Wear-resistant ceramic powder cones are conical wear-resistant components made from high-purity Alumina ceramic. They are primarily used in industrial equipment for material conveying, screening, and mixing, playing a key role in guiding, cushioning, and preventing wear of powders, granules, and other materials. The following is a detailed introduction:

Material Characteristics and Core Advantages

The core performance of wear-resistant ceramic powder cones stems from their base material—high-purity alumina ceramic (typically with an Al₂O₃ content ≥90%, with some high-end products exceeding 95%). Combined with precision molding and sintering processes, these advantages result in the following:

Extreme wear resistance: With a Mohs hardness of 9 (second only to diamond) and a Vickers hardness of 12-18 GPa, their wear resistance is 10-20 times that of ordinary carbon steel and 5-10 times that of high-chromium cast iron. They can withstand the erosion, impact, and abrasion of powders (such as ore powder, cement powder, and coal powder) for extended periods. Excellent Corrosion Resistance: Alumina ceramics are chemically stable and can withstand corrosion from a wide range of acidic and alkaline solutions, high-temperature gases, and organic solvents, with the exception of hydrofluoric acid and strong alkalis. They are particularly suitable for handling powders containing corrosive components (such as chemical raw material powders and desulfurized gypsum powder).

Outstanding High-Temperature Resistance: Long-term operating temperatures can reach 1200°C-1600°C (increasing with purity). They are resistant to deformation, oxidation, or failure during the transportation of high-temperature powders (such as metallurgical sintered ore powder and power plant boiler fly ash). 

Smooth and Low-Friction Surface: The ceramic surface is precision-polished to a high finish (Ra ≤ 0.8μm), ensuring excellent material flow and resisting scaling and sticking. This reduces powder clogging and accumulation, reducing the frequency of equipment cleaning and maintenance. Combining lightweight and high strength: With a density of approximately 3.6-3.9 g/cm³, only about half that of steel, it reduces equipment loads. Meanwhile, its flexural strength reaches 200-350 MPa. Its impact toughness has been optimized through toughening processes (such as the addition of zirconium oxide), allowing it to withstand material impact within a certain range.

Structural Design and Application Scenarios

The structural design of wear-resistant ceramic powder cones must be customized based on the equipment type, material characteristics, and installation requirements. Common forms include:

Integral Cone: A solid or hollow cone molded in one piece. Suitable for powder diversion in small equipment (such as silo discharge ports and screw conveyor heads).

Segmented Cone: Constructed from multiple ceramic tiles joined with high-temperature-resistant adhesives or metal flanges, it facilitates the production, transportation, and replacement of large cones (such as ball mill feed ports and vibrating screen support cones).

Composite Reinforced Cone: A metal shell or fiber-reinforced layer is added to the ceramic cone's exterior to further enhance impact resistance. This is suitable for applications involving bulky powders or high-impact conditions (such as crusher feed hopper cones). 

Typical Applications:

Mining and Building Materials Industry: Used in feed/discharge cones of crushers, ball mills, and vibrating screens to resist abrasion from ore fines, sand and gravel, and cement clinker; in the discharge cones of powder silos in concrete mixing plants, they address the wear and leakage issues of traditional metal cones.

Power and Energy Industry: Used in deflection cones in fly ash conveying pipelines in thermal power plants and in feed cones in slurry pumps in desulfurization systems, they withstand high-speed erosion from fly ash and corrosion from desulfurization slurry. In the production of new energy materials (such as lithium battery cathode material powder and photovoltaic silicon materials), they serve as guide cones in mixers and screens to prevent metal contamination of materials.

Chemical and Metallurgical Industry: Used in powder feeding cones in chemical reactors and in pulverized coal injection cones in metallurgical blast furnaces, they resist acid and alkali corrosion and high-temperature powder erosion. In red mud conveying equipment in alumina plants, they extend the cone life to 3-5 years (compared to 3-6 months for traditional metal cones).

Grain and Food Processing: Conveyor cones for food-grade powders such as flour, starch, and feed. The ceramic is non-toxic, non-leaching, meets food hygiene standards, and is non-sticky, ensuring material purity.

Key Production Process

The performance of wear-resistant ceramic powder cones is closely related to the production process. The core steps include:

Raw Material Preparation: High-purity alumina powder is mixed with a small amount of sintering aids (such as silica and magnesium oxide) and ball-milled to a particle size ≤1μm to ensure powder uniformity.

Molding Process: The molding method is selected based on the cone size and complexity. Small cones are typically dry-pressed or isostatically pressed (for better density uniformity), while large or irregularly shaped cones are molded using slip casting or injection molding.

Sintering: Sintering is performed in a high-temperature kiln at 1600°C-1750°C (≥1650°C for 95% alumina ceramics) to fully densify the ceramic particles and form a high-strength crystalline structure (primarily α-Al₂O₃).

Precision Machining: After sintering, the cone is ground and polished with a diamond wheel to ensure dimensional accuracy (tolerance ≤ ±0.1mm) and surface finish. Some products require threaded connections, flanges, and other attachment features for easy installation and fixturing. 

Compounding and Reinforcement: If metal cladding is required, the ceramic cone is bonded to the metal substrate through vacuum brazing, high-temperature adhesive bonding, or other methods to eliminate thermal stress and improve overall stability.

Selection and Maintenance Recommendations

Selection Basis: Select the appropriate alumina content (90%/95%/99%) and structural design based on material hardness (e.g., quartz sand requires higher-purity ceramic), flow rate (high-speed flow requires a thicker wear-resistant layer), temperature, and corrosiveness.

Installation Precautions: During installation, ensure the ceramic cone fits snugly within the equipment to avoid gaps that could cause material to enter wear interfaces. For high-temperature operating conditions, allow for thermal expansion clearance to prevent ceramic cracking. 

Maintenance points: Regularly check whether there are cracks or peeling on the ceramic surface. If severe local wear is found, replace it in time to avoid the expansion of the fault. For sticking problems, clean it regularly with high-pressure air or special ceramic cleaner.

Key attributes