Ceramics R&D Department

The ceramics R&D department includes: SEFPRO,BN,Zirpro,Abrasive Grains,SC,PCR.

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SEFPRO

SEFPRO is a company specializing in the production of fused and sintered refractory materials for glass furnaces, and provides personalized full-cycle solutions for glass furnace customers. It has been leading the development of new materials in the industry for decades. SEFPRO Shanghai R&D team was established in 2011 to provide strong technical support and professional services for the booming Asian market.

 

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The SEFPRO Shanghai R&D team not only provides strong technical support for SEFPRO plant in China, but also can quickly respond to the needs of glass furnace customers. Our expertise throughout the life cycle of a glass furnace contributes to SEFPRO's long-term competitiveness.

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From the first idea to the fornace rebuild in customer end: we are an enabling full-cycle partner for fornace projects.

 

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Boron Nitride

Boron nitride is a synthetic ceramic. Its hexagonal phase, similar to graphite, is the form Saint-Gobain manufactures. In its simplest form, it is a white, lubricious powder with many unique properties.

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BN SASpherical Agglomerates for ideal flowability, packing & performance

Spherical Agglomerate "SA" powders provide excellent flowability and particle packing due to their spherical shape. With four size options ranging from 35 μm to 300 μm, many different systems can be accommodated.

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Benefits

  • Best flowability
  • Isotropic properties
  • Tight particle size distribution for designing composites with ideal particle packing

Recommended applications

  • High performance dielectric thermal filler
  • Potting compound filler
  • Thermal spray powder feed for abradable seals

BN SP - High purity platelets with a tight particle size distribution

Standard Platelet or "SP" powders are high purity single crystals of BN with no agglomeration and tight size distribution.

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Benefits

  • High aspect ratio allows for percolation at low loading levels as a filler particle
  • High purity & crystallinity make SP grades ideal for lubrication enhancement
  • Best option for application where tight particle size control and fine particles are required

Recommended applications

  • Dielectric thermal filler
  • Potting compound
  • Polymer processing aid
  • Lubricant additive
  • Mold release
  • Nucleation aid
  • Cosmetic formulations

BN Ceramic - Machinable Ceramics

COMBAT? Boron Nitride Machinable Ceramics are made by hot pressing boron nitride powders at high temperature and pressure. These ceramics can easily be machined into rods, bars, plates and even intricate custom shapes.

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Benefits

  • Excellent thermal shock resistance
  • High electrical resistivity
  • High thermal conductivity
  • Good chemical inertness
  • High temperature material
  • Excellent lubricating properties
  • low coefficient of friction
  • Non-wetting (without oxidation)
  • High dielectric breakdown strength
  • Excellent machinability

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ZIRPRO

 

Saint-Gobain ZirPro consistently delivers a reliable supply of high-quality ceramic grinding beads, blasting and peening ceramic media, zirconium oxide powders and zirconium chemicals to customers, resulting in high-performing zirconia solutions that promote process efficiencies. ZirPro’s engineered zirconia are essential components in the manufacture of products for demanding applications across the globe.

 

Our Team

Being part of Saint-Gobain’s global R&D team, ZirPro R&D team in SGR Shanghai was established in 2007. Our ZirPro team has developed an in-depth understanding of our customers’ applications, allowing us to partner with our customers to deliver the best solutions. With collaboration with our customers, we are designing & manufacturing various beads and powders products that are tailored to their specific needs.

 

Our products

 

Ceramic Blasting Media

Saint-Gobain ZirPro offers a comprehensive range of zirconia-based ceramic blasting media engineered for surface treatment processes such as surface blasting and shot peening. Surface blasting is a widely used process by which blasting media is injected with compressed air in a blasting machine for a diversity of purposes, such as surface cleaning, surface preparation, surface finishing and shot peening. ZirPro ceramic blasting media are designed for use with a wide range of materials, including hard steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, magnesium, brass, copper, plastics, glass and ceramics. All our medias are produced in large volumes with stringent process controls and are delivered with the highest quality.

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               Microblast beads                        Zirblast & Zirshot beads                 Blasting of ceramic beads

Expertise: we master and customize composition, microstructure, shape, size of blasting medias and provide tailored-made materials with enhanced physical properties and optimized application behavior. We provide both high quality blasting medias and blasting solutions to our customers. We conduct various application tests, co-develop blasting processes and grow together with them. Thanks to our local Surface-Treatment application platform in SGR-Shanghai, we are able to provide promptly professional technical service to our customers and give them strong local support.

 

Ceramic Media for Microgrinding

 

Saint-Gobain ZirPro offers a complete range of ceramic beads for the high-energy milling and dispersing of suspensions. At the edge of innovation for more than 40 years, their optimized combinations of density, hardness and size distributions enable the highest productivity and quality of milling in a large spectrum of applications and industries.

Saint-Gobain ZirPro also provides the most advanced technical support to assist customers in running their milling process and obtaining the best performance with our ceramic beads.

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          Ceramic milling beads                        Application in battery                 Product microstructure analysis

Expertise: ZirPro’s comprehensive customer care philosophy focuses on partnership and collaboration by sharing extensive experience to advise customers on media suitability, used bead conditions and the potential for recycling. R&D laboratory in China are equipped with the standard mills used by the industry and provide full analytical services.

 

Performing bead audits on a regular basis is extremely useful to define the condition of beads in the mill. For instance, it is important to monitor the wear profile of beads in a charge, looking at shape, size, surface conditions and potential breakage. A too high content of fine beads will plug the separation system, increase pressure and ultimately damage the mill. In this case, a bead audit will identify the risk and help to prevent disruption and production loss.

 

Zirpro Powder

 

Saint-Gobain ZirPro is a world-leading manufacturer of zirconium oxide powders. ZirPro offers the largest line of zirconia powders, with composition ranging from monoclinic zirconia to yttria-stabilized zirconia (from 3 mol% to 8 mol%) to pigmented zirconia. ZirPro’s line of zirconium oxides addresses the specificities and requirements of many ceramic applications in markets such as aeronautics, automotive, electronics and communications. A technical leader with unparalleled material expertise and market knowledge, ZirPro can recommend the right zirconia for an existing application or partner with customers on co-development for new applications.

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   Functional ZrO2 ceramic    Zirconium chemicals         Decorative ceramic          Optical fiber connector

 

Expertise: Zirpro powder R&D group in SGR Shanghai aims to provide ceramic solutions including raw material of Zirconia powder/granule, intermediate product such as injection feedstock, ceramic processing technology (pressing, injection, casting) and machining & polishing.

Saint-Gobain Abrasive Grains

 

Abrasive Grain department proposes latest Saint-Gobain Fused Alumina, Zirconia Alumina, Ceramic Seeded Gel Technologies worldwide and is relocating future strategical product in China, APAC and Global. SGRSh supports the core entities based in Henan Province, which proposes the best performance grains amongst different applications in grinding, lapping, polishing in aerospace, automotive, construction, electronics, energy, semiconductor, and steel industries. Our representative products includes the monocrystalline MA88, high toughness grains AZ40 as well as high performance abrasive grain Cerpass SG grains, etc. SGRSh with its research platform, supports global abrasive grain R&D projects, conducting new grains development and propose innovative solutions to customers with professionalism and efficiency.

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Surface Conditioning

 

At Saint-Gobain Surface Conditioning we are problem solvers: we are committed to working in close collaboration with you to co-develop custom solutions to your most demanding surface finishing challenges. We combine our formulation knowledge and deep material science expertise, to transform raw materials such as diamond, alumina, zirconia and base chemicals into precision-engineered particles, compounds and slurries that optimize surface conditioning processes in a variety of industries.

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PCR

 

A strong international group Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories (PCR) leads the industry in the design, development and manufacturing of the highest performing solutions for extreme operating conditions. We strive to deliver value through our global technical expertise and the long-term partnerships we form with our customers.

 

Our performance refractory solutions are designed and manufactured to overcome operational challenges in metallurgical applications. Refractory DVC, plastics, castable and mortars for every equipment are used for ironmaking, steelmaking, primary aluminium, copper, zinc galvanizing and foundry.

 

As a technical center in the Asia-Pacific region, CMA team at Shanghai R&D is closely working with CDF to produce high-quality foundry refractories to serve not only domestic market but also worldwide market. With the advanced technical competence of R&D combined with experienced plant team, we are aiming to lead the trend of full product line in foundry business and provide our customers with solution & service of exceptional cost performance.

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