Ceramic fibers

Ceramic Fibers
• The definition of ceramic is often restricted
to inorganic non-metallic polycrystalline
solids, as opposed to the non crystalline
glasses.
• The distinction between ceramic and glass
has become difficult now, because
ceramics produced from new precursors
or sol – gel routes can be amorphous
Classification of non-metallic inorganic fibres
• First ceramics were the pottery objects made up of
clay and were developed for refractory insulation.
• Traditional ceramic has kaolinite as clay mineral
that is an alumina whereas modern ceramics
include silicon carbide, tungsten carbide and many
more.
• Silicon carbide and aluminium oxide (alumina)
fibres are commercially being produced, while
several other ceramic fibres are either being made
on pilot scale or are under various stages of
development.
• Ceramic materials are hard, have low densities
(compared to metals), high compressive strength and
very good thermal resistance and strength at higher
temperature.
• Due to their notable high temperature performance,
these are useful as reinforcement in metal and
ceramic matrix composites, where the structures are
required to operate at high temperature and under
oxidizing/ corrosive environments
Examples: in- heat exchangers, first containment
walls for fusion reactors, gas turbines, as well as for
high temperature gas filtration.
 How are ceramics fibres produced?

• Conventional processes for the fabrication of

bulk ceramics, which include powder
compaction and sintering, cannot be used for
making fine fibres.
• Also, the conventional spinning and drawing
from a melt cannot be used for ceramics as
their melting points can exceed 2000 °C.
• The ceramic fibres can be produced by either
a direct or indirect process.
Sintering process of producing objects
from particles
 Direct Process

• The direct production of fine ceramic fibres

requires the spinning of precursors (salt solution,
sols or precursor melts) into fibres, which are then
heat treated and pyrolysed for a very short time.
• The first ceramic fibres for very high temperature
structural applications were commercialised at
the beginning of the 1980s and, since then, the
fibres have undergone great changes and shown
improved properties.
Direct method for obtaining ceramic fibres
 The spinning dopes used in the direct process
can be based on:
 Molecularly dispersed precursors
 Colloidally dispersed precursors
 Inorganic polymers
 Coarse ceramic particles
 Indirect method

On the other hand in the indirect process,

ceramic fibres are not obtained by spinning
process, but by using some other approach.
The process involves two steps:
 Step 1: Organic substrate/template fibres are
soaked with the precursor material or
precursor material is deposited on the surface.
 Step 2: The inorganic fibre is then formed by
pyrolysis of the organic template fibre.
Indirect method for obtaining Ceramic Fibre
 Chemically these fibres have different
compositions and thus these fibres can be
broadly divided into following two categories:

 Oxide fibres : Silica fibres, alumina fibres,

alumina-silica fibres, alumina zirconia fibres
 Non oxide fibres: Silicon carbide(SiC),silicon
carbon nitride, silicon nitride(SiN)
 Oxide Based Fibres

• Oxide ceramic fibres made from oxides with

high melting point are suitable for applications
where exposure to oxidizing atmosphere and
high temperatures (above 1400 °C) are
required.
• Oxide fibres, currently available commercially
are mostly based on Al2O3– or Al2O3 /SiO2
ceramics.
• They possess high tensile strength and modulus,
and are stable against oxidation at high
temperatures due to their oxidic nature. However,
even the best polycrystalline oxide fibres are prone
to creep under load at 1100 °C.
• These fibres tend to form larger grains when kept at
high temperatures over long time periods. The
larger grains tend to grow at the expense of smaller
grains because of diffusion processes at grain
boundaries, which can lead to brittle fibres.
 Alumina-based Fibres

• Alumina fibre is used in various applications

which include high temperature insulating
material in the form of mats, blankets and
boards, fire protection, catalyst support in
high temperature reactions and as
reinforcement of metals, ceramics and
polymers
 Aluminum oxide fiber manufacturing
• In one method alumina fibre is made by
extruding aqueous solution of aluminium salts
such as aluminium oxychloride (Al2(OH)5Cl)
blended with rheological aids. The alumina
fibre is made by spinning and heat treatment
route.
• The aqueous nanosols based on aluminium
hydroxides can also be spun directly.
Process steps for manufacture of alumina
fibre
 Aluminum oxide fiber manufacturing
• Simple molecular precursors are converted into
nanometer-sized particles to form a colloidal
suspension, or sol.
• In order to assist the spinning process, the sols
are made more concentrated and viscous by the
addition of a small amount of organic polymer
which would cause an increase in the viscosity
• This sol is spun into the gel fibre, which is dried
and sintered to form the required ceramics.
Preparation of Ceramic fibres
• At temperatures higher than 400 °C and up to
around 1000 °C, the formation of grains of 10
to 100 nm, size takes place with finely divided
porosity.
• Above 1100 °C, stable α-alumina nucleates
resulting in fast growth of micron-sized grains
together with the coalescence of pores.
• Such fibres are extremely brittle and cannot
be used.
• For use of alumina fibres above 1100 °C, the
nucleation, growth and porosity are controlled
by adding either silica precursors or seeds for
α-alumina formation to the fibre precursors
and has led to two classes of alumina-based
fibres, one consisting primarily of α-alumina
grains and the other of transitional alumina
phases together with another phase.
 Young's
Fibre type Manufacturer Composition Diameter Density Strength Strain to Modulus
(wt%) (m) (g/cm3) (GPa) failure(%) (GPa)

α-Al2O2 fibres Du Pont 99.9% Al2O3 20 3.92 1.2 0.29 414

85% Al2O3
Aluminia 3M 12 3.4 2.1 0.81 260
silica fibres 15%SiO2
 3M™ Nextel™ Ceramic Fibers and Textiles

• From rocket boosters and racecars to industrial

furnaces and fuel cells, 3M™ Nextel™ Ceramic Fibers
and Textiles help enable and protect critical
equipment when the heat is on.
• Once used to protect NASA Space Shuttles against the
heat of reentry, today Nextel fabrics provide heat,
flame and impact shielding for aircraft and spacecraft.
• Here on earth, Nextel products are used in such
varied applications as seals and gaskets, electrical
insulation and composite reinforcement.
• Both lightweight and durable, Nextel ceramic fibers
and textiles are designed to meet today’s most
demanding thermal, mechanical and electrical
performance requirements.
• Made of continuous ceramic oxide fibers, Nextel
products are available in a variety of forms,
including chopped fibers, sewing threads, braided
sleevings and woven fabrics.
• Nextel fibers are coated during manufacture with
sizings or finishes to aid textile processing.
• 3M offer heat cleaning services to remove
sizings and heat treating services for
applications requiring extended exposure to
hot, humid environments.
Unique properties of Nextel ceramic fibers

 High temperature resistance up to 2372ºF (1300ºC)

 High strength and stiffness
 Thermal shock resistance
 Fire resistance
 Chemical resistance
 Electrical resistance at elevated temperatures
 Abrasion and impact resistance
 High temperature applications
• Nextel products retain their strength and flexibility at
temperatures up to 2372ºF (1300ºC), outperforming the
useful limits of other high temperature textiles.
• With a combination of low thermal conductivity, thermal
shock resistance and electrical resistance at high
temperatures, Nextel products offer a proven solution for
fire protection, seals and other heat resistant
components.
 Structural Reinforcement for Composites

• Nextel ceramic fibers are used as structural reinforcements in a variety of

metal, ceramic and polymer composites, making them stiffer and stronger.
Nextel structural ceramic fibers offer high creep resistance, low shrinkage
and very high compressive strength.
• Suitable for load-bearing applications, the resulting composites withstand
higher temperatures than metals, at a lighter weight.
 Aerospace
• Used in spacecraft for heat shielding and impact protection,
Nextel products also offer reliable performance in civilian and
military aircraft in applications ranging from firewalls to CMC
exhaust components.
 Electrical
• With low thermal conductivity and high electrical resistance,
Nextel textiles are ideal for high temperature electrical
insulation applications including wires, heaters and
thermocouples.
 Fuel cell
• Nextel fibers and textiles are used in gaskets, reinforced
composites, interconnect wire insulation and other fuel cell
applications to help protect stack integrity and extend cell life
 Fuel cell
• A fuel cell produces electricity through a chemical reaction,
but without combustion. It converts hydrogen and oxygen
into water, and in the process also creates electricity. It’s an
electro-chemical energy conversion device that produces
electricity, water, and heat.
• Fuel cells operates much like a battery, except they don’t
require electrical recharging. A battery stores all of its
chemicals inside and coverts the chemicals into electricity.
Once those chemicals run out, the battery dies.
• A fuel cell, on the other had, receives the chemicals it uses
from the outside; therefore, it won’t run out. Fuel cells can
generate power almost indefinitely, as long as they have fuel
to use.
 Industrial
• Nextel textiles are used to fabricate a wide range of shields,
protective covers and other heat resistant devices for
furnaces, steel production, investment casting and other high
temperature processes.
Schematic illustration of the dry-spinning process.
(Source: 3M Company)
Thank you