Spinel (SP-30-G)

In recent years, GTS Keramik research has system­at­i­cally and purpose­fully advanced its crucible program. The focus has been on the devel­op­ment of both dense labo­ra­tory crucibles and porous, coarse-grained crucible types specif­i­cally tailored to the require­ments of indus­trial melt­ing processes. These devel­op­ments are the result of close collab­o­ra­tion with indus­trial users and research insti­tu­tions and reflect a grow­ing inter­est in customized ceramic mate­ri­als for high-temper­a­ture appli­ca­tions. Partic­u­lar atten­tion has been given to the opti­miza­tion of spinel ceram­ics, espe­cially those based on magne­sium alumi­nate (MgAl₂O₄). This MgAl₂O₄ ceramic exhibits excel­lent ther­mal and chem­i­cal resis­tance to highly aggres­sive media, partic­u­larly alka­line melts. Due to these prop­er­ties, the mate­r­ial is consid­ered a preferred choice in demand­ing process envi­ron­ments. In addi­tion to its inher­ent corro­sion resis­tance, sintered spinel also provides high mechan­i­cal stabil­ity at elevated temper­a­tures, making it suit­able for a wide range of high-temper­a­ture appli­ca­tions.

In an inter­dis­ci­pli­nary coop­er­a­tion with the Fraun­hofer Insti­tute for Ceramic Tech­nolo­gies and Systems IKTS in Herms­dorf, large-format sintered spinel crucibles have been devel­oped for use in battery and energy stor­age research. These crucibles are currently under­go­ing prac­ti­cal test­ing and are expected to contribute to increased effi­ciency in the synthe­sis and process­ing of battery precur­sor mate­ri­als. Along­side the chem­i­cal purity of the crucible mate­r­ial, partic­u­lar empha­sis is placed on its ther­mo­me­chan­i­cal resilience.

Spinel ceram­ics are also increas­ingly used in the metal­lur­gi­cal indus­try, espe­cially due to their excel­lent resis­tance to slags. When melt­ing light metals such as aluminum and in vari­ous areas of the glass indus­try, the crucibles demon­strate high perfor­mance.

Over­all, devel­op­ments in GTS research show that spinel ceramic mate­ri­als can signif­i­cantly expand their range of appli­ca­tions and perfor­mance poten­tial through targeted mate­r­ial and struc­tural modi­fi­ca­tions. The close inte­gra­tion of funda­men­tal research and indus­trial appli­ca­tion forms the foun­da­tion for future inno­va­tions in this tech­no­log­i­cally crit­i­cal field.