Schwabe: Quartz ceramics technology

2023: Development of a technology for creating quartz ceramics using special impregnation of the material

Engineers of the holding Schwabe"" Rostec of the State Corporation have developed a technology for creating quartz ceramics using special impregnation of the material. It is not exposed to an aggressive environment, which makes it possible to significantly expand its scope of application - from use as refractories for various purposes, including for the production of single-crystal silicon, to the creation of molds for casting metal. The holding announced this on April 27, 2023.

Among the advantages of improved quartz ceramics is high heat resistance. The material does not react with hot glass or metal, is resistant to other types of aggressive media. This makes it possible to use it as an insulator in thermal units, in the manufacture of molds for casting metal and crucibles to obtain single-crystal silicon.

Already in April 2023, at the development enterprise - at the NGO GOI named after S.I. Vavilov, preparatory work is being carried out on the manufacture of refractory containers from especially strong ceramics, with the help of which optical glass is welded in industry.

This method of creating quartz ceramics increases the strength of products by more than 30%. It is economical and does not require complex process equipment. In the process of manufacture, the porous surface of the ceramic is treated with a special colloidal composition that interacts with the composition of the material and additionally binds its particles. The obtained characteristics make it possible to use the new material in those industries where long-term resistance to high temperatures and low reactivity with contacting media and materials are required - glass making, metallurgy and microelectronics, - said Sergei Popov, head of the priority technological direction for optoelectronics and photonics technologies at Shvab.