Produced by: IEEE Globalspec Media Solutions September 2017

Transparent and Translucent

Technical Ceramics:
Thinking Outside the Bulb
Sponsored by: CoorsTek, Inc.

The world of technical ceramics presents itself in many shapes and flavors. Applications
using technical ceramics abound, from cutting tools to bearings to kiln linings and Translucent and
biomedical implants. All of these examples take advantage of the various properties transparent technical
that different types of ceramic offer. A common misconception of technical ceramics is
that their physical color is a basic opaque shade of white. This article explores a family of
ceramics have a
technical ceramics that is optically translucent to transparent. higher thermal
resistance than glass
What Can Translucent/Transparent Technical Ceramics Offer? or resin and are
Polycrystalline technical ceramics generally consist of opaque matter that absorbs or stronger and harder.
scatters visible light. However, through highly controlled manufacturing, some technical
ceramics can achieve a transparency similar to glass or single crystal sapphire. Technical
ceramics are produced by sintering powdered materials that typically have light scattering
characteristics. Using highly precise processes, the light scattering attributes can be
removed. The resulting transparent technical ceramics have a polycrystalline structure
with a transmittance rate that is strong in the visible light to middle infrared spectrum.
Two materials that are commonly optimized for transparency/translucency are high
purity alumina (including Sapphal™ translucent alumina and polycrystalline alumina)
and spinel (MgAl₂O₄).

Figure 1: Translucent ceramic arc tube used in high-intensity lighting (left). And, a spinel dome, an
Sponsored by:
example of transparent ceramics (right). (Source: CoorsTek)

Transparent/translucent technical ceramics have been in use for industrial and

commercial applications for over 50 years. Commercial production began in 1961 when
General Electric began selling translucent alumina Lucalox® lamps. In the years since,
CoorsTek of Golden, Colorado, has become a leader in the field of transparent/translucent Produced by:
technical ceramics. Coors (yes, the beer folks) started manufacturing pottery and labware
in the early 20th century. On a parallel track, Covalent Materials (previously Toshiba
Technical Ceramics) began manufacturing and developing new ceramic materials and
material processes in Japan. In 2014, the companies combined when CoorsTek acquired
the Japan-based group. 2016 saw the addition of Philips Technical Ceramics, underscoring
Transparent and Translucent Technical Ceramics: Thinking Outside the Bulb
CoorsTek as a world leader in engineered technical ceramics
and advanced materials.
Translucent and transparent technical ceramics have a
higher thermal resistance than glass or resin and are stronger
and harder. Their unique combination of wear resistance,
high strength and corrosion resistance enable transparent
technical ceramics to outperform traditional glass in high-
stress environments that require exceptional clarity and
stability. Specific attributes of transparent technical ceramics
include:
• Thermal Resistance, Strength and Hardness—High-
temperature sintered transparent technical ceramics
have a higher thermal resistance and are stronger and
harder than optical glass or resin, and also maintain their
transparency at temperatures of up to 1,200° C.
• Resistance to Chemicals and Corrosion—Highly
pure, highly dense transparent technical ceramics hold
up extremely well against oxygen and alkalis. They resist
highly corrosive halogen plasma and can be used in harsh
environments that glass and resins cannot tolerate.
• Optical Functions—Through doping, it is possible to
add optical functions such as wavelength conversion
to transparent technical ceramics. For example, laser
oscillation has been successfully achieved by doping YAG
and Y₂O₃ transparent technical ceramics.
Figure 2: Doping can modify ceramic wavelength transmittance.
(Source: CoorsTek)
• Mass Productivity—Technical ceramics make it
possible to create and sinter a part from material that
has been manufactured close to the shape of the final
product (near net shape). Ceramic injection molding
(CIM) is an important production technology that is
suitable for scaling to high-volume mass production.
Transparent technical ceramics stack up well against other
transparent materials such as optical glass, optical resin and
single crystal sapphire. The chart to the right illustrates a
comparison of certain properties of these materials.
2
Figure 3: Performance comparison of transparent ceramics and
other transparent materials. (Source: CoorsTek)
Current Applications of Translucent and
Transparent Technical Ceramics
Translucent and transparent technical ceramics lend
themselves to many applications. Higher thermal resistance
than glass or resin and a unique combination of wear
resistance, high strength and corrosion resistance enable
transparent technical ceramics to outperform traditional
glass in high-stress environments, along with maintaining
exceptional clarity and stability:
• High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Lighting—Engineered
technical ceramics provide superior thermal stability,
higher strength and greater translucency for high-
performance HID lighting applications. Each year, tens
of millions of translucent ceramic parts of various sizes,
shapes and geometries for HID lamps are produced. In
recent years, ceramics have improved solid state lighting
by taking advantage of the wavelength conversion
properties of phosphors. Automotive LED headlights
are a prevalent example of leveraging this transparent
ceramic capability.
• Polycrystalline Translucent Ceramic Crucibles—Ideal for
TGA (thermogravimetry) and DSC (differential scanning
calorimeter) analysis, ceramic translucent crucibles are
highly valued for their purity, inertness and chemical
resistance. They are temperature resistant up to 1,800°
C, translucent and non-porous, meeting specifications of
sapphire crucibles at a fraction of the cost.
• Inspection Windows—Transparent and translucent
technical ceramics are an ideal material for inspection
windows. They can be used as a process window in
chemical processing equipment due to resistance to both
acids and bases. Ceramic windows are wear resistant
and are optimal for observing high-temperature
environments while maintaining high strength.
Transparent and Translucent Technical Ceramics: Thinking Outside the Bulb
• Sapphire Replacement—Optical sapphire is currently
used in many applications, including cryogenic
view ports, UV and IR windows and lenses, detector
cells, photodiodes and barcode readers. The light
transmission and non-porous properties of transparent
technical ceramics meet the specifications of 100
percent sapphire components at a fraction of the cost.
• Infrared Windows—IR windows constructed from
spinel (MgAl₂O₄) are used in sensor and armor
windows. Durable, scratch-resistant IR windows are
especially key in aircraft applications where guidance
and similar systems rely on IR transmittance as
opposed to visible light. Industrial and laboratory
applications using sensors also realize the advantage
of ceramic properties over glass and other traditional
transparent and translucent materials.
• Transparent Armor—The military has many
applications for transparent armor, including vehicle
windows, missile domes and face shields. Bulletproof
windows today have layers of plastic and glass totaling
many inches of thickness. A transparent ceramic
replacement could reduce the glass-plastic window’s
total weight by a factor of two and still provide critical
impact and scratch resistance.
Emerging Applications for Translucent and
Transparent Technical Ceramics
Translucent and transparent ceramic properties and
uses continue to expand. For example, using a highly
controlled process, light scattering attributes have been
removed to develop transparent ceramics, YAG (Y₃Al₅O₁₂;
yttrium aluminum garnet) and Y₂O₃ (yttrium oxide). These
transparent ceramics have a polycrystalline structure with
a transmittance that has been measured in the visible light
to middle infrared spectrum at approximately 84 percent
for YAG and 81 percent for Y₂O₃. New transparent and
translucent technical ceramic capabilities are finding their
way into new designs and new applications. Emerging
applications that are now being explored include:
• Scintillators and Phosphors—Durable transparent and
translucent ceramics can be formulated to amplify
phosphor characteristics, allowing them to efficiently
COORSTEK, INC. IEEE GLOBALSPEC
14143 Denver West Pkwy. MEDIA SOLUTIONS
Golden, CO 80401 201 Fuller Road, Suite 202
303-271-7100 Albany, NY 12203-3621
www.coorstek.com Tel: +1 518 880 0200
transmit light that enters at one wavelength and exits
at another. Ceramic scintillators, which emit light
when excited by radiation, are finding their way into
medical detection systems and scanners such as PET,
CAT and others. These highly-sensitive scintillators are
also excellent for use in inspection equipment such as
non-destructive testing (NDT) equipment.
• Laser Components—Transparent and translucent
technical ceramics are designed and engineered as high-
performance, long-life laser equipment components.
They are advantageous in laser applications and
are preferred because of their electrical resistivity,
corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity, high
strength and hardness, and dimensional stability.
Figure 4: Lasers can also utilize transparent technical ceramics.
(Source: CoorsTek)
Transparent and translucent technical ceramics have long
been used as lamp encasements in severe duty applications.
As LED lighting takes over incandescent in these areas,
other practical and safety-oriented uses of this material
have moved into the spotlight. Favorable properties include
chemical inertness with good thermal stability, high
temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, electrical
insulation, and high hardness and wear resistance.
ABOUT COORSTEK, INC.
CoorsTek, a worldwide leader in technical ceramics, has produced high-quality ceramic parts for more than
100 years. CoorsTek has vastly increased capacity and capabilities with several recent acquisitions, including
Covalent Materials of Japan and Philips Technical Ceramics in Uden, Netherlands. Preparing for future break-
throughs in engineered technical ceramics, CoorsTek recently invested $120 million in a new Center for Ad-
vanced Materials in Golden to facilitate collaboration among end users, R&D and manufacturing. Leveraging
this dynamic, CoorsTek will be able to rapidly develop new materials and bring them into volume production.
This new center allows CoorsTek to push the frontiers of ceramic technology for the next 100 years, including
exciting, yet-to-be-conceived uses of translucent and transparent ceramic components.