Thermal Shock Resistance
Performance Based Fused Silica – The Ceramic for the New Millennium
After extensive R & D, ICP is proud to introduce a line of fused silica products. Utilizing fused silica’s unique properties, ICP has developed a hybrid material which can be used to manufacture refractory shapes using traditional forming processes.
This proprietary material can be compression molded or extruded to facilitate high production rates and reduce delivery cycle times. Shapes manufactured from fused silica have ZERO THERMAL EXPANSION! Its excellent thermal shock characteristics make fused silica an excellent choice for areas where refractory failure may occur due to repeated thermal cycling or exposure to rapid temperature changes.
Typical Applications
- Nozzles
- Funnels
- Troughs
- Tubes
- Snouts
- Pour Cups
- Cover Plates
- Rods
- Rings
- Tundishes
- Transfer Ladles
- Mold Supports
- Risers
- Custom Shapes
* Samples of many items are available by request.
Ceramic Pouring Cups
ICP Ceramic pour cups are an essential component in the manufacture of quality investment castings. The pour cup is usually mounted to the wax downsprue and becomes part of the ceramic shell, offering the advantages of mold stability, strong target area for metal impact, and less potential for inclusions due to shell breakage. Our cups are made from proprietary mullite or fused silica compositions designed to be compatible with investment mold materials.
Ceramic Double Cups
ICP ceramic double cups are a beneficial component in the manufacture of quality investment castings. The double cup design helps reduce re-oxidation inclusions by allowing air to escape through an up sprue during casting. Our double cups are made from proprietary mullite or fused silica compositions compatible with investment mold materials.
Duck Feet
ICP Duck Feet are used as casting ingates, designed to reduce erosion on the surfaces of cores and molds by allowing the metal to calmly feed into the mold, thereby reducing turbulence. Another benefit is when these ingates are removed (knock off). The casting finish is better at the ingates due to the sharp clean edges. Some benefits of the ICP Duck Feet include:
- Erosion reduction
- Better casting finish
- Fewer Inclusions
- Less gate grinding
Ceramic Mold Support Rods
ICP manufactures custom ceramic rods from proprietary compositions for investment casters who prefer to insure the structural integrity of the investment shell. These rods are designed to add strength to areas of the shell where additional support is necessary, and are manufactured in many different geometric cross sections and lengths. Depending on the application, rods can be round, half round, square, rectangular or serrated in design.
Crucible Liners
Using proprietary manufacturing processes, ICP has developed crucible liners that are both unique and cost effective. Our fusil crucible liners have the advantage of minimizing re-oxidation inclusions caused by expansion of oxygen during rapid temperature increases, while maintaining excellent thermal shock resistance. The excellent thermal shock characteristics of this material make it an excellent choice in areas where refractory failure may occur due to repeated thermal cycling or exposure to rapid temperature changes.