High-temperature Industrial ZrO2 Pipe Thermal Insulation Precision Zirconia Ceramic Tube

Zirconia tube is a tubular component made of high-performance zirconia ceramic material, which is an important category of zirconia ceramic shaped parts. It embodies the excellent characteristics of zirconia materials and plays an irreplaceable role in specific application scenarios.

Performance Characteristics

Zirconia tubes inherit most of the excellent properties of zirconia ceramics and possess some unique functionalities due to their tubular geometry.

• Excellent high temperature performance and thermal insulation

• High temperature stability: It can work stably for a long time at temperatures up to 1100°C-1500°C (depending on the type and proportion of stabilizer), and is not easily softened or deformed.
• Extremely low thermal conductivity: It is a recognized advanced insulation material with a thermal conductivity much lower than most metals and oxide ceramics (such as alumina). This makes zirconia tubes ideal high-temperature furnace tubes and thermal insulation sleeves.

• Excellent mechanical performance

• High toughness: Thanks to the "phase transition toughening" mechanism, zirconia tubes have higher impact and fracture resistance compared to other ceramic tubes (such as alumina tubes), and better resistance to mechanical impact and thermal shock.
• High strength: able to withstand certain internal and external pressures and mechanical loads.

• Excellent corrosion resistance

• Has excellent resistance to most acids, alkalis, molten metals, and glass, and will not corrode. This allows it to be used in extremely harsh chemical environments.

• Special electrical properties

• High temperature ion conductivity: When doped with stabilizers such as yttrium oxide, it becomes an oxygen ion conductor at high temperatures (usually>600°C). This is the fundamental principle behind its use as the core component of an oxygen sensor.
• Room temperature insulation: It is an excellent electrical insulator at room temperature.

• Low thermal expansion coefficient

• Its thermal expansion coefficient is close to that of certain metals (such as steel), and it has good thermal compatibility when packaged or matched with metal parts, which can reduce thermal stress.

Advantage

• Integrated high temperature resistance and insulation: It can withstand high temperatures on its own, effectively isolate heat transfer, and protect external components.
• Longevity and high reliability: Under harsh working conditions such as high temperature, wear, and corrosion, its service life far exceeds that of metal pipes and ordinary ceramic pipes, reducing the frequency of downtime and replacement.
• Chemical inertness: It does not contaminate the treated materials (such as high-purity materials and molten materials), ensuring the cleanliness of the process.
• Multifunctionality: It is both a structural component and a functional component (such as oxygen ion conduction, optical windows, etc.).

Scope of application

The unique properties of zirconia tubes make them a core component in multiple high-tech and industrial fields.

• High temperature industrial furnaces and sintering equipment

• Furnace tube: used in vacuum furnaces and atmosphere furnaces, as a material carrier or reaction chamber, capable of withstanding extremely high working temperatures.
• Thermocouple protection tube: protects the internal thermocouple from direct corrosion by molten metal and corrosive atmosphere, ensuring the accuracy and longevity of temperature measurement.
• Roller bars for push plate kilns and roller kilns: Due to their high temperature strength and creep resistance, they can be used to support the transportation of workpieces in kilns.

• Sensors (core application areas)

• Oxygen sensor: This is the most classic application. Widely used in:
• Automotive engine: detects the oxygen content in exhaust gas, provides feedback signals to the electronic control unit, and achieves precise control of air-fuel ratio (Lambda sensor).
• Industrial combustion control: Monitor the oxygen content of flue gas in boilers, furnaces, etc., optimize combustion, and save energy.
• Metal heat treatment: Control the carbon potential of the furnace atmosphere.
• Working principle: Utilizing the conduction characteristics of oxygen ions in zirconia tubes at high temperatures, a potential difference (Nernst effect) is generated when the oxygen concentration inside and outside the tube is different.

• Metallurgy and Glass Industry

• Molten metal oxygen probe: directly inserted into molten metal such as molten steel and copper water to quickly measure its oxygen content.
• Glass level sensor and flow hole: resistant to glass liquid erosion, used for controlling and contacting molten glass.

• New energy and scientific research

• Solid oxide fuel cell: As an electrolyte membrane, it conducts oxygen ions at high temperatures and is the core power generation component of the cell.
• Laboratory reactor: used for chemical synthesis and material research that require high temperature and corrosion-resistant environments.

• Other fields

• Wear resistant lining: used as a pipeline lining to transport highly abrasive powders or slurries.
• Optical device protection tube: protects optical fibers or lenses in harsh environments.

Technical Specifications