In terms of size and pure aluminum oxide content, aluminum oxide ceramic is the most common technical ceramic. Aluminum oxide, also known as Alumina, should be the first ceramic a designer looks into if he or she is thinking about using ceramics to replace metals or if metals can't be used because of high temperatures, chemicals, electricity, or wear. The cost of the material after it has been fired is not very high, but if precise tolerances are needed, diamond grinding and polishing are needed, which can add a lot of costs and make the part more expensive than a metal part. The savings can come from a longer life cycle or less time that the system has to be taken offline to be fixed or replaced. Of course, some designs can't work at all if they depend on metals because of the environment or requirements of the application.

All ceramics are more likely to break than most metals, which is something the designer must also think about. If you find that Alumina is easy to chip or break in your application, Zirconium oxide ceramic, also known as Zirconia, would be a great alternative to look into. It is also very hard and resistant to wear. Zirconia is very strong because of its unique tetragonal crystal structure, which is usually mixed with Yttria. Zirconia's small grains make it possible for fabricators to make small details and sharp edges that can stand up to rough use. 

Both of these raw materials have been approved for some medical and in-body uses as well as many industrial uses. Designers of ceramic parts for use in medical, aerospace, semiconductor, instrumentation, and industrial applications are interested in our expertise in precise fabrication.

Alumina and Zirconia Plungers and Pistons