Wonderstone supplies technical ceramic materials and advanced industrial ceramics designed for demanding high-temperature and precision manufacturing applications. Furthermore, our materials and products are used across industries requiring thermal stability, machinability and reliable performance in harsh industrial environments.
Pyrophyllite (Grade A Lava) can be held to closer dimensional tolerances than almost any ceramic body that is not ground after firing. This allows for rapid prototyping and pilot-scale production across a range of industrial applications. Wonderstone materials have been used in coil forms and bars, electrical application parts, gas burner tips, welding cups, atomising nozzles and industrial filler applications such as train brake systems.
What Are Technical Ceramics?
Technical ceramics are engineered ceramic materials designed for industrial applications requiring heat resistance, dimensional stability and mechanical strength. Unlike traditional ceramics, technical ceramics are developed for performance-focused applications in manufacturing, processing and high-temperature environments.
Additionally, these materials are widely used in industries such as refractory manufacturing, metallurgical processing, synthetic diamond production and precision engineering. Save
Why Wonderstone Technical Ceramics?
Wonderstone materials are valued for their:
- high purity
- excellent machinability
- consistent material quality
- thermal stability in high-temperature environments
Industrial Applications
Wonderstone technical ceramic materials are used in a variety of demanding industrial applications, including:
- welding cups
- gas burner tips
- electrical components
- atomising nozzles
- train brake fillers
POWDER PRESSED
Wonderstone, powder pressed, fired material can be engineered for enhanced refractory and physical properties.
Standard products: Rods, Tubes (Cylinders) and Square Bars.
Available in various sizes with a maximum length of 300mm (11.8 inches).
Wonderstone Pyrophyllite (Grade A Lava) is a Machinable mineral which, after heat treatment, assumes many of the attributes of fired ceramics. It can be turned, milled, tapped, sawn or drilled to a high degree of accuracy.
Standard products: Rods, Tubes (Cylinders) and Square Bars.
Available in various sizes with a maximum length of 300mm (11.8 inches).
NATURAL MACHINED
Components can also be pressed from powder; Powder Pressed Pyrophyllite components will display the following characteristics:
- Excellent thermal shock resistance
- Extremely low thermal expansion
- Excellent chemical resistance
- Good electrical insulation
- Retaining good mechanical strength up to operating temperature of 1200 ºC
- Melting point is at 1630 ºC
- Very good heat retention and good thermal insulation
When heat treating the natural machined material (Pyropyllite Grade A Lava), certain precautions need to be observed:
- Sections need to be less than 13 mm otherwise thermal stresses could cause cracking
- The heating rate should not be greater than 50 ºC per hour till 400 ºC then 100 ºC per hour to a maximum of 1300 ºC then held for an hour at the final temperature
- When fired to a range 800 ºC – 1000 ºC expansion of 1.7 – 2% takes place and over this temperature, a gradual shrinkage is seen to within 101% of the machined size as the material densifies.
- Available in various sizes with maximum length of 300mm (11.8 inches).
Typical Applications for Wonderstone Pyrophyllite (Aluminium Silicate) – Machined Grade A Lava:
- Commonly used for gas burner tips
- Industrial burner tips
- Welding cups
- Nozzles
- Various heat resisting and acid resisting parts.
- Coil forms
- Bars
- Bobbins
- Spools
- Threaded cores
- Mounting strips
- Bushings
- Spacers
- Standoffs
- Electronic tube parts
- Various electrical application parts
- Parts for electrical controls
- Various parts for electronic applications