Product Applications


View of ends of ZIRCAR Zirconia Fiber Type ZYBF-2

ZIRCAR Zirconia Fiber Type ZYBF-2 is manufactured using a unique precursor process wherein an organic host is converted into an inorganic relic of the original material. Woven and non-woven zirconia textiles are made using the same process. Rigid insulating products are made by combining bulk fiber with various binders into a slurry which is then consolidated by vacuum forming. ZIRCAR Zirconia Fiber Type ZYBF-2 provides significant advantages over other ceramic fibers due to its great refractoriness, resistance to chemical attack and low thermal conductivity.

Zirconia Bulk fibers are relatively short, suitable for vacuum forming by themselves, for ultrahigh temperature use or blending into lower temperature fiber mixtures to increase their refractoriness.

When blended into mixtures of lower temperature ceramic fibers, Zirconia Bulk Fiber Type ZYBF-2 increases the refractoriness and chemical stability of the fiber system.


ZIRCAR Zirconia Fiber Type ZYBF-2

ZIRCAR Zirconia Fiber Type ZYBF-2 is blended into the ceramic fiber mantle on this ultra-low NOx  emission radiant gas burner system

ZIRCAR Zirconia Cloth Type ZYK-15H , another unique material, has become the product of choice for use as battery separators in aerospace nickel hydrogen and nickel cadmium batteries. Zirconia fiber cloth products posses numerous unique characteristics and properties which make them ideal for use in batteries. These include their chemistry, thickness, porosity, physical strength, electrolyte retention and resistance to attack by various electrolytes. Type ZYK-15H exhibits virtually no loss in strength after prolonged exposure (1000+ hrs.) to hot(1000C) KOH.


ZIRCAR Zirconia Cloth Battery Separators are die cut in many shapes

To date ZIRCAR Zirconia Cloth Battery Separators have logged millions of hours of space time –without any failures.


Cutaway view of a single pressure vessel (SPV) Ni-H2 battery showing electrodes separated by Zirconia Cloth Type ZYK-15H

Another application where fibrous zirconia’s chemical stability and resistance to attack make it useful where other materials fall short include the use of ZIRCAR Zirconia Felt Type ZYF-100 in Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells. In this gasket application the mechanically interlocked zirconia fiber is exposed to high concentrations of hot Li2CO3 and shows no signs of degradation. ZYF-100’s compressibility and flexibility enable it to conform to irregular surfaces and to accommodate thermal expansion of  various fuel cell components.


ZIRCAR Zirconia Felt Type ZYF-100. Zirconia fiber in mechanically interlocked felt textile form

ZIRCAR Zirconia Felt Type ZYF resists attack by lead oxide in gasoline and diesel fueled heaters

ZIRCAR Zirconia Felt Type ZYF-100 is utilized as thermal insulation in numerous high temperature crystal growth applications. In these systems corrosive salt vapors can attack other insulation materials making the desired thermal gradient difficult to achieve. ZIRCAR Zirconia Felt - resists attack by many salt vapors found in crystal growth processes

ZIRCAR Zirconia Felt Type ZYF is also used as the burner mantle in diesel and gasoline fueled heaters used in luxury automobiles and heavy trucks. In addition to having the proper uniform porosity for even distribution of the fuel its resistance to attack by lead oxide is what makes this material so useful in this application.


ZIRCAR Zirconia Insulation - furnace components used in CGF on two Space Shuttle Missions include Types FBD, ZYC and ZYZ-3 ranging in density from 30 pcf to 90 pcf.

USML-1 flew on the Space Shuttle Columbia (mission STS-50) June 25 to July 9, 1992. The CGF successfully performed experiments involving the growth of cadmium zinc telluride, selenium doped gallium arsenide and mercury cadmium telluride crystals. USML-2 flew on the Space Shuttle mission STS-73) from September 28 to October 14, 1995. The CGF was used to conduct several directional solidification and vapor crystal growth experiments.


Crystal Growth Furnace (CGF) containing ZIRCAR Zirconia insulation is a modified 5 zone Bridgeman-Stockbarger furnace.

At elevated temperatures fibrous zirconia insulation products offer the lowest thermal conductivity of all currently available ceramic fiber materials.  As with most ceramic fibers, the thermal conductivity of fibrous zirconia is strongly dependent on their bulk density. At high temperatures, where radiation is the primary mechanism of heat transfer, high bulk densities of zirconia fiber provides the most effective insulation. At 16500C to 19300C minimal thermal conductivity is obtained at 30 pcf density.

ZIRCAR’s yttria-stabilized fibrous zirconia insulation products are useful in many demanding applications too corrosive for other ceramic fiber products. These zirconia products offer resistance to chemical attack, high refractoriness and lower thermal conductivity at elevated temperatures than other fibrous ceramic products.

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