A Kyocera White Paper: The Unique Properties Of Advanced Ceramics
Copyright January 1999 by Kyocera
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New Technologies Need New Materials
During the 20th Century, technology has sometimes failed to keep pace with advances in basic science. Today, many technological breakthroughs remain unrealized not because of inadequate theoretical knowledge; but rather, because they require unattainable performance from basic materials. Metals and plastics, in many applications, have now been developed beyond the point of further significant improvement. This, unfortunately, threatens to impede the continued advancement of fields with great influence over the future well-being of human society -- such as electronics; semiconductors; automobiles; industrial equipment; chemical processing; medicine; and energy.
Fortunately, mankind has now entered an exciting era of advanced ceramic technology which some people are calling the "New Stone Age." With a 10,000-year history in the form of earthenware and pottery, traditional ceramic is hardly a new material. However, recent advances in processing, forming and manufacturing technologies have created a new category of "super ceramics" with unprecedented capabilities. These advanced ceramics possess remarkable characteristics not found in any other known material, and they hold great promise for solving many of mankind's most pressing technical challenges. Through special formulation, Kyocera produces advanced ceramics which can exhibit any of the following traits:
Extreme Hardness
 For many demanding structural applications, ceramics can be formulated with Moh's Scale ratings above 9.5 -- making them the hardest known substance next to diamond (which rates 10 on Moh's Scale). Because of this extreme hardness, ceramics can actually be used to cut steel and other metals in high-speed, high-precision machining operations. In many applications already, today's competitive machining industries require performance that only ceramic materials can provide.
Extreme hardness also makes ceramics ideal for use as friction-resistant components in industrial equipment. Paper manufacturing, textile production, wire-drawing and can tooling are just a few of the applications in which higher productivity depends on the unique abrasion resistance of advanced ceramics. Some advanced ceramic components for structural applications literally never wear out.
Physical Stability
 Because they are extremely physically stable, ceramics can be machined into shapes and dimensions accurate to within a fraction of a micron (1/1000 of a millimeter) if required. This physical stability is essential in structural applications where accuracy is critical, such as high-precision industrial machinery; testing and measuring devices; and semiconductor processing equipment. The further advancement of many high-tech fields now depends upon attaining record levels of mechanical precision from basic materials. Increasingly, the levels required necessitate the use of advanced ceramics.
Extreme Heat Resistance
Most cast steels begin to lose their functionality at about 1000 degrees Fahrenheit -- slightly cooler than a "red hot" burner on your kitchen stove. Structural ceramics, in contrast, can function effectively at up to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit for prolonged periods.
This quality gives ceramics great potential in automotive engines, where further performance improvements depend on higher operating temperatures. The engine of the future must offer drastic improvements in emissions and fuel efficiency. Kyocera has successfully built and tested ceramic engine prototypes in production cars, where the higher operating temperatures permitted by ceramics translate directly into better fuel economy, significantly lower pollution, and greater engine power. Many experts now believe that the engine of the future will be comprised of up to 50% ceramic materials.
Chemical Inertness
 Metals corrode, rust and deteriorate over time -- especially when exposed to weather, saltwater, extreme temperatures or chemicals. In contrast, ceramics do not react with most chemicals, and are virtually impervious to corrosion. This chemical inertness allows Kyocera's ceramics to be used in equipment that is exposed to corrosive substances for extended periods without deteriorating or requiring frequent maintenance.
Almost all liquids are corrosive to some degree -- even water and human blood. Unfortunately, whenever pump and valve components corrode, leaks and fluid contamination can result. Ceramic seals and valves have thus become essential for the specialized medical pumps used in many new surgical procedures. The latest cancer treatments employ blood-component therapies that depend on ceramic-equipped blood processing machines. In addition, efforts to conserve donated blood have led to the development of blood cleansing machines -- which can now enable an entire heart-bypass operation to be conducted with as little as one transfusion. Without the chemical inertness, hardness and stability of ceramic materials, many of these new machines would be technically unfeasible.
Biocompatibility
 As a result of their chemical inertness, ceramics are also "biocompatible." This makes ceramics suitable for implantation into the human body with little or no risk of being rejected by the immune system. Kyocera uses this quality to create long-lasting ceramic components for orthopedic joint and tooth replacement systems. Today's common metal implant materials often cause inflammation, which can lead to implant failure. In contrast, tissues thrive next to ceramic implants -- and bone can even bond to them as if it were reacting to other living cells.
Superior Electrical Properties
 In addition to their physical and structural characteristics, ceramics also possess valuable electrical properties that make them indispensible in modern electronics. First, because they do not conduct electricity, ceramics are perfect electrical insulators. Secondly, ceramics possess the property of "capacitance," which enables them to store electrical charges much like a battery. A third quality, known as the "piezoelectric phenomenon," can allow ceramic wafers to generate small electrical signals when exposed to sound waves or mechanical vibration -- and to resonate, thus creating sound waves, when electrically charged.
These qualities have already given ceramics a unique role in miniaturizing modern electronic products. In fact, without advanced ceramics, the cellular telephone, pager, laptop computer and entire lines of other electronic equipment could not exist as we now know them. Further, thanks to the miniaturization that ceramic materials help create, engineers are now envisioning future electronic products with truly amazing capabilities -- like video telephones you can wear like a wristwatch... and TV sets thin enough to hang on a wall like pictures.
Photovoltaic Phenomenon
 Decades of development in ceramic and crystalline manufacturing technologies have made Kyocera a world-leading producer of "photovoltaic" solar cells. Based on silicon, one of the Earth's most common elements, Kyocera's solar cells convert sunlight directly into usable electricity -- with no noise, moving parts or pollution. Consequently, Kyocera's solar cells offer great promise in meeting society's future energy needs. Although solar power is still generally more costly than commercially available power, improvements in solar technology and manufacturing efficiency continue to narrow the gap each year. Best of all is the fact that solar electricity will never be depleted as long as the sun shines!
A Leader in the "New Stone Age"
The "New Stone Age" is now dawning, and at its heart are advanced ceramic materials made from the same natural compounds found in sand and clay. With its broad expertise in the unique properties of advanced ceramics, Kyocera strives to develop new solutions to long-standing technical challenges. As the "New Stone Age" creates a modern materials revolution, ceramics will help lead the way to an exciting and promising future.
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Kyocera has North American headquarters in San Diego, CA, and has been incorporated in the United States since 1969. The company's U.S. subsidiaries include Kyocera America, Inc., of San Diego; Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corporation, of Vancouver, WA; Kyocera Electronics, Inc. of Duluth, GA; and Kyocera Optics Inc. of Somerset, NJ.
Kyocera Corporation, the Kyoto, Japan-based parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, is a 39-year-old, multi-billion dollar conglomerate. The company is widely recognized as a world-leading producer of technical ceramics and ceramic semiconductor packaging. In addition, Kyocera's diverse product line includes passive electronic components; LCDs; thermal printheads; electro-optical components; solar energy equipment; automotive and industrial ceramics; PHS, cellular and IRIDIUM satellite telephones; page printers; and Contax and Yashica cameras. Founded in 1959, Kyocera has grown to employ 40,000 people worldwide, including about 20,000 outside Japan. In 1996, 1997 and 1998, Kyocera was named by IndustryWeek magazine as one of "The World's 100 Best-Managed Companies."
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