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Identifying the 4 Hexoloy Grades & Their Properties

Not all Hexoloy is the same. Like any engineered ceramic, it can be enhanced with specific properties tailored to your application. There are four primary grades of Hexoloy, all with their own attributes that make them beneficial to specific use-cases.

Hexoloy SA

Maximum temperature: 1,900C
Density: 3.10 g/cc
Grain size: 4-10 µm

Hexoloy SA is a silicon carbide ceramic produced without pressure through the process of sintering. The sintering process allows Hexoloy SA to benefit from a fine grain structure, giving it a greater density and thus a greater overall SiC hardness, which is why it’s often referred to as a “SiC ceramic”.

Hexoloy SA Material Properties

  • Produced through sintering of alpha silicon carbide (SiC), which gives it silicon carbide material properties with the benefits of ceramic
  • Extreme hardness due to its high density (98% theoretical)
  • High Strength
  • Universal corrosion resistance
  • High-temperature stability
  • High thermal conductivity

Common Applications Of Hexoloy SA

  • Cantilever support tubes
  • Heat exchanger
  • Kiln rollers
  • Thermocouple protective tubes

Primary Benefits Of Hexoloy SA

In applications typically using tungsten carbide, Hexoloy SA can be substituted, which provides a hardness factor that is 50% higher. The material's extremely high density mitigates the chance of contamination even in ultra-high-purity applications.

Hexoloy SP

Maximum temperature: 1,900C
Density: 3.04 g/cc
Grain size: 4-10 µm

While Hexoloy SA’s most exceptional feature is in its hardness, Hexoloy SP is a SiC ceramic engineered to be a relatively friction-free "metal-ceramic" for applications that require sliding, rolling, or the use of naturally abrasive compounds. Produced much in the same way as Hexoloy SA, SP contains “spherical pores”, which improve its anti-friction properties.

Hexoloy SP Material Properties

  • Spherical pores provide less friction
  • Extreme hardness due to its high density (95% theoretical)
  • High strength
  • Universal corrosion resistance
  • High-temperature stability
  • High thermal conductivity

Common Applications Of Hexoloy SP

  • Industrial seal faces
  • Automotive water pump seal faces
  • Pump bearings

Primary Benefits Of Hexoloy SP

Hexoloy SP is slightly less hard than SA due to its nominally lower density (95% vs 98%). However, it acts as a great substitute for common tungsten carbide applications. Thanks to its spherical pores, SP is especially useful in processes using abrasive compounds or processes that require minimum friction.

Hexoloy SE

Maximum temperature: 1,900C
Density: 3.05 g/cc
Grain size: ~10 µm

Also produced in a pressure-less sintering process, Hexoloy SE is a carbide ceramic created using submicron silicon carbide, which gives it a high resistance to thermal expansion.

Material Properties Of Hexoloy SE

  • Fine-grain size (less than 10 microns) give it a high resistance to thermal expansion
  • High strength
  • Universal corrosion resistance
  • High-temperature stability
  • High thermal conductivity

Common Applications Of Hexoloy SE

  • Cantilever support tubes
  • Heat exchanger tubes
  • Kiln rollers
  • Thermocouple protective tubes

Primary Benefits Of Hexoloy SE

Due to its low coefficient for thermal expansion, Hexoloy SE is great for "shrink fit" or "leak-tight" joint applications because its surface will not significantly expand or contract. Furthermore, it's high resistance to temperature changes, even rapid changes.

Hexoloy SG

Maximum temperature: 1,900C
Density: 3.0 gm / cm3
Grain size: ~10 µm

Hexoloy SG is an electrically conductive analog of sintered silicon carbide, making it a great tool for specific electrical processes. However, its generic Hexoloy properties also make it useful in the typical processes that benefit from Hexoloy.

Material Properties Of Hexoloy SG

  • High electrical conductivity
  • High strength
  • Universal corrosion resistance
  • High-temperature stability

Common Applications Of Hexoloy SG

  • Chemical Processing
  • High-temperature furnaces
  • Cantilever support tubes
  • Heat exchanger tubes
  • Kiln rollers
  • Thermocouple protectuve tubes

Primary Benefits Of Hexoloy SG

While many engineered ceramics are processed specifically to benefit from a low degree of electrical conductivity, Hexoloy SG is specifically designed to have a high electrical conductivity. This property has obvious benefits in electronics manufacturing.

Who Manufactures Hexoloy

Hexoloy is a registered trademark of Saint-Gobain, a French-headquartered material manufacturer. However, Hexoloy products are machined by a variety of ceramics manufacturers, ours included. Due to the unique properties of Hexoloy, it can be machined into a variety of forms for industrial, chemical, medical, and even commercial uses.

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