Pyrophyllite (Grade A Lava) can be held to closer dimensional tolerances than any other ceramic body that is not ground after firing. This allows for rapid prototyping and pilot scale productions. It has been used for coil forms and bars, electrical application parts, gas burner tips, welding cups and atomising nozzles. Wonderstone powder is also used as a filler in train brakes.
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).
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