UBE Industries started its research into silicon nitride powder in 1977 at its facility located in Japan (Ube-city). Since then, the company has constantly increased its capacity in order to meet the increasing demand from all across the world. It has now become a major silicon nitride manufacturer in the world.
For silicon nitride production, UBE Industries uses its proprietary and patented manufacturing process called the Imide Decomposition Method. Using its unique manufacturing technique, the company produces a high purity material with consistent and reliable quality, which is an essential aspect for UBE Industries’ business partners worldwide.
Key Properties of Silicon Nitride Powder
The outstanding properties of silicon nitride powder make it a suitable material for a variety of applications and industries. Some of the properties of silicon nitride powder include:
- Improved productivity
- Longevity and wear resistance
- Superior thermal shock properties
- Light weight makes it an alternative solution for steel components
- High hardness and toughness
- Outstanding strength over a broad temperature range
- Reduction of imperfect products
Advantages of UBE Silicon Nitride Powders
UBE’s Imide Decomposition Method enables the integration of all benefits in one powder. UBE’s silicon nitride powder is a high purity material with a very low iron content and high alpha content of 97-100%. The particles of this powder always have the same shape and can be formed easily. UBE’s silicon nitride powder has a uniform microstructure with a narrow size distribution. It has finer particles with a size range of 0.6-1.2µm, depending on grades.
Grades and Applications of UBE Silicon Nitride Powders
UBE offers four standard grades of silicon nitride powder: SN- E10, SN-ESP, SN-E05 and SN- E03, of which SN-E10 is the finest and purest powder (Figure 1). Moreover, SN-E10 is the most widely recognized grade among customers worldwide and is a global standard. It is ideal for sintering SiAlON or silicon nitride ceramics.
The weight percentage of oxygen in this powder varies between 1.0 and 1.4. The availability of SSA in the SN-E10 grade is in the range of 9~13m2/g. The SN-E10 grade has found use in automotive components, ball bearings, cutting tools, aerospace and aircraft components and much more.
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Figure 1. The SN-E10 grade of silicon nitride powder from UBE Industries
Specifications of UBE Silicon Nitride Powders
The following table provides the specifications and key characteristics of UBE silicon nitride powders:
| GRADE |
SN-E10 |
SN-E05 |
SN-E03 |
SN-ESP |
| SSA(BET) |
9~13m2/g |
4~6m2/g |
2~4m2/g |
6~8m2/g |
| PARTICLE SIZE (CENTRIFUGAL SEDIMENTATION) |
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| PURITY |
O < 2.0%
C < 0.2%
Cl < 100ppm
Fe < 100 ppm
Al, Ca < 50 ppm |
| PHASE |
α-PHASE CRYSTAL > 95% |
Conclusion
UBE is ready to supply a suitable grade of silicon nitride powder to customers who are willing to validate the optimum properties of UBE’s raw material either for research activities or for commercial applications.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by UBE Group.
For more information on this source, please visit UBE Group.