Synthetic Sapphire & Ruby

Synthetic Sapphire is one of the hardest man-made materials – second only to Synthetic Diamond. It is a 99.99% pure single crystal Aluminum Oxide that offers broad spectral transmission combined with high thermal conductivity, high strength, high temperature capability and is one of the most chemically durable materials known. And ruby is made when this very same material is doped with a small concentrate of chromium (Cr), which produces shades of red without effecting the mechanical properties in any way.

Some of the outstanding characteristics of sapphire:

▲ Mechanical properties – High Strength – with strength and stiffness 6 times higher than quartz, combined with excellent wear and scratch resistance – sapphire becomes the high-performance choice.

▲ Optical properties – with transmission from 200 to over 5500 nm, sapphire is used in applications spanning from UV to visible to short wave infrared (SWIR). With the chemical durability and high strength and scratch resistant, sapphire optical components can survive where glass, quartz, or fused silica optics would be easily damaged, scratched or chemically attacked to become opaque.

▲Thermal properties – with a melting point over 2000 °C, and high thermal conductivity – sapphire is often used in many harsh process environments for a combination of its thermal, chemical, mechanical, and optical properties.

▲ Electrical properties – Sapphire provides a high, stable dielectric constant with the electrical insulation required for electronic substrates, RF and microwave transmitting windows and tubes.

▲ Wear properties – high strength and chemical durability combine to enable the production of dimensionally and optically stable components for long life use.

For these reasons, sapphire is the material of choice for engineers faced with the design challenges of extreme conditions such as those found in high-temperature, high-pressure or harsh physical & chemical environments. Its unique properties make it a cost-effective solution for those applications where long life and high performance are critical.

Aluminum Oxide Ceramic (Al2O3)

Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3- also known as Alumina) is a very hard, dense material of exceptional strength. Aluminum oxide is distinguished by very good abrasion resistance and is approximately as hard as diamond. In addition, the material is characterized by a high chemical resistance to acids and alkalis, high temperature resistance, very good electrical insulation and dielectric strength. Furthermore, it displays high thermal conductivity. Alumina finds applications in semiconductor components, pump components, high temperature furnace components, temperature sensors, automotive sensors, water purification, insulators, medical implants and so on.

Zirconium Oxide Ceramic (ZrO2)

Zirconium Oxide (ZrO2 –also known as Zirconia) is a material with very high resistance to crack propagation. It has the highest strength and toughness at room temperature of all the advanced ceramic materials. Zirconium oxide also offers other properties: for example, it is biocompatible and is thus suitable for use in the food industry, but also in medical technology. Due to its low thermal conductivity, zirconium oxide is also used as a thermal insulator. Having roughly the same elastic modulus and the same thermal expansion as steel, it is suitable for incorporation in assemblies subject to temperature stresses.

BaF2 / CaF2 / MgF2

Barium Fluoride is the most resistant of all the optical fluorides to high-energy radiation, and it is quite hard, very sensitive to thermal shock and fractures quite easily.

Calcium Fluoride is harder than BaF2, as well as excellent water, chemical, and heat resistance. In normal atmospheric conditions, degradation of CaF2 will occur if temperature exceeds 600℃.

Magnesium Fluoride is the hardest in fluoride optics, its durability and resistance to mechanical and thermal shock enable it to be used in harsh conditions.

Monocrystalline Silicon

Monocrystalline Silicon, its transmission is about 50% within the 1 to 6µm, the density is only 2.329 g/cm3. the Mohs hardness is 6.5, harder than Germanium.

Zinc Selenide

Zinc Selenide, its transmission wavelength range is from 0.45 μm to 21.5 μm. The refractive index is about 2.67 at 550 nm (green), and about 2.40 at 10.6 μm (long-wavelength infrared). Zinc selenide has a transmission band broader than silicon and germanium, but zinc selenide oxidizes significantly at 300°C.

Germanium

Germanium has the highest refractive index of commonly available IR-transmitters and has low optical dispersion, the Mohs hardness is 6, the density is 5.323g/cm3.

Refractory Metals

Tungsten (W)

Tungsten, also known as Wolfram is a grey shiny metal with a very high density. It has the highest melting point 3422°C, lowest vapor pressure at temperatures above 1650 °C, the highest tensile strength, and the highest hardness among all pure metals. Tungsten has the lowest expansion coefficient and highest conductivity of all metals. Because of its excellent heat resistance, tungsten is often used for welding electrodes and in manufacturing processes such as heating elements, trays, radiation shields and evaporation boats. It's strong electrically conductive properties and wear makes tungsten valuable in the manufacturing of electrical contacts.

Molybdenum (Mo)

Molybdenum is a silvery white, cost-effective metal with an extremely high melting point of around 2620°C. Molybdenum has outstanding electrical and heat-conducting capabilities and relatively high tensile strength. Softer and more ductile than tungsten, it is often alloyed with other compounds to improve corrosion resistance and strength at high temperatures.

TZM

TZM is a micro-alloyed Molybdenum with Titanium-Zirconium-Carbides. TZM features improved high temperature strength up to 1400°C and a higher recrystallization temperature, compared to pure Molybdenum. It also exhibits adequate ductility and superior mechanical properties arc due to the dispersion of complex carbides in the molybdenum matrix.

Niobium (Nb)

Niobium (also known as columbium) is a shiny, ductile metal primarily used in alloys. Niobium is renowned for its excellent resistance to corrosion and oxidation and Niobium is highly resistant to extreme heat and wear. Its 2470°C melting point makes this metal and its alloys ideal for high pressure and high-temperature applications.

Tantalum (Ta)

Tantalum is a shiny grey, extremely hard, stretchable heavy metal with an extremely high melting point of approximately 3000°C. Tantalum has excellent corrosion resistance to most chemicals except hydrofluoric acid. Principal applications for tantalum are in capacitor anodes, vacuum furnaces, nuclear reactors, chemical process equipment, and aircraft parts.

Titanium (Ti)

While titanium is not classified as one of the five main refractory metals, it does have many of the common refractory metal characteristics, such as a high melting point (1668°C) and excellent resistance against corrosion. Titanium is known for its remarkable combination of light weight and superior strength. The lightness, strength and heat and corrosion resistance make titanium beneficial in various aerospace, marine and automotive manufacturing applications.