Abstract: Porous refractory ceramics combine the high thermomechanical and chemical resistances of oxide-based compounds with the low thermal conductivity and specific heat of porous materials. This two-part study is devoted to understanding and critically reviewing their outstanding behavior as thermal insulators for high-temperature industrial processes (200-2000 °C). The first part (Interceram, v. 70, n. 03, 2021, p. 38-45, "The Science Behind Energy Saving") provided a compilation of updated information on thermal energy consumption per area of human activity and examples of industrial processes that occur in each temperature range. This second part presents classification criteria for insulators established according to their thermomechanical properties, installation method, microstructure, and temperature at use, analyses of some important grades of porous insulators, and the most common causes of premature failure.
Abstract: The aim of the project was to develop a variothermal tool technology using innovative SiC ceramics in order to optimize the production of thermoplastic fiber composites. The development focused on a new, innovative tool design, the production of the ceramics with integrated cooling channels and intrinsic heating by means of ceramic heating elements, as well as the use of the tools for processing fiber composites. By the end of the project, it should be possible to produce thermoplastically reinforced fiber composite components that cannot be manufactured more cost-effectively using any other process because of their complex structure and geometry.
