Zircon (Zirconium Silicate) is a naturally occurring mineral which is extracted from alluvial sands and purified by physical and chemical means prior to being processed for ceramic, refractory and other applications. Its chemical composition is ZrSiO4. As it is a natural product there are trace elements present in the crystal lattice.
Our Zircozon range of products are finely micronised zirconium silicates each with specifically controlled particle size and chemical composition, developed for the Ceramics industry for use as high performance Opacifiers in glazes, (Tile/Sanitaryware).
Zircozon 5 and Zircozon 10 are used in Ceramic Colour, Glaze Opacification, Special Ceramic and refactory compositions, and in filler/extender applications for plastics/rubbers. MSDS and TDS are available upon request.
Combined with our ability to custom grind we also offer many clients special in-house facilities to help them improve their product realisation. Our technical team are always on hand to discuss customer queries and to offer personalised technical expertise. The processes used by Minchem HMP Ltd are of sufficient flexibility to be capable of manufacturing short or long runs to a customer’s own specific requirements where required.
Our milled Zircozon range of products including industry standard 200 mesh and 325 mesh flours have been developed for the Ceramic, Refractory and Foundry industries for use in Glazes, Frits, Glass, and Investment Casting.
Our Zircozon Granular is a closely controlled Sand grade of the mineral zircon. Depending on the grade it is either white or buff in colour and is very dense. We offer a range of Coarse granular grades based on specific particle size distribution.
MSDS and TDS are available upon request.
The process has been used in various forms for over 5,000 years. In its earliest forms, beeswax was used to form the desired pattern to be re-produced in the casting process. Today, more advanced waxes and refractory materials such as Zircon, are typically used for making the wax patterns and refractory moulds. Investment casting is so named because the process invests (completely coats) the wax pattern with the refractory material (Zircon) producing a refractory/ceramic shell. After removal of the wax pattern (dewaxing) this smooth internal hard shell becomes the mould. Molten metal is poured into the mould to produce an exact duplicate of the wax pattern (the desired part). Materials that can be cast this way include Aluminium, Brass, Bronze, Titanium and many other high-performance alloys and metals.
Due to the excellent properties of the refractory material (Zircon), investment casting can produce products with exceptional surface qualities, and dimensional accuracy, thereby reducing the need for secondary machine processes.
Investment casting is valued for its ability to produce complex components with accuracy, repeatability, versatility, and integrity in a variety of metals and high-performance alloys. Investment casting, also sometimes referred to as “Lost-Wax casting”, can be used for both small castings of a few grams and large castings weighing several hundred kilograms.
Turbine engine components such as blades and vanes constitute one of the biggest single markets for investment castings; nevertheless, there are a very great diversity of other applications.
In many cases, the choice of the investment casting route is dictated by technical considerations – property requirements, design complexity – but in more and more cases the process is being selected because it offers the cheapest manufacturing option in terms of total costs.
Minchem HMP offer a range of Zircon sands and milled flours with precisely controlled particle size distributions produced from the highest quality Prime Calcined Zircon feedstock,
MSDS and TDS are available upon request.
Zircon (Zirconium Silicate) ZrSiO4 can be refined for ceramic and refractory applications in ceramic glazes and in refractory products capable of +1800°C.
Minchem HMP Ltd has a micronisation plant where zircon is milled into a range of very fine powders to meet the exact product specifications for refractory products.
Minchem HMP Ltd is a supplier to refractory manufacturers and also produces its own range of Zircon based refractory products for sale to stockists and to end users.
Zircon has a good resistance to alkalis in flue gases and is corrosion resistant to molten glass.
Zircon refractories are equally at home combating a wide range of molten metals and slags in steel plants, ferrous and non-ferrous foundries and are particularly beneficial in contact with molten aluminium. It has been used successfully for the hearths of aluminium furnaces to melt high purity or low alloy metals. Its low wetting characteristics and high resistance makes it an ideal refractory for the ‘belly band’ above and below the metal line in secondary aluminium melting. There is also some evidence to suggest that Zircon can reduce the age-old problem of corundum Al2O3 build up.
Zircon Paint coatings are compatible with many types of alumina/silica refractories including Castables and chemically bonded ramming mixes.
MSDS and TDS are available upon request.
