product line offering. In 2000, the assets of Therm-Pro were purchased, moved into the Winston-Salem factory and merged into the Thermcraft line. Then in 2001, the Trans Temp Co. was purchased and its production line moved to the Winston-Salem facilities. This addition of the Transparent furnace line has helped build the complete Thermcraft product line with a focus on the company’s customers’ needs. Last year, Thermcraft introduced the eXPRESS-LINE, a full new series of standard laboratory furnaces, ovens, and control systems, based on customer and market demands. The product offering includes a full line of both solid and split tube furnaces, as well a series of

Heavy-gauge semiconductor diffusion heater department.

CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

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INVESTING IN CERAMICS

Box furnace manufacturing.

Custom manufacturing area with 10-ton bridge crane.

1200°C (2000°F) rated box furnace and recirculating air box ovens for temperatures of 225°C (477°F) and 260°C (500°F). All of the eXPRESS-LINE equipment can be delivered within two weeks. Thermcraft’s mission statement, “Through a team approach, we are dedicated to providing quality, cutting edge heating solutions in an efficient and timely manner,” has helped it to evolve into the company it is today, says Thomas M. Crafton, president. In addition, a diversity of

markets and the ability to provide custom products specific to each customer have helped the company to thrive. “Our success is from working with the customer to provide customized, specialized products for their processing requirements,” Crafton says. “We’ve been very customer oriented when supporting our customers; we treat them the way we would want to be treated.”  For additional information, visit www.thermcraftinc.com.

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February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

Europe

Tokuyama Europe GmbH Oststrasse 10,40211 Dusseldorf Germany Tel: +49-211-1754480

Japan

Tokuyama Corporation Shapal Sales Department, Specialty products Business Division Shibuya Konno Bldg. 3-1, Shibuya 3-chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8383 Tel: +81-3-3597-5135 e-mail: [email protected] URL http://www.shapal.jp/index.html

special section | firing/drying

Firing

➤ A kiln has been developed to meet multiple manufacturing needs and act as a starting point for a new approach to firing. by Maurizio Lizzano, Research & Development, Sacmi Forni

Evolution N

ew challenges are forcing manufacturers to rethink past achievements and cast a critical eye on processes that previously seemed mature and consolidated. The latest generation of production plants must meet a variety of important needs, including increased productivity and control, and reduced energy consumption and environmental impact. A new kiln has been developed to provide a single machine that will satisfy all these requirements and act as a starting point for a new approach to firing.*

Kiln Architecture The new kiln architecture has changed in substance, not form: a glance at the exterior shows no great difference compared to the standard model. However, the adoption of self-recovery burners and a new control/ supervision system has made it possible to sub-divide the kiln into thermal cells that are independent of each other. The kiln consists of a sequence of these thermal cells, which constitute the basic building blocks of the machine’s heat and pressure control system. Each thermal cell consists of three physical modules. The burners are installed in the first physical module of the kiln, thus aiding in the accurate control of the firing curve. Sub-division into thermal cells that are thermally independent allows manufacturers to fire the product in a significantly different way. A compromise between the needs of the material and the thermodynamic requirements of machine operation is no longer necessary. The material’s firing curve is first established on the basis of lab tests as a function of chemical-physical reactions. It can then be *The EKO kiln, developed by Sacmi.

reproduced exactly as desired in the new kiln by controlling both temperature and atmosphere inside the individual cells.

Technology Updates The substantial difference between the standard operational concept and the new kiln lies in fume movements inside the tunnel. In a traditional kiln, the fumes travel parallel to the longitudinal kiln axis and against the flow of material; in the new kiln, they travel crossways with respect to product flow. This substantial change in the direction of fume flow provides many advantages. The energy exchange between fumes and the product is improved due to the more turbulent convective motion and the fact that the fumes remain in the firing chamber longer. The volume of fumes needed to transfer thermal energy from air to the product is reduced, which consequently reduces fuel consumption. In addition, the reduced fume volume also results in a reduction in the amount of fumes that are sent to the filter, with less polluting vapors and gases needing to be purified. Table 1 (p. 30) shows the reduced quantity of CO2 introduced into the atmosphere per unit of product. The new kiln also results in more uniform temperatures (see Figure 1, p. 30). Since the fumes move transversely, they are mixed together more efficiently. Turbulence prevents their stratification and ensures that they remain in the kiln longer. This results in greater temperature homogeneity of materials that are in contact with fume flows and eliminates the need for radial-flame burners to heat the walls. In addition, control over size and color defects is enhanced. Pressure varies along the longitudinal axis in a traditional roller kiln. In the new kiln, CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

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FIRING EVOLUTION

Table 1. CO2 emissions for a typical porcelain tile firing. Kiln Type CO2 Emissions Standard roller kiln 2.63 kg/m2 Standard roller kiln with heat recovery system 2.25 kg/m2 EKO roller kiln 2.09 kg/m2

Figure 1. Temperature distribution over the kiln cross section in the standard kiln (top) and the new kiln (bottom).

Figure 2. The new kiln maintains pressure throughout.

however, pressure is maintained throughout, thus providing greater stability and preventing the influx of exhaust air (see Figure 2). In this way, no uncontrolled flows occur above or below the roller plane, thus reducing the risk of planarity defects on the tile. Since the manufacturer has complete control, it is possible to maintain thermal conditions (positive gradient, no gradient, negative gradient) and atmospheres (oxidizing, neutral, reducing) in individual cells. Each thermal condition can be associated with an 30

atmosphere optimal for aiding chemical reactions, when necessary. The management of these two key combustion characteristics (gradient and atmosphere) improves the material’s heat treatment, especially when not vitrified. Absolute and specific fuel consumption are reduced in the new kiln. Consumption is calculated as follows: Total consumption = Fixed consumption + Variable consumption

February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

Total consumption is calculated via hourly fuel consumption and expressed in Nm3/h. Fixed consumption is dependent on kiln characteristics and independent of product presence. Fixed consumption is that which is necessary to create the thermal conditions that allow the material to be transformed into finished product. Variable consumption is dependent on the specific heat of the material. It is given by the product of the mass of material to be brought up to temperature and the volume of fuel needed to heat a kilogram of the same material. During times of reduced hourly output (i.e., fewer sales), it is evident that specific consumption per unit of product increases in traditional kilns. In the new kiln, however, it is possible to keep specific consumption constant by shutting down some of the thermal cells (i.e., by “shortening” the kiln), thus limiting the fixed consumption component. The self-recovery burner, which has been on the market for many years and is used in steelmaking and other industries, has previously never been applied in ceramics. The self-recovery burner is designed so that fumes and air meet (without mixing) in a counter-flow configuration, allowing the air to draw heat from the fumes before their expulsion (see Figure 3). Combustion air that is preheated before being mixed with the fuel can reach temperatures of up to 700°C, with evident energy-saving benefits. In addition, executing heat exchange inside the kiln wall, and therefore at high temperature, provides the following benefits: • Improved overall heat exchange efficiency. A radiating component is also used in the firing zone, as opposed to using only a convective component in the low-temperature exchanger outside the kiln.

• No technical solutions are needed to thermally insulate the air-fume exchange zones. • Thermal dispersion is limited. • It is not necessary to dilute fumes with external air (in a way that dissipates energy) before arriving at the fume fan, as is the case with traditional kilns. • The fume intake and expulsion fan operates at lower temperatures with respect to traditional kilns (from 180220°C to about 150°C).

Kiln Control

Figure 3. The self-recovery burner is designed so that fumes and air meet (without mixing) in a counter-flow configuration.

The kiln is managed by an advanced control system with a double touch-screen interface. Traditional temperature regulators are no longer present. Process control occurs through an innovative system of temperature and pressure curves.

All kiln phases (ignition, shutdown, curve change, etc.) are managed automatically to ensure optimum kiln operation control. In addition, the system features diagnostic software that continually keeps operational status under control.

Future Firing This new kiln provides a technological step-change and may unlock as-yet undiscovered firing potential for the ceramic industry. For example, manufacturers may choose to interpose glaze application in the pre-heat stage to obtain new aesthetic effects.  For additional information, visit the company’s website at www.sacmi.com.

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³ CASESTUDY Efficiency Breakthrough At Belden Brick, success depends on more than just making brick.

B

rick-making has been around since at least 4000 B.C. But as Jeff Adams, chief information officer at Belden Brick Co., notes, brick-making keeps moving forward as technology advances propel innovation. However, these breakthroughs aren’t always found in the brick-making process itself. For the Canton, Ohio, company (which makes 225 million brick annually), progress is also reflected in the improved software it uses to pare costs, boost sales and profits.

ERP Software Belden Brick uses enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, an integrated computer-based system to pursue “lean” production and relentlessly track the elimination of waste. Anything that trims costs while also improving customer service helps the company’s return on investment and the bottom line. For the past three years, Belden Brick has used web-based Infor™ ERP LN software, which is designed specifically for companies in the discrete and project-based manufacturing industries. This system is built on Infor’s open-platform, service-oriented architecture, which offers greater functionality. Adams and his staff evaluated various systems and chose Infor LN for its filtering functionality, as well as other features that make it easier for users to get the data they require. In addition, “it appeared that LN was going to be the ‘future,’” Adams explains. Belden Brick chose to employ ERP LN on Microsoft® Windows® and SQL Server. When the installation was complete, Infor ERP LN immediately made a major difference in handling customer numbers and item codes. At Belden Brick’s Redland Brick subsidiary, customer numbers were converted, although item codes stayed as they were. On the Belden side, however, a change was needed in the item-coding structure. Infor’s migration tool kit handled the change easily. As a result, about 9000 item codes were deactivated and 9000 more were entered into the ERP LN system. “Everything went exactly as it was supposed to,” recalls Adams. “The migrated orders tied to the units, and the general ledger tied to the penny.” The combined companies also had total inventory on hand of about 70 million units that were numbered with item lots and location, all of which migrated successfully as well. 32

February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

System Benefits The software’s user interface, while not fancy, proves very effective and has helped the company’s users be more efficient in getting to the data they need, according to Adams. “Our focus is to get as much power into our users’ hands as we can, and LN gives us a better opportunity to do that,” he says. The software’s filtering functionality also proves critical. Production managers and salespeople can create their own filters for each screen, so they focus on the data that is important to them. For example, if they want to focus on a certain size, color or shape of brick, they can do that as they scroll through their inventory. The functionality makes it easier for users to build uniform packages of brick from an array of loose inventory in various sizes, colors and shapes. This helps the company maintain its long-standing reputation for quality and consistency. Adams says that production managers appreciate having only one transaction screen for analyzing the quantity of scrap produced on a production run and why it occurred. Previously, managers had to click through several screens to get the information needed in their efforts to reduce scrap production. Salespeople also are using the LN system to quickly answer customers’ questions. Nearly 750 individuals in Belden’s base of about 250 dealers and distributor customers have convenient access to their data via ERP LN and Belden Brick’s extranet. Customers can look up the status of their open and delivered orders, invoices, and acknowledgements. They also can be notified whenever the company issues a bill of lading that pertains to them—with a PDF copy of the paperwork—to help them stay on top of the delivery status.

special section | brick & clay record

With ERP LN, the time needed for users to get up and running is half what was required for the previous legacy system. And while Belden Brick hasn’t tried to measure it, the way employees use the screens now is more efficient and cost effective, contends Adams. “It’s hard to quantify data accessibility,” he says. “Nevertheless, it’s clear our people are using the system to good advantage.” He cites the way plant managers can easily navigate between financial statements, the general ledger and the transaction that generated a cost. “Great drill-down functionality exists from the finance side to the source transaction, and we haven’t had that before,” he says. Undoubtedly, the aspect of ERP LN that has had the biggest impact in reducing waste and improving customer service involves the system the company developed to scan brick that vary slightly by color and to record their values into the software. This allows the brick to be blended together into larger lots for sale to customers. Belden Brick can sell existing inventory without additional production runs or compromising the integrity of its product. It is able to use the system to keep prices low because making a fresh run of brick to guarantee compatible quality is more expensive than using on-hand inven-

An integrated computer-based system is used to pursue “lean” production and relentlessly track the elimination of waste.

tory. The company expects the system to reduce its inventory of small brick lots by 600% and increase its profits by more than $250,000 annually.

Future Developments Belden Brick intends to employ the Planning and Manufacturing module of Infor ERP LN to increase consis-

CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

33

CASE STUDY

tency in customer orders. Right now, says Adams, “it’s as much an art form as anything else, with our people making judgment calls in blending loose brick into packages for delivery.”

The company expects the system to reduce its inventory of small brick lots by 600% and increase its profits by more than $250,000 annually. He and his staff have written some applications that interface with LN, tying the item and lot number with results they get from their spectrophotometer. “We don’t anticipate replacing the color judgment of our people, but we hope to confirm it and suggest how best to use the products we have in inventory,” Adams explains. For Belden Brick, its ERP software seems to offer countless uses. The company is using the Service module as an internal tool to manage the maintenance of the company’s trucks, bulldozers, service vehicles, kilns and other assets. Because Belden

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February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

Brick also operates gas wells, it plans to use the software’s functionality to monitor what its wells are producing, and then manage the payment of royalties to those from whom it has acquired mineral rights. As for Infor ERP LN’s contribution to brick-making, Adams puts it this way: “At the end of the day, how well we serve our customers is going to continue to be Belden’s competitive advantage. LN is setting the foundation for the future, helping us drive cost reduction, minimize scrap and identify new opportunities.”  For additional information, contact Infor at 13560 Morris Rd., Suite 4100, Alpharetta, GA 30004; call (866) 244-5479 or (678) 319-8000; fax (678) 319-8682; e-mail [email protected]; or visit www.infor.com. Belden Brick’s website is located at www.beldenbrick.com.

Success Stories Wanted! Has your company expanded, built new facilities or upgraded equipment? Contact Susan Sutton at (330) 336-4098 or [email protected] to share your story.

special section | brick & clay record

New Purpose, ➤ Mid America Brick is repurposing a former A.P. Green Refractories plant for the manufacture of face brick and related products.

New Opportunity

I

t’s fairly common these days for old brick to be repurposed for new installations. Old school houses or train stations are demolished, and the existing brick is salvaged and used elsewhere. It’s a testament to brick’s strength and longevity that this practice is even possible. What’s less heard of is the repurposing of an entire plant, but that’s exactly what Mid America Brick & Structural Clay Products LLC, Mexico, Mo., is currently undertaking. The company has acquired the facilities formerly owned and operated by A.P. Green Refractories, Inc. and plans to manufacture face brick and related products once the project is complete. A.P. Green ceased operations at the plant in 2002. The facility comprises numerous buildings totaling over 30 acres under roof, as well as equipment and machinery for the manufacture of refractories. “We are going to take the facility from being a refractory plant to a plant that produces face brick,” says Frank Cordie, president of Mid America Brick. “At the moment, we have 32 employees working on converting it, as well as contractors.”

Project Details Pre-production activities include the rehabilitation of portions of the plant, as well as

the relocation of some equipment and the installation of new equipment. The grinding process will include an Eagle crusher and a Stedman Grand Slam™, which will feed Midwestern MEV 510 screens. The grinding plant has the bin capacity to store over 800 tons of ground materials. The extrusion process will incorporate a JC Steele 90 pug mill and extruder. Basic Machinery is providing the mill room equipment, including robotic setting capabilities, the cutter and texturing beam, additive feeders, etc. Automated Solutions Inc. is renovating and installing a monorail for packaging, and Star Engineering is providing automatic kiln car transfers and new haulages. The facility includes a considerable number of conveyors, which Mid America Brick is repositioning to suit its needs. “We took the conveyors from one part of the facility and made ourselves a conveying system to go from grinding to the mill room, which is approximately 300 ft,” explains Cordie. “We’re in the process of doing all of that to get the clay to the position where the extruder will be.” The dryers and one of the 11 existing tunnel kilns are being renovated by Dunlap Kiln Technology, Inc. “We’re basically redoing the kiln in its entirety, with all-new

burners, gas, air, computer and electrics,” says Cordie. “We’re also redoing some of the brick work in the cooling section. In addition, we went through all of the kiln cars, and each car has been reconditioned.”

Looking Ahead The sheer size of the plant offers a number of opportunities. “The facility lends itself to the potential to do other things even unrelated to face brick,” says Cordie. “We could get into other areas outside of the brick industry.” In the meantime, the repurposed plant is expected to begin production this spring, with around 40 employees and one kiln firing modular, queen and king-sized brick. Mid America Brick will initially offer 15 colors, as well as a tumbled line. When future business conditions warrant, a second tunnel kiln and associated dryers will be rehabilitated to increase production. Cordie estimates that the plant’s annual capacity could reach 65 million brick equivalents, with 70-75 employees company wide.  For more information, contact Mid America Brick at 600 Green Blvd., Mexico, MO 65265; call (573) 581-8622; e-mail [email protected]; or visit www.midamericabrick.com. CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

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³ BUYERS’

CONNECTION

³ WHAT’SNEW HOT PRODUCTS TURBULA MIXER Glen Mills The unique, 3-D figure-eight spiral motion of the TURBULA® mixes difficult powders to extreme homogeneity. Powder systems of different densities, particle sizes, and/or quantities are all blended uniformly. In addition, the unique motion requires short blending times to prepare a superior mix. The change-can design offers several conveniences. Any container is filled up to 95% remotely and then loaded into the TURBULA for a tumble. Cleanup and batch integrity is ensured by using separate cans. Several models are available to handle 1/2-gal (2-liter), 17-liter, and 55-liter containers. The larger dyna-MIX® blenders are available to 2000 liters. Rental units are also available. Visit www.GLENMILLS.com.

MORGAN THERMAL CERAMICS NETZSCH introduces the new LFA 457 MicroFlash® system to measure thermal diffusivity, thermal conductivity and specific heat of advanced materials, including advanced ceramics, metals, polymers, liquids and more. Using the laser flash principle, the instrument operates from -125 to +1100°C, in pure gas atmospheres or in vacuum, and includes an automatic sample changer for unattended overnight operation. For details please visit: http://netzsch-thermal-analysis.com Netzsch Instruments Burlington, MA 01803 Ph: 781-272-5353 • Fax: 781-272-5225 E-mail: [email protected]

Make the Commerce Connection! CI BUYERS’ CONNECTION Reinforce your sales message and showcase your • Literature • Home page • Product sheets • New products • Specialty products and accessories Economical, 1/9 page color mini-ad. Space still available in June, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec Contact Ginny Reisinger 614-760-4220 • [email protected]

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Insulation Wool Superwool® Plus, a high-temperature insulation wool, is 17% more energy efficient than traditional refractory ceramic fiber (RCF) and any other alkaline earth silicate (AES) insulations, according to the manufacturer. The material can be used for furnace linings in the iron, steel and aluminum industries, as well as all applications requiring high-temperature processing. This enables users to increase manufacturing process efficiencies and make significant cost savings associated with energy usage. Visit www.thermalceramics.com.

VAC-U-MAX Portable Industrial Vacuum Cleaner The model 110MFS portable industrial vacuum cleaner was designed for fine or difficult powders found in general manufacturing and chemical plants, among others. According to the company, the vacuum provides 80% more suction power than most other vacuums in the 5HP class to handle difficult materials. Fine particles can be handled with a standard PTFE (Teflon-coated) leaf-style filter rated 99.9% at 1 micron. Call (800) 822-8629 or visit www.vac-u-max.com/vacuum.

ALFA AESAR, A JOHNSON MATTHEY COMPANY Catalog This company has released its 2011-13 Catalog of Research Chemicals, Metals & Materials. The new catalog features over 4000

February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

new products, many of which are novel fine organics, including over 800 new boronic acids and esters. Other products include aryl homopiperazines, zeolites, fluoroi compounds and silica gels. aromatic The catalog includes new and updated application notes, synonym listings, and other specification details. Molecular structure diagrams are included for most chemicals, and the catalog is indexed by Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) number, stock number, and molecular formula. Product listings for all hazardous substances include hazard pictograms and newly implemented precautionary and hazard phrases in accordance with Globally Harmonized System (GHS) standards. Visit www.alfa.com.

IMPERIAL SYSTEMS INC. Dust Collector The new CMAXX™ cartridge collector is designed with PD Technology™ for maximum cleaning m performance. According perfo to the company, the cartridge provides 10% more filter media than other same-sized vertical cartridge collectors. The internal area of the dust collector offers 20% more area around the filters, causing more dust to drop in the hopper before attaching to the filters. Call (800) 918-3013 or visit www.isystemsweb.com. 

³ SERVICESMARKETPLACE ³CONSULTING & ENGINEERING SERVICES

³MAINTENANCE/SERVICES

Brinks Hofer Gilson & Lione . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Ceramics Maintenance Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Ceralink, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Ceramics Consulting Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

³PROCESSING SERVICES

Jonathan Kaplan Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

AVEKA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Ragan Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

CCE Technologies, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Richard E. Mistler, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Powder Processing and Technology, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

Ruark Engineering, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Powder Technology, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Semler Materials Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Union Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

³CONTRACT MANUFACTURING SERVICES

³RECYCLING SERVICES

CoorsTek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

A-Ten-C, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Stratamet Advanced Materials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Superior Technical Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

³REFRACTORY SERVICES Fuse Tech/Hot Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

³FINISHING & MACHINING SERVICES

Nth Degree Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Advanced Ceramic Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Bullen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

³SPRAY DRYING SERVICES

EBL Products, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

American Custom Drying Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Ferro-Ceramic Grinding, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Machined Ceramics, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

³CONSULTING & ENGINEERING SERVICES

O’Keefe Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 PremaTech Advanced Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

³FIRING & DRYING SERVICES Allied Kiln Service Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 American Isostatic Presses. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Centorr/Vacuum Industries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Harrop Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Ipsen Ceramics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 I Squared R Element Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Prairie Ceramics Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Experts in Ceramic Engineering & Materials Science • Microwave & RF Process Development • Scale-up • Equipment Design

• Materials Engineering Ceramics, Glass, Composites

• Research and Innovation • Prototyping

518-283-7733 * Fax: 518-283-9134 * [email protected] * www.ceralink.com

SBL Kiln Services, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 TevTech, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

³GLASS SERVICES Fuse Tech/Hot Tech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Glass Inc. International . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 SEM-COM Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Specialty Glass, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Viox Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

³INDEPENDENT AGENTS Tape Casting Warehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Phone: 480-895-9830 FAX: 480-895-9831 e-Mail: [email protected]

Dr. Charles E. Semler President/Consultant SEMLER MATERIALS SERVICES 10153 E. Elmwood Dr. Chandler, AZ 85248

Taylor Tunnicliff Ltd. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

³LABORATORY & TESTING SERVICES Geller Microanalytical Laboratory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Harrop Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Micromeritics Analytical Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Micron Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Netzsch Instruments NA LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 NSL Analytical Services Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Quantachrome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 West Penn, Spectrochemical Labs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

37

³CONSULTING & ENGINEERING SERVICES / CONTRACT MANUFACTURING SERVICES ³CONTRACT MANUFACTURING SERVICES

High Shear Compaction— Superior Tape Forming Process • Full thickness single layer tapes: • HSC efficient high-volume 0.1 mm to greater than 13 mm process compatible with any powder: ceramic, glass, metal • Aqueous binder systems— extreme thickness control or plastic Ragan Technologies Inc. • Tape Development > Toll • Improvement over roll compac978-297-9805 Manufacturing > Turnkey tion —Isotropic tapes are [email protected] Installations never brittle & fire flat www.ragantech.com

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FROM CONCEPT TO PRODUCTION • • • •

Delivering solutions for diverse applications & industries Extrude, dry press, iso press, precision machine AS9100 & ISO9001:2008 Certified Plantwide Customer-Focused Culture

802-527-7726 • [email protected] • www.ceramics.net

Alumina • Zirconia • ZTA • Steatite • Cordierite • BN • Macor

Jeff Zamek Ceramics Consulting Services

6 Glendale Woods Drive Southampton, MA 01073

Telephone 413 527 7337 Fax 413 529 2674 [email protected] www.fixpots.com

Ceramic Product Design and Development Whitewares and Tabletop Custom Molds and Models 3520 Brighton Blvd., Denver CO 80216 (303) 909-5488 www.plinthgallery.com [email protected]

Michael S. Gzybowski Intellectual Property Attorney 734.302.6046 [email protected]

Precision Ceramic Components fj^X`"ijgc egdidine^c\

Suite 200 | 524 South Main Street | Ann Arbor, MI 48104 usebrinks.com

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Ruark Engineering, Inc. Customer Oriented Expert Kiln Assistance • • • •

Ralph Ruark, PE 10506 Cypress Point Drive Bradenton, FL 34202

38

Veea^XVi^dc Zc\^cZZg^c\

CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT OF KILN OPERATIONS KILN UPGRADE AND MODIFICATIONS NEW KILN PROCUREMENT SPECIALIZED TRAINING ON SITE P: 941-730-2253 F: 941-360-3211 [email protected] http://www.ruarkengineering.com

February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

CoorsTek is the largest US-owned technical ceramics manufacturer in the world. Call 303-271-7006 or email [email protected] for expert assistance on your next project. Visit us on the web www.coorstek.com

SERVICESMARKETPLACE

³FINISHING & MACHINING SERVICES

WORLD LEADER IN PRECISION CERAMICS

YOUR OU U ULTRASOURCE SOU C FOR MACHINING HARD & BRITTLE MATERIALS

www.bullentech.com 1301 Miller Williams Rd. Eaton, Ohio 54320 USA Phone: (937) 456-7133 • Fax: (937) 456-2779 Email: [email protected]

in d n

Over a Quarter Century of Precision Ceramic Machining Process Development, has resulted in hundreds of satisfied customers. Put our experience and knowledge to work for you and become one of our satisfied customers.

719-687-0888 • [email protected] • www.okeefeceramics.com

g

i Gr & i on Machining fC era ls m eria

Pre o cis

t ics & Advanced Ma

PremaTech Advanced Ceramics is a highly respected, world leader in advanced custom machining and grinding for the Semiconductor, Aerospace & Defense, Research, Life Sciences and Commercial industries. For all your ceramic needs, please call 508.791.9549 NEW Lapping & Polishing Capabilities Advanced Ceramic Machining & Components Engineering and Design Support Grinding of Hard and Ultrahard Materials: Alumina, Boron Nitride, Ferrite, Quartz, Silicon Carbide, Silicon Nitrides and Zirconia

ISO 9001-2000 Certified ITAR & CCR Registered WBENC Certified

www.prematechac.com

EBL PRODUCTS, INC.

28 Years of Precision Ceramic Grinding

PIEZOCERAMICS

• Custom forming of technical ceramics * Built to customer print * • Prototype, short run and high volume production quantities • Multiple C.N.C. Capabilities

Serving our customers for over 50 years PRECISION CUSTOM DESIGN for:

• • • •

piezoceramic tubes piezo composites lead zirconate titanates matching layers & wearplates

EBL Products, Inc. 22 Prestige Park Circle, E Hartford CT 06108 Phone: 860-291-2537 • Fax: 860-291-2533 www.eblproducts.com [email protected]

Phone: 714-538-2524 Fax: 714-538-2589 Email: [email protected] Website: www.advancedceramictech.com

CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

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³FINISHING & MACHINING SERVICES / FIRING & DRYING SERVICES

Contract Machining Company and Ceramic Component Supplier • ISO 9001:2000 & AS9100B • CAD/CAM CNC Machining • Extensive Material Inventory • Material/Technical Support • Over 40 Years of Service

SERVICES

Specializing in BN, SiC, Macor, Si N , Al O , ZrO , Quartz, Ferrites and other related materials 3

4

TOLL FIRING

2

3

2

³FIRING & DRYING SERVICES

ISOSTATIC PRESSING Specializing in

HIP, CIP, Service and Equipment Visit us on the Web: www.aiphip.com Call toll free: 800-375-7108

• Sintering, calcining, heat treating to 1700°C • Bulk materials and shapes • R&D, pilot production • One-time or ongoing EQUIPMENT

• Atmosphere electric batch kilns to 27 cu. ft. • Gas batch kilns to Columbus, Ohio • 614-231-3621 57 cu. ft. www.harropusa.com e-mail: [email protected]

American Isostatic Presses 1205 S. Columbus Airport Rd. Columbus, Ohio 43207 Phone (614) 497-3148 Fax (614) 497-3407

I SQUARED R ELEMENT CO., INC. AKRON, NY USA

• Custom Designed Silicon Carbide & Molybdenum Disilicide Heating Elements for Your Application • Engineering Assistance & Trouble Shooting • Customized Accessories

Visit our Web Site: www.isquaredrelement.com Phone: (716) 542-5511 • Fax: (716) 542-2100 PRINT, DIGITAL & ONLINE! TRIPLE EXPOSURE!

TEVTECH, LLC MATERIALS PROCESSING SOLUTIONS Custom Vacuum Furnaces & Hot Zone Refurbishment for Sintering • CVD • Purification • Brazing 100 Billerica Ave., N. Billerica MA 01862 Tel. (978) 667-4557 • Fax. (978) 667-4554 www.tevtechllc.com

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February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

CI’s Services Marketplace ads keep your services accessible in the customer’s preferred format 24/7 for 12 full months.

2011 RATES $950/unit . . . . . . . . . .black and white $1325/unit . . . . . . . . .4-color Contact Ginny Reisinger with questions: 614-760-4220 or [email protected]

SERVICESMARKETPLACE

³FIRING & DRYING SERVICES / GLASS SERVICES / INDEPENDENT AGENTS

ALBERT LEWIS PRESIDENT

GLASS

INCORPORATED INTERNATIONAL 14055 LAURELWOOD PL • CHINO, CA 91710 email: [email protected] website: www.glassint.com Phone 909-628-4212 BUS.: (608) 783-4455 ALLIED FAX: (608) 783-4420 KILN EMAIL: [email protected] SERVICE INC. TIMOTHY J. TOBIN

New Kiln Design and Manufacturing Roller Hearth - Shuttle - Car Bottom - Tunnel • Installations • Combustion

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TOLL FIRING and CERAMIC REFRACTORIES

• Multiple kilns and furnaces for optimal firing options • Screening, surface area, and bulk density testing available • Custom and standard ceramic refractories • Alumina and Fused Silica formulas • Shapes include saggers, tiles, crucibles, kiln furniture [email protected] • (815)239-2385 ext. 105 www.ipsenceramics.com

SEM•COM

We provide the following services:

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Refractory Repair Specialists • Ceramic Welding & Periscope Surveys • Port & Checker Cleaning • Hot Refractory Sawing & Drilling • Furnace Overcoating • Hot & Cold Refractory Repair

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COMPANY, INC.

SPECIALTY & ELECTRONIC GLASS MANUFACTURING

³GLASS SERVICES

• • • • • • • • • •

Fax 909-628-2771

Phone (813) 855-5779 • Fax (813) 855-1584 Website: www.sgiglass.com • E-mail: [email protected]

³INDEPENDENT AGENTS

BULLERS RINGS • Improve Kiln Yields

GLASS TECHNOLOGY Design • Development • Manufacturing

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• Reduce Loss • Improve Production Profits • Guarantee Consistent Firings

USA McCuen & Associates Ph: 330 482-1074 Fax: 330 482-4560 Email: [email protected] www.davemccuen.com UK Taylor Tunnicliff Limited. Normacot Road Longton Stoke-on-Trent ST3 1PA

w w w.t ayl o r tunni clif f.co m

CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

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³INDEPENDENT AGENTS / LABORATORY & TESTING SERVICES

YOUR DEDICATED PARTNER FOR THERMAL ANALYSIS Leading worldwide with highest quality and performance in: ) Thermal Analysis ) TGA-DSC/DTA from -150 to +2400ºC ) Thermal Conductivity

) ) ) )

Laser Flash Diffusivity Dilatometers Specific Heat Contract Testing Services

Please visit our website for more details: www.e-Thermal.com NETZSCH Instruments N.A. LLC )37 North Ave )Burlington MA 01803 Email: [email protected] )Ph: 781-272-5353

NETZSCH’s PHILOSOPHY is TOTAL CUSTOMER CARE ³LABORATORY & TESTING SERVICES G E L L E R M I C ROA NA LY T I C A L LABORATORY Analytical Services & NIST Traceable Magnification Standards SEM/X-ray, Electron Mircoprobe, Surface Analysis (Auger), Metallography, Particle Size Counting, and Optical Microscopy for Ceramics and Composite Materials Specializing in quantitative analysis of boron, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, etc. in micrometer sized areas. Elemental mapping, diffusion studies, failure analysis, reverse engineering and phase area determinations. I SO 9001 & 1 7 0 2 5 Ce r t i fi e d Put our years of experience to work on your specimens! 426 Boston St. Topsfield, MA 01983 Tel: 978-887-7000 Fax: 978-887-6671 www. gellermicro.com Email: [email protected]

Thermal Analysis Materials Testing • Dilatometry • ASTM Testing • Glass Testing

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Your Partner in Ceramics Analysis ISO 17025 Compliant • cGMP compliant • FDA registered

Experiennced analysis of Advanced Experienced Advaanceed ceramic cerramicc m materials atterialss in including ncluudin ing alumina, magnesia, zirconia, carbides, nitrides, and oxides. Specialized Testing Capabilities

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Compositional Analysis Elemental and Chemical Analysis Microscopy and SEM Thermal Analysis

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www.nslanalytical.com

NSL Analytical Services, Inc. 4450 Cranwood Parkway, Cleveland, Ohio 44128 4OLL&REEsMRJS$RWPEREP]XMGEPGSQ

Trust

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Particle Size • Particle Shape BET Surface Area • Pore Size Analysis • Density

Technology

|

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SERVICESMARKETPLACE

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LOWER COST MILLING SOLUTIONS Holding off on capital purchases? Union Process still has several low cost options for you to get the job done economically and efficiently using the finest size reduction equipment on the market.

TOLL MILLING Save on capital equipment, personnel and space. Let Union Process toll grind your product in our Pilot Plant. "EFORE

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³MAINTENANCE SERVICES • Mill Lining Installation • Ball & Pebble Mill Parts • Field Service & Installation

ic Ma Ceram

intenance Services,

MILL LINING INSTALLATION GRINDING MEDIA

• Thickness Testing • Mill Doors & Gaskets

I n c.

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³PROCESSING SERVICES

!FTER

SPARE PARTS Make sure your Attritor is performing at peak efficiency. Order critical OEM spare parts today. Union Process stocks many parts ready for immediate shipping.

Partner with Union Process.

0HONEsWWWUNIONPROCESSCOM

Expanding the Possibilities for Size Reduction

Your Source for Powder Processing We specialize in: • Spray Drying • Wet and Dry Milling • Calcining and Sintering Typical Applications: • Catalysts • Electronics • Ceramics • Fuel Cells For more information, please contact Alan Sukovich at 219-462-4141 x224 or [email protected]

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5103 Evans Avenue | Valparaiso, IN 46383

www.pptechnology.com CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

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³PROCESSING SERVICES / RECYCLING SERVICES / REFACTORY SERVICES

Custom Grinding & Sizing CCE Technologies, Inc. 7555 95th Street South Cottage Grove, MN 55016 Phone: 651-688-2656 Fax: 651-688-8989 Toll Free: 1-800-707-7719 www.ccetechnologies.com

• High Efficiency Fluid Energy Milling • Centrifugal Air Classification • Precise Sizing of Abrasives and Ceramics

ENGINEERED PARTICLES Custom Particle Processing featuring: • • • • •

Spray Drying Particle Coating & Surface Modification Wet & Dry Ball Milling Bead Milling Research & Development

Our approach: • • • •

• Minimal Contamination • Lab to Production Quantities • Particle Size Analysis Capabilities

Innovation Collaboration Exceptional Customer Service Quality

[email protected] ISO 9001: 2008 Registered 2045 Wooddale Drive Woodbury, MN 55125 For more information visit: www.aveka.com 651-730-1729 | FAX 651-730-1826 or Call Toll Free: 1-888-317-3700

³ RECYCLING SERVICES

RECYCLE! Eliminate Disposal

Wanted: ceramics, refractories, abrasives, kiln furniture, SiC and hi alumina ceramic scrap

A-TEN-C, INC. Call: 412-821-5566 • [email protected] • www.ceramicrecycling.com

³REFACTORY SERVICES

Nth Degree PRODUCTS Reduce Your Refractory Costs NOW!

PRINT, DIGITAL & ONLINE! TRIPLE EXPOSURE! CI’s Services Marketplace ads keep your services accessible in the customer’s preferred format 24/7 for 12 full months.

2011 RATES $950/unit . . . . . . . . . .black and white $1325/unit . . . . . . . . .4-color Contact Ginny Reisinger with questions: 614-760-4220 or [email protected]

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February 2011 ³ WWW.CERAMICINDUSTRY.COM

We want to understand your current process and manufacturing needs. Our knowledgeable team will match your operating requirements with the right materials to meet your goals. We redesign and provide free samples to test concepts that provide better product quality, longer refractory life, and significant cost savings that will impact your overall bottom line. Higher quality and longer life refractories lead to smoother plant operating conditions, reduced scrap rates and improved end product quality.

9SPECIALIZING IN 9 CORDIERITE PRODUCTS Call us today: 609-518-9447 • Fax: 609-518-9445 [email protected] • www.nthdegreeproducts.com

Continuing to introduce innovative products to help improve your bottom line.

³SPRAY DRYING SERVICES

SERVICESMARKETPLACE

³REFACTORY SERVICES

Refractory Repair Specialists • Ceramic Welding & Periscope Surveys • Port & Checker Cleaning • Hot Refractory Sawing & Drilling • Furnace Overcoating • Hot & Cold Refractory Repair

³BUY & SELL

CLASSIFIEDADVERTISEMENTS

www.ceramicindustry.com

³BUY & SELL

Quality & Service First BUY & SELL MACHINERY 586-790-1717 • [email protected] WWW.AADVANCEDMACH.COM

BUY & SELL MACHINERY Detroit Process Machinery TOM SUHY: 586-469-0323 www.detroitprocessmachinery.com

r u o y e c pla ! e r e h d a

CONTACT GINNY REISINGER @ 614/760.4220 or reisingerg@ bnpmedia.com to place yours today. CERAMIC INDUSTRY ³ February 2011

45

³ ADVERTISERINDEX ADVERTISER

LINK

PAGE NO.

* Applied Test Systems, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.atspa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Clear Seas Research . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.clearseasresearch.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC Coverings 2010 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.coverings.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 * Harrop Industries, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 * I Squared R Element Co., Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.isquaredrelement.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 * LignoTech USA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.lignotech.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Lucifer Furnaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.luciferfurnaces.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 * Midwestern Industries, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.midwesternind.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .BC * Mohr Corp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.mohrcorp.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Ross, Charles & Son Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.mixers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 SGCD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.sgcd.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC * Starkey Machinery Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 * Swindell Dressler International Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.swindelldressler.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Thermcraft Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.thermcraftinc.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 * Tokuyama America Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 * UK Abrasives, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ukabrasives.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 * See our ad in the 2010-2011 Ceramic Industry Data Book & Buyers’ Guide. This index is a feature maintained for the convenience of the advertiser. It is not part of the advertiser’s contract, and Ceramic Industry assumes no responsibility for its accuracy.

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