Research & Development of Ceramic Materials for the Cast Metals Industry
CAT International Ltd (Carbon Application Technology). works with integrating carbon into ceramic primarily for use in the cast metals industries but not exclusively.
What we have pioneered is the combining of dissimilar ceramics to make ‘composite’ materials with unique properties
We have developed and manufacture in house the CERACAT filter range and also Carbon Bonded Ceramic parts such as filter holders and breaker rings, parts from 20g to 100kg
Over the years CAT has built up a large portfolio of equipment for use in prototyping and rapid material development R&D is a large part of our day to day activity.
Large projects have been undertaken with funding secured through Innovate UK most recently this has been in the field of Additive Manufacturing AM or more commonly referred to as 3D printing. AM production of ceramic parts is still in its infancy but interest and technology is developing quickly since our first involvement in this in 2016 we have built up an excellent knowledge base and network of expertise in this field leading to several Patents and new commercial products.
In our 25 years of existence, we have worked with many other organisations to fast track and develop ideas into commercial products. More recently these include:
What does CAT stand for?
The acronym CAT stands for Carbon Application Technology.
What are the CERACAT range of filters made from?
CERACAT is a ‘composite’ ceramic it marries the positive properties of several materials and technologies to offset the negative aspects and give a very stable strong filter that can be manufactured at lower cost compared to zirconia but with much higher strength than Carbon Bonding alone
In relation to a Zirconia or Carbon Bonded filters how does a CERACAT filter ‘Prime’?
In standard form CERACAT primes similar to a Zirconia based filter however if this is of issue we can increase the priming performance contact us to discuss your application.
Will these filters float after casting when used in a direct pour application?
Yes the CERACAT filter will float much more readily than a zirconia filter.
Is the variation in colour / different shades of grey normal?
Yes CERACAT filters are fired inside a kiln in an oxygen free atmosphere however you can see a variation in the shade of grey to black depending on the location within the kiln, it has no effect on performance and is purely cosmetic.
Do I need to worry about Carbon pick in the melt when using CERACAT? Can I use them with very low carbon steels?
The carbon content of our filters is typically 7% (unlike purely carbon bonded filters which can be typically 40%) our filters have been tested for carbon pick up in the metal to 3 decimal places and no evidence of carbon pick up in the metal has been detected.
Can you supply filter holders/ supports for use with the larger filters?
CAT can manufacture custom supports for your application with minimal tooling costs, we also have a range of ‘holloware’ filter holders Contact us to discuss your application.
Can I use CERACAT with Manganese steel?
Yes we have many customers using CERACAT with Manganese steel, please contact use for more information.
Is CERACAT hydroscopic ie. will it pick up moisture?
Like all ceramic you should try and store them in a dry location however unlike purely carbon bonded filters they are NOT Hygroscopic.