Specialty Ceramics

Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories’ specialty ceramics' products help customers to address unique challenges in thermal and chemical processing, heat exchangers, industrial metrology, temperature sensing, brazing, mechanical seals, semiconductor wafer processing, sandblasting and renewable energy generation applications.

 

The specialty ceramics portfolio consists of a wide range of products, sold as well-known brands:

 

Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories’ utilize materials expertise, innovative designs, creative engineering and precision manufacturing processes to deliver reliable solutions to global customers in automotive, chemical, aerospace, non-ferrous metals, nuclear and other renewable energy, industrial pumps and sealing industries; as well as OEM equipment makers and machine shops.

Solution By Application

Click on your application to find more:

Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers

Sintered Silicon Carbide Tubes and Tube-sheets

For more than 30 years, Hexoloy® SE silicon carbide tubes have provided the most reliable and preferred choice for shell & tube heat exchangers used in fine and specialty chemicals. This success is based on virtually universal corrosion resistance, high thermal conductivity, extremely high hardness and mechanical strength of Hexoloy®.

Hexoloy® SE tubes are available in 12.7 mm, 14 mm, and 19 mm outside diameter and lengths up to 5 m. Each tube is proof tested up to 186 bars (2700 psi). Hexoloy® SA SiC tube sheets are also available as per OEM design.

Saint Gobain Ceramics has sold more than one million meter of heat exchanger tubes.

Corrosion Resistance of Different Materials Against Chemicals

Test Environment* Corrosive Weight Loss (mg/cm2 yr)
Conc. Reagent (Wt%) Temp.
(°C)
Hexoloy® SA
(No Free SiC)
Reaction Bonded SiC
(12% SiC)
Tungster Carbide
(6% Co)
Aluminium Oxide
(99%)
98% H2SO4 100 1.8 55.0 >1,000 >65.0
50% NaOH 100 2.6 >1,000 5.0 75.0
53% HF 25 <0.2 7.9 8.0 20.0
85% H3PO4 100 <0.2 0.5 >1,000 7.0
45% KOH 100 <0.2 >1,000 3.0 60.0
25% HCI 70 <0.2 0.9 85.0 72.0
10% HF plus 57% HNO3 25 <0.2 >1,000 >1,000 16.0

*Test Time: 125 to 300 hours of submersive testing, continuously stirred.

FAQ

Does Saint Gobain design and build heat exchangers?

No. Saint Gobain works with heat exchanger OEMs worldwide.

How do Silicon Carbide tubes perform against fouling liquids?

Silicon Carbide tubes are known to offer greater resistance to fouling.

What are the key benefits of using Silicon Carbide Tubes?

Hexoloy® Silicon carbide is essentially inert to a wide range of corrosive chemicals, including strong acids and caustics, up to 200°C. Most alternatives, such as graphite, metals, alloys, introduce contamination over time from corrosion. Other key benefits include high heat transfer, superior mechanical strength, and low thermal expansion.

Documents

Brochures & Flyers
Silicon Carbide Ceramics for Heat Exchanger

Saint-Gobain Performance Ceramics & Refractories offers Hexoloy® silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic tubes and tube-sheets for shell & tube heat exchangers.

PDF | 1.01 MB
Silicon Carbide Ceramics for Heat Exchanger