Beryllium oxide ceramic is a structural ceramic material with excellent performance, with high thermal conductivity, high melting point, high strength, high insulation, high chemical and thermal stability, low dielectric constant, low dielectric loss and good process adaptability It has been widely used in special metallurgy, vacuum electronics technology, nuclear technology, microelectronics and optoelectronics technology.
1. Production status of beryllium oxide ceramics
The development of beryllium oxide ceramics in China began in the 1930s, but it was not until the late 1950s to the late 1970s that it was a period of rapid development.
The United States is one of the world's major producers and consumers of beryllium oxide ceramics. It is also the world's largest producer of beryllium oxide ceramic products, the best performance of technical products, and the highest production technology. Brush Welman is one of the largest beryllium oxide powder and ceramic products manufacturing companies in the United States and the world. In addition, American Beryllia Inc. Kazakhstan's Ulbinsky Metal Factory is also a BeO production and scientific research professional factory.
The earliest professional manufacturer in China to develop and produce beryllium oxide ceramics is YBHX Electronic Ceramic Material Technology Co., Ltd., which is also the only designated manufacturer of military beryllium oxide ceramics in China. WKPY Beryllium Material Technology Group and SHFX Special Ceramics Factory are also two companies specializing in the production of beryllium oxide ceramics for more than 20 years. It has unique expertise in fine processing of beryllium oxide ceramics, which can meet aerospace, radar missiles, traveling wave tubes, launch tubes and other Products used in technology and other fields.
2. Application of beryllium oxide ceramics
Application Development Timeline
① 1930s: BeO began to be used as a ceramic material, initially used in metallurgical crucibles and earlier fluorescent lamp manufacturing.
② 1940s: BeO ceramics are widely used as moderators and reflectors in certain reactors.
③ In the 1970s, BeO ceramics were widely used in electronic devices and electronics industry.
④In the 1980s, the most important use of BeO ceramics was in the electronic ignition system of automobiles; in addition, it was also used for high-speed transmission of IC substrates, laser tubes on gyros, automotive parts and braking devices Wait.
⑤ In the 1990s, with the rapid development of science and technology, communication technology and other fields, the application of BeO ceramics in the fields of communication and microelectronics industry continued to expand.
⑥Into the 21st century, BeO ceramics have been expanding in the field of electronic packaging materials and technologies that have been progressively developed due to their high thermal conductivity and excellent electrical properties.
1. High-power electronic devices / integrated circuits
The high thermal conductivity and low dielectric constant of beryllium oxide ceramics are the key reasons for the wide application of this material in the field of electronic technology.
(1) In the application of electronic substrates, the usable frequency of beryllium oxide substrates is 20% higher than that of our high-recognized alumina substrates at the same thickness, which can be up to 44GHz The following work is often used in communications, direct broadcast satellites, mobile phones, personal communications, base stations, satellite reception and transmission, avionics, and global positioning systems (GPS).
(2) Compared with alumina ceramics, the high thermal conductivity of beryllium oxide ceramics enables the heat generated in high-power devices to be conducted in a timely and effective manner and can withstand a greater continuous wave output power, thereby ensuring the stability and reliability of the device Sex. Therefore, it is also widely used in broadband high-power electronic vacuum devices, such as the energy transmission window of the traveling wave tube, the support rod and the buck collector.
2. Nuclear technology materials
The development and utilization of nuclear energy is an important way to solve the problem of energy shortage today. The reasonable and effective use of nuclear energy technology can provide huge energy for social production to supply power and heat. Some ceramic materials are also one of the important materials in nuclear reactors. For example, neutron reflectors and moderators (moderators) for nuclear fuels usually use BeO, B4C or graphite materials. Beryllium oxide can be used as a neutron moderator and radiation protection material for atomic reactors. In addition, BeO ceramics have better high-temperature irradiation stability than metal beryllium and a higher density than metal beryllium. They have a relatively high strength and thermal conductivity at high temperatures, and beryllium oxide is cheaper than metal beryllium. This makes it more suitable for use as a reflector, moderator and dispersed phase fuel matrix in a reactor. Beryllium oxide ceramics can be used as control rods in nuclear reactors, and it can also be used in combination with U2O (uranium oxide) ceramics to become nuclear fuel.
3. Refractories
As a refractory material, beryllium oxide ceramics can be used as refractory support rods for heating elements to protect shields, furnace linings, thermocouple tubes, cathodes, thermally heated substrates and coatings.
4. Other fields
In addition to the several types of applications exemplified above, the application of beryllium oxide ceramics has many aspects.
①BeO can be added as a component to the glass of various components. The glass containing beryllium oxide can transmit X-rays. The X-ray tube made of this glass can be used for institutional analysis and used in medicine to treat skin diseases. Beryllium oxide affects the properties of glass, such as increasing the specific gravity, water resistance and hardness of glass, improving the expansion coefficient, refractive index and chemical stability. It can be used not only as a special glass component with a high dispersion coefficient, but also as a glass component that transmits ultraviolet rays.
②High-purity BeO ceramics have good heat transfer performance and can be used to make rocket head cones.
③BeO can be made with Be, Ta, Mo, Zr, Ti, Nb and other metals with specific linear (expansion) expansion coefficient and special thermal performance cermet products, such as Ford and General Motors used sprayed metal in automobile ignition devices BeO liner.
3. Notes on the production of beryllium oxide ceramics
Although high-purity beryllium oxide ceramics are very safe, it cannot be ignored that beryllium oxide dust is toxic to the human body. This is like plastics that do not produce toxins when used, but the materials used to make plastics are generally toxic for the same reason. Beryllium oxide ceramics that are processed into solid form do not cause any special harm to human health. Many countries, including China, list beryllium oxide powder as a class of dangerous goods. If you want to avoid pollution and threats as much as possible, you need to fully recognize the toxicity of beryllium oxide ceramic powder. Supervisory agencies should improve the rules and regulations for the operation and protection of beryllium oxide dust, strengthen investment in the safety protection of beryllium oxide production enterprises and personnel, and establish practical and effective beryllium oxide operation instructions. And a series of measures such as effective and clear labeling of all beryllium oxide ceramic related products can be used as a protective "barrier" for the safe production of beryllium oxide ceramic manufacturers.