Global High Temperature Insulation Market | Market Research Report

Report Description

The increasing cost of power and the rapid depletion of conventional sources of energy have necessitated effective heat management and energy conservation in industrial processes. High temperature insulation (HTI) products provide high compressive strength and low shrinkage at high temperatures; and thus offer a cost-effective energy management solution for industrial processes.

This research report provides in-depth market intelligence on the global market for HTI products, which is currently witnessing high growth due to expanding industrial applications such as petrochemicals, and cement and glass manufacturing. This report identifies and analyzes growth strategies such as portfolio expansion and the R&D initiatives taken by heat management solution providers.

This report analyzes the markets for the various HTI applications such as petrochemicalS, iron and steel, ceramics, alumina and powder metallurgy. The report also identifies the consumption of HTI products in different operational temperature ranges in these application segments. Each HTI submarket is forecasted and analyzed for trends and the competitive landscape in the HTI markets in the North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World.

The report identifies factors that drive or inhibit market growth in order to support the market trends and forecasts made herein for each sub-segment. More than 30 company profiles are provided for a deeper insight into the competitive landscape. The market tables are categorized as per geographies application and temperature ranges.

The intended audience of this report includes:

High temperature insulation manufacturers End consumers such as petrochemicals, glass, cement, iron and steel manufacturers R&D (research and development) institutions Distributors Raw material suppliers

What makes our reports unique?

We provide the longest market segmentation chain in the industry with our three-level market breakdown and our analysis of minimum 40 collectively exhaustive and mutually exclusive micro markets. We provide 10% customization to ensure that our clients find the specific market intelligence they need. Each report is about 150 pages, featuring 30+ market data tables, 30+ company profiles, and an analysis of 200 patents. No single report by any other publisher provides market data for all market segments (i.e. products, services, applications, ingredients, and technology) covering the four geographies of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and ROW. 15 pages of high level analysis identifying opportunities, best practices, entry strategies, benchmarking strategies, market positioning, product positioning, and competitive positioning.

Key questions answered

Which are the high-growth segments and how is the market segmented in terms of applications, products, services, ingredients, technologies, stakeholders? What are market estimates and forecasts; which markets are doing well and which are not? Where are the gaps and opportunities; what factors are driving market growth? Which are the key playing fields and winning-edge imperatives? What is the competitive landscape; who are the main players in each segment; what are their strategic directives, operational strengths, key selling products, and product pipelines? Who is doing what?

Powerful Research and analysis

The analysts working with come from renowned publishers and market research firms globally, adding their expertise and domain understanding. We get the facts from over 22,000 news and information sources, a huge database of key industry participants and draw on our relationships with more than 900 market research companies.

Table of Contents :

Executive summary Market Overview Market dynamics High temperature insulation product market High temperature insulation application Market Geographical analysis Competitive landscape

1 Introduction 1.1 KEY TAKE AWAYS 1.2 REPORT DESCRIPTION 1.3 MARKETS COVERED 1.4 Research Methodology 1.5 STAKEHOLDERS

2 Summary

3 Market Overview 3.1 Defining the global high temperature insulation market 3.2 STRUCTURE OF THE HIGH TEMPERATURE INSULATION MARKET 3.3 HIGH TEMPERATURE INSULATION APPLICATION MARKET 3.4 High Temperature Insulation – Value Proposition 3.4.1 Energy Conservation 3.4.2 Economic Considerations – Roi 3.4.3 Environmental Benefits: lowers Emission 3.5 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE 3.6 Geographical segmentation of high temperature insulation market 3.7 Conclusion 3.7.1 Key findings 3.7.2 Strategic recommendations

4 Market Dynamics 4.1 Drivers 4.1.1 Need for energy conservation 4.1.2 Emission reduction Potential 4.1.3 Saving in production cost 4.1.4 Wide range of customizable products 4.2 Restraints & Opportunities 4.2.1 Carcinogenic nature 4.2.2 Durability issues 4.2.3 Newer materials & applications

5 High Temperature Insulation Product Market 5.1 Overview 5.2 Characteristics 5.3 Market segmentation 5.3.1 Ceramic Fibers 5.3.1.1 Applications 5.3.2 Insulating Firebricks 5.3.3 Calcium Silicate 5.4 Selecting an Hti Insulation product 5.4.1 On the basis of production requirement 5.4.1.1 Nature of production 5.4.1.2 Type of fuel used 5.4.2 On the basis of product specification 5.4.2.1 Insulating efficiency 5.4.2.2 Thermal conductivity (k-value) 5.4.2.3 Thermal resistance (R-value) 5.4.2.4 Compressive strength 5.4.2.5 Linear shrinkage

For more information, please visit : http://www.aarkstore.com/reports/Global-High-Temperature-Insulation-Market-39221.html

refractory materials - offers from refractory materials ..

refractory materials - offers from refractory materials ..

Forum : Refractory Materials

refractory materials Manufacturers directory - over 3000000 registered importers and exporters. refractory materials Manufacturers, refractory materials ...

Rrefractory: Definition, Synonyms from Answers.com

Rrefractory: Definition, Synonyms from Answers.com

Forum : Refractory Materials

Material that is not deformed or damaged by high temperatures, used to make crucibles, incinerators, insulation, and furnaces, particularly metallurgical furnaces. Refractories are produced in several forms: molded bricks of various shapes, bulk granular materials, plastic mixtures consisting of moistened aggregates that are rammed into place, castables composed of dry aggregates and a binder that can be mixed with water and poured like concrete, and mortars and cements for laying brickwork.

Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/refractory#ixzz1AoI7p4zh

Refractory Products & Precast Refractory Shapes

Refractory Products & Precast Refractory Shapes

Forum : Refractory Materials

TFL is a major distributor for Plibrico Company LLC, a world leader in monolithic refractory technology, based in Chicago, Illinois.  Plibrico was established in 1914 by W.A.L Schaeffer, and was first known as the “Pliable Brick Company”. 

In the early part of the last century, refractory-lined vessels were becoming more and more complex in design and geometry, and Mr. Schaeffer saw the need for a “brick lining” that could be taken onto a job site, molded into place to fit the equipment, and then fired on site.  His vision of a “pliable brick” led to the development of plastic refractories as we know them today, and became the cornerstone of a worldwide business for Plibrico Company.

Plibrico has led our industry with the development of new technology in refractories.  Today Plibrico offers a complete range of monolithic refractories, including castables, plastics, gunning mixes, pumpables, shotcrete materials, and servicing mixes. 

Plibrico serves the marketplace with a combination of company-owned offices and independently-owned distributors like TFL.  For the last 20 years, TFL has consistently ranked among Plibrico's top three distributors.

Refractory Materials And Products

Refractory Materials And Products

Forum : Refractory Materials

Business Directory - Refractory materials and products List of companies in the category: Refractory materials and products Show company profile with contact information or click directly to the company's website for further information. Find related products and services to Refractory materials and products. Browse our complete list of companies in the category: Refractory materials and products Most viewed companies in Refractory materials and products category: Keith Ceramic Materials Ltd, Tungsten Partners , Thorpe Products Ltd, and Tungsten Manufacturing Ltd...

Browse our complete list of companies from a Goetz - Metallwerk Plansee GmbH.. in the list below. Most viewed companies this week: rdb, Thorpe Products Company , and Midwest Tungsten Service.To show company profiles, click on the company name. Browse among 82 million companies in 126 countries. Popular tool to find key employment and business news from Top companies such as a Keith Ceramic Materials Ltd, Tungsten Partners , Thorpe Products Ltd, and Tungsten Manufacturing Ltd.Find companies in OH, MI, and MI. Target your search and find companies by country, state or city. New companies are updated in Spencerville , Holt , Grand rapids, and Newtown Square ...

Refractory Materials

Refractory Materials

Forum : Refractory Materials

Applied Diamond 01926485185 Kenilworth, Warwickshire Manufacture and supply of Diamond Tools, Manufacture of other machine tools not elsewhere classified refractories - diamond saw blades - Clay Pipes - Concrete Roof Tiles Arthur Wood Group 01514861888 Liverpool, Merseyside Our latest ranges and special offers at your finger tips The Rayware Group has a dedicated purchasing and design team, which work closely together … Carbone 0146915400 Portslade, East Sussex Le Carbone (GB) is the UK base of the Carbone Lorraine Group, leaders in the field of graphite and carbon manufacturing - including semi-conductor … Ceramisis +44 020 7927 6710 Vacuum Products And Cleanrooms, London …components, Thin film deposition systems, Sputtering targets and refractory materials for use in vacuum furnaces and thin film deposition … Fibre Technologie Limited / Fibretech 0044(0)1773863100 Pinxton, Nottinghamshire FIBRETECH produces Melt Extract stainless steel fibres in various grades (AISI 330, 316, 314, 310, 304, 446, 430...etc) & lengths (35, 25, 12, … refractories - refractory

Refractory Material Reduces Furnace Downtime for Aluminum Die ...

Refractory Material Reduces Furnace Downtime for Aluminum Die ...

Forum : Refractory Materials

Reducing furnace downtime is a key element in maintaining adequate productivity in foundry operations. One of the most common maintenance problems encountered in any given foundry is the repair and replacement of the refractory materials used to line the melting furnaces. The linings of aluminum melting furnaces are constantly exposed not only to high temperatures, but also other adverse conditions that may include impact and gouging when aluminum ingots are charged into the furnace.
Another main contributor to the deterioration of aluminum melting furnace linings is the formation of alumina or dross on the surface of the melt which can penetrate a refractory brick lining, thus requiring constant maintenance and repair. In many instances, a furnace may have to be repaired monthly and/or completely relined every one to three years in order to keep it operational.
A two-part refractory system (ThermbondR) has been developed by Stellar Materials, Inc., Delray Beach, FL, within the last several years and is showing promise as a durable, alumina-resistant furnace lining material. Below are two case studies that describe the application of this stable, abrasion-resistant refractory material and the benefits realized by two aluminum melting operations.

AIRO DIE CASTING
Airo Die Casting, Inc., Loyalhanna, PA, was founded in 1975 as a producer of aluminum die cast compressor blades for the nuclear industry. The company has grown significantly and is currently serving a variety of specialized industries including telecommunications and transportation. The company's newly designed, 60,000 square foot manufacturing facility provides the ideal environment for a full range of service capabilities including tool design and construction, impregnation, pressure testing, chromating, assembly and powder paint.
Prior to redesigning the manufacturing facility, Airo Die Casting used gas-fired crucible furnaces at the individual die casting machines to produce the melt. Over the last several years, new equipment and methods have been implemented at the casting stations that outstripped the capacity of the local furnaces. By upgrading hydraulics and control systems on the casters, and through the use of reciprocators and automatic ladlers at each casting station, each machine is now capable of producing more parts than the capacity of the old furnaces.
To meet the need for more capacity, the company added a 40,000 pound gas-fired reverbatory furnace from Schaefer Furnaces, Inc., Dayton, Ohio. While finalizing the specifications for the new furnace, Schaefer engineers warned Airo about aluminum oxide that is inevitably generated in furnaces of this type at the surface of the molten metal where it contacts the air. Aluminum oxide has a tendency to penetrate and build up on conventional high-alumina refractories. As the aluminum oxide builds up, it gradually reduces the furnace's capacity and can even deform the walls of the furnace. Under normal circumstances, it is feasible that a furnace would have to be shut down every six months for major repairs costing the company thousands of dollars in materials, labor, and production time until the furnace is back in service.

DURABLE REFRACTORY
To combat the problem of aluminum oxide build up, the furnace manufacturer recommended the use of the Thermbond family of engineered refractories instead of conventional refractory materials. This two-part system consists of a dry formulation and a liquid activator (Fig. 1).
These materials are supplied as pre-measured components that are added together to form a unique ionically bonded refractory. The key advantage of this material in aluminum foundry applications is that it is completely and naturally non-wetting to aluminum without the use of additives. This feature allows oxides to be easily removed during nightly cleaning operations without damaging the underlying refractory, ultimately resulting in a longer lining life. Other refractories typically use additives to achieve non-wetting characteristics, which eventually oxidize out of the products causing them to lose their effectiveness.
Another advantage of this Al2O3-resistant refractory is that its high early strength reduces installation time and allows furnaces to return to service faster. The refractory reaches a high compressive strength within an hour of casting and typically cures within a few hours after it is applied with no external heat required. The material bonds extremely well to itself and to other refractories so it can easily be repaired or veneered for extended service. In most applications, this refractory can be put into service immediately after bake-out.

RESULTS
Very soon after the new furnace was installed, the metal tenders noticed a major difference in maintenance requirements. Much less than the expected amount of aluminum oxide had adhered to the walls of the furnace and the oxide was removed with a minimum of effort (Fig. 2). Instead of spending several hours cleaning the furnace, it took less than 15 minutes. The easy removal of the aluminum oxide deposits indicated that the refractory was extremely durable since the main failure mode of the earlier refractory was breaking off along with the oxide.
After a little experience, a routine maintenance schedule was developed. Once per shift, a flux degassing wand is run around the walls of the furnace to soften up the oxide buildup. Then at the end of each shift, a steel "rake" is used scrape the walls. This minor amount of cleaning is sufficient to remove any build up of oxide and maintain the refractory lining at production standards.

LONG-TERM PERFORMANCE
For two years, the furnace has run 24 hours per day, six days a week and 12 hours on Sunday with only two shut downs (once related to damaged wiring and another for cold cleaning and inspection). During inspection, it was found there was no significant growth of oxide and no penetration of the Thermbond by alumina. The walls were made smooth again using Formula Patch and to date, the refractory material wall is still in excellent condition (Fig. 3). The walls are nearly as flat and smooth as when the furnace was first installed. Based on current experience, it is estimated that the furnace will provide another 24 months of continuous service before requiring another shut down for cold cleaning and/or replacement.
The cleanliness of the new furnace has also improved product quality. Airo has received no reports from customers concerning the presence of oxide inclusions in any of their products.

http://www.industrialheating.com/Articles/Feature_Article/a24ed10feabb7010VgnVCM100000f932a8c0____

High temperature insulation And Refractory Materials

High temperature insulation And Refractory Materials
Forum : Refractory Materials

High temperature insulation And Refractory Materials

Almatthai high temperature insulation products provide heat management solutions in a wide range of markets. Consider our High temperature insulation And Refractory Materials product line, High temperature Adhesive , and High Temperature Cements Mastic, Moldables, Fiber castable, andInsulation Board (Calcium silicate board , Silica board, Fiber Cement) ,and our other high performance high temperature insulation products. Almatthai high temperature insulation products are used to solve high temperature application problems in the manufacture of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, industrial chemicals, refining & petroleum products, and ceramics & glasses. They are also used in heat-treatment, power generation, boilers & incinerators, fire protection, aerospace products, automotive products, appliances, and other industries.

High temperature Insulation

APPLICATION Insulation material for molten aluminium application trough, spout, float, nozzle, etc which contact to melting aluminium Baths for holding furnace High temperature insulation board lining for launders Hot top ring headers etc. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES Maximum Service Temp. (๐C) 850 Nominal Density (g/cm3) 0.82 Compressive Strength (N/cm2) 980 STANDARD DIMENSION Thickness mm. 13, 25, 30, 40, 50, 80, 100 Width x Length mm. 910 x 1210

High Temperature Adhesive

AME ADHESIVE HT-1500 APPLICATION * High temperature adhesive use as an adhesive to bondceramic fiber products together or bond ceramic fiber products to metal, brick, castable, refractories. * To bond calcium silicate board & Cover * To bond high temperature materials PHYSICAL PROPERTIES * Maximum Service Temp. 1500 ๐C * Typical chemical analysis (%) Al2O3 65 SiO2 29

NAME SPECY BOND FEATURES Adhesive for mold repair APPLICATION * Bonding Mold * Mold repair PHYSICAL PROPERTIES * Typical chemical analysis (%) CH2CHCOOCH3 55 SiO2H2O 25 (CH3)2CO 20 PACKING : 90 GRAM/TUBE (120 TUBES/BOX)

High Temperature Cement

APPLICATION : * Bonding between refractory ceramic fibre products * Bonding Ceramic fibre modules with existing refractory linings * Expension joints packing PHYSICAL PROPERTIES * Maximum Service Temp. 1260 ๐C * Typical chemical analysis (%) Al2O3 >28 SiO2 <72

High Temperature Insulation Board

APPLICATION Insulation material for molten aluminium application trough, spout, float, nozzle, etc which contact to melting aluminium Baths for holding furnace High temperature insulation board lining for launders Hot top ring headers etc. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES Maximum Service Temp. (๐C) 850 Nominal Density (g/cm3) 0.82 Compressive Strength (N/cm2) 980 STANDARD DIMENSION Thickness mm. 13, 25, 30, 40, 50, 80, 100 Width x Length mm. 910 x 1210

China refractory material product manufacturing Industry, 2010

China refractory material product manufacturing Industry, 2010

Forum : Refractory Materials

China refractory material product manufacturing Industry, 2010 is valuable for anyone who wants to invest in the refractory material product manufacturing industry, to get Chinese investments; to import into China or export from China, to build factories and take advantage of lower costs in China, to partner with one of the key Chinese corporations, to get market shares as China is boosting its domestic needs; to forecast the future of the world economy as China is leading the way; or to compete in the segment.

The report provides in-depth analysis and detailed insight into the refractory material product manufacturing industry, market drivers, key enterprises and their strategies, as well as technologies and investment status, risks and trends.

Data sources: Governmental statistics organizations, market research (monitoring) centers, industry associations and institutions, import and export statistics organizations, and others.

This report is divided into 9 parts 19 chapters as follow:

Part 1 Industry Overview
1 Industry definition and development overview
2 Industry macroscopic environment and its influence analysis
3 Industry international market analysis
4 Industry domestic market analysis

Part 2 Basic indices
5 Analysis of the industry’s scale and condition: 2005-2009
6 Status analysis of gross assets analysis: 2005-2009

Part 3 Economic operation
7 Analysis of gross industrial output: 2005-2009
8 Industry sales income analysis: 2005-2009
9 Industry gross profit analysis
10 Industry import/export analysis in 2009

Part 4 Competition landscape
11 Industry competition landscape analysis
12 Industry key enterprises’ competitive power comparison (top 20)

Part 5 Key enterprises
13 Comparative analysis of the economic indicators of the industry’s key enterprises

Part 6 Business strategy
14. Development bottlenecks and coping strategies in Industry
15 Enterprise development strategy analysis and recommendations in Industry

Part 7 Market investment
16 Comparison and analysis of investment activity coefficient and rate of return on investment in Industry
17 Industry investment environment and risks analysis

Part 8 Technology
18 Status and trends of the newest technology applications in Industry

Part 9 Developments and trends
19 Development trends and operation capacity forecast for 2010-2014

Buy Now: Market Research
Browse All: China Market Research Reports

China refractory material product manufacturing industry, 2010

Related Reports
China refractory material product manufacturing industry, 2011
China refractory material product manufacturing industry, 2008-2009
Global and China Refractory Material Industry Report, 2009-2010
China heat insulation material and noise insulation material manufacturing industry, 2010
China chemical material and chemical product manufacturing industry, 2010
China seal-use packing material and similar product manufacturing industry, 2010
China fireproof ceramics product and other fireproof material manufacturing industry, 2010
China heat insulation material and noise insulation material manufacturing industry, 2011
China other construction material manufacturing industry, 2010
China basic chemical material manufacturing industry, 2010

About ReportsnReports
ReportsnReports houses a comprehensive online library of more than 50,000 reports, in-depth market research studies of 5000+ micro markets, and 25 industry specific websites. The reports are analytically and statistically rich, and offer a comprehensive view of the dynamic market scenario across the globe. Our client list boasts of many eminent publishers of such reports from across the world. As a third-party reseller of market research reports, we employ various marketing tools, such as press releases, email-marketing and effective search-engine optimization techniques, in order to generate better revenues for our clients, entailing positive and robust results. 

Global High Temperature Insulation Market | Market Research Report

Global High Temperature Insulation Market | Market Research Report

Forum : Refractory Materials

Report Description

The increasing cost of power and the rapid depletion of conventional sources of energy have necessitated effective heat management and energy conservation in industrial processes. High temperature insulation (HTI) products provide high compressive strength and low shrinkage at high temperatures; and thus offer a cost-effective energy management solution for industrial processes.

This research report provides in-depth market intelligence on the global market for HTI products, which is currently witnessing high growth due to expanding industrial applications such as petrochemicals, and cement and glass manufacturing. This report identifies and analyzes growth strategies such as portfolio expansion and the R&D initiatives taken by heat management solution providers.

This report analyzes the markets for the various HTI applications such as petrochemicalS, iron and steel, ceramics, alumina and powder metallurgy. The report also identifies the consumption of HTI products in different operational temperature ranges in these application segments. Each HTI submarket is forecasted and analyzed for trends and the competitive landscape in the HTI markets in the North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World.

The report identifies factors that drive or inhibit market growth in order to support the market trends and forecasts made herein for each sub-segment. More than 30 company profiles are provided for a deeper insight into the competitive landscape. The market tables are categorized as per geographies application and temperature ranges.

The intended audience of this report includes:

High temperature insulation manufacturers
End consumers such as petrochemicals, glass, cement, iron and steel manufacturers
R&D (research and development) institutions
Distributors
Raw material suppliers

What makes our reports unique?

We provide the longest market segmentation chain in the industry with our three-level market breakdown and our analysis of minimum 40 collectively exhaustive and mutually exclusive micro markets.
We provide 10% customization to ensure that our clients find the specific market intelligence they need.
Each report is about 150 pages, featuring 30+ market data tables, 30+ company profiles, and an analysis of 200 patents.
No single report by any other publisher provides market data for all market segments (i.e. products, services, applications, ingredients, and technology) covering the four geographies of North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and ROW.
15 pages of high level analysis identifying opportunities, best practices, entry strategies, benchmarking strategies, market positioning, product positioning, and competitive positioning.

Key questions answered

Which are the high-growth segments and how is the market segmented in terms of applications, products, services, ingredients, technologies, stakeholders?
What are market estimates and forecasts; which markets are doing well and which are not?
Where are the gaps and opportunities; what factors are driving market growth?
Which are the key playing fields and winning-edge imperatives?
What is the competitive landscape; who are the main players in each segment; what are their strategic directives, operational strengths, key selling products, and product pipelines? Who is doing what?

Powerful Research and analysis

The analysts working with come from renowned publishers and market research firms globally, adding their expertise and domain understanding. We get the facts from over 22,000 news and information sources, a huge database of key industry participants and draw on our relationships with more than 900 market research companies.

Table of Contents :

Executive summary
Market Overview
Market dynamics
High temperature insulation product market
High temperature insulation application Market
Geographical analysis
Competitive landscape

1 Introduction
1.1 KEY TAKE AWAYS
1.2 REPORT DESCRIPTION
1.3 MARKETS COVERED
1.4 Research Methodology
1.5 STAKEHOLDERS

2 Summary

3 Market Overview
3.1 Defining the global high temperature insulation market
3.2 STRUCTURE OF THE HIGH TEMPERATURE INSULATION MARKET
3.3 HIGH TEMPERATURE INSULATION APPLICATION MARKET
3.4 High Temperature Insulation – Value Proposition
3.4.1 Energy Conservation
3.4.2 Economic Considerations – Roi
3.4.3 Environmental Benefits: lowers Emission
3.5 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
3.6 Geographical segmentation of high temperature insulation market
3.7 Conclusion
3.7.1 Key findings
3.7.2 Strategic recommendations

4 Market Dynamics
4.1 Drivers
4.1.1 Need for energy conservation
4.1.2 Emission reduction Potential
4.1.3 Saving in production cost
4.1.4 Wide range of customizable products
4.2 Restraints & Opportunities
4.2.1 Carcinogenic nature
4.2.2 Durability issues
4.2.3 Newer materials & applications

5 High Temperature Insulation Product Market
5.1 Overview
5.2 Characteristics
5.3 Market segmentation
5.3.1 Ceramic Fibers
5.3.1.1 Applications
5.3.2 Insulating Firebricks
5.3.3 Calcium Silicate
5.4 Selecting an Hti Insulation product
5.4.1 On the basis of production requirement
5.4.1.1 Nature of production
5.4.1.2 Type of fuel used
5.4.2 On the basis of product specification
5.4.2.1 Insulating efficiency
5.4.2.2 Thermal conductivity (k-value)
5.4.2.3 Thermal resistance (R-value)
5.4.2.4 Compressive strength
5.4.2.5 Linear shrinkage

High Temperature Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy: A Review

High Temperature Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy: A Review

Forum : Refractory Materials

G. Li and J. R. Gladden

Department of Physics and Astronomy, National Center for Physical Acoustics, The University of Mississippi, MS 38677, USA Received 6 August 2010; Accepted 24 November 2010 Academic Editor: Jaan Laane Copyright © 2010 G. Li and J. R. Gladden. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Abstract The measurement of elastic constants plays an important role in condensed matter physics and materials characterization. This paper presents the resonant ultrasound spectroscopy (RUS) method for the determination of elastic constants in a single crystal or amorphous solid. In RUS, the measured resonance spectrum of a properly prepared sample and other information such as geometry, density, and initial estimated elastic constants are used to determine the elastic constants of the material. We briefly present the theoretical background and applications to specific materials; however, the focus of this review is on the technical applications of RUS, especially those for high-temperature measurements. 1. Introduction: Elastic Constants and Measurement Methods The elastic response of a solid is determined by the full set of independent elastic constants, which are a measure of the material’s interatomic forces and, specifically, the curvature of the potentials around the equilibrium spacing. Elastic constants are a sensitive probe into the atomic environment of a crystal lattice, and changes in elastic constants are a useful tool for investigating critical phenomenon. Elastic constants are involved in many fundamental phenomena in solid-state physics: they are important parameters in equations of state, lattice dynamics, and phonon spectra; they are also linked to other quantities in thermodynamics such as coefficient of thermal expansion, Debye temperature, Grüneisen parameter, and so on. The measurement of elastic constants is of interest not only to engineers and materials scientists, but also to researchers in many areas of fundamental and applied physics. Numerous theoretical and experimental methods are available for evaluating elastic constants. If the equation for the interatomic potential is known, the elastic constant can be calculated from first principles. The results from ab initio calculations for some crystalline solids with known atomic structures and potentials are usually in reasonable agreement with the experimental data. For simple, accurate and efficient determination of elastic properties of materials, various ultrasonic and nonultrasonic experimental techniques are often preferred. Many experimental techniques [1–3] have been developed and employed for measuring the elastic constants of different types of materials. The selection of technique depends on factors such as the composition, structural characteristic and size of the sample, desired accuracy of measurement, and, of course, the availability of equipment and expertise. Various common techniques can be roughly categorized according to the major parameters that are evaluated or the primary equipment that are used (Table 1). The accuracy of a given experimental method depends on many factors other than the fundamental nature of the method itself. However, frequencies are one of the easiest quantities to measure, and resonance methods typically depend on many more frequency measurements than variables being determined. For these reasons, RUS has emerged as one of the most accurate methods for elastic constant measurements.