Failure Modes in Ceramic Kiln Furniture<p>

This article describes some issues that must be considered when selecting a ceramic for use in a kiln furniture application.

For ceramics, thermal conductivity and thermal expansion are the key material properties that determine a material's ability to resist thermal shock and, ultimately, failure. Thermal shock is a common failure mode for ceramics and results from either a rapid heat-up or cool-down of the ceramic body. This can be a significant problem to PM parts producers since metal parts are not as sensitive to thermal shock as ceramics. Also, efficiency in manufacturing requires processing with a quick turn-around rate; consequently, during what is believed to be a routine cycle time for metal parts, the ceramic may prematurely fail due to thermal shock.