Wear-Resistant Ceramics: Alumina Linings & Reaction-Bonded SiC

Q: Alumina tiles or reaction-bonded SiC — which one for my pipeline?

Let velocity, particle size and impact decide. Below roughly 3–4 m/s with particles under 5 mm, DA-92/DA-95 alumina tiles are the industry default and the cheapest per tonne conveyed. Above that — pump internals, cyclone apexes, severe elbows, coarse or sharp particles — DA-SC-R reaction-bonded SiC wins on life because it has almost no porosity and no grout lines to fail.

Q: How much longer than steel will a lined pipe last?

In well-matched sliding-abrasion duty, alumina tiles typically last 8–15 times as long as bare steel, and reaction-bonded SiC 10–20 times as long; in severe slurry duty the multiples fall but remain substantial. These are typical ranges, not a guarantee — the honest way to get a number is to send your particle size distribution, solids content and velocity so we can calculate cost per tonne conveyed rather than quote a slogan.

Q: Can you reline existing pipes and chutes, or only supply new assemblies?

Both. Existing equipment is routinely re-tiled on site or in our workshop: surfaces are cleaned and prepared, new DA-92/DA-95 tiles are bonded, stud-welded or bolted on, and worn sections are replaced tile by tile so the rest of the lining stays in service. For cast reaction-bonded SiC, parts are supplied as replacement segments sized to the existing housing.

Q: What is the maximum temperature for a ceramic-lined pipe?

It is set by the fixing system more than the ceramic. Alumina tiles bond with high-temperature adhesives or mechanical fixing are comfortable to roughly 200–400 °C in continuous service depending on the system; reaction-bonded SiC is a monolithic ceramic and handles far higher temperatures. Above 400 °C, or under severe thermal cycling, tell us the duty — the right answer is usually a different ceramic grade or a different fixing design, and quoting it without the temperature is how linings fall off.

Q: How are the tiles fixed — glue, studs or bolts?

All three, chosen by temperature, impact and maintainability. High-temperature adhesive bonding suits most sliding-abrasion surfaces and keeps the lining thin. Stud-welded or mechanically anchored tiles are used where adhesives would creep, where the surface gets hot, or where tiles must be replaceable in the field. For high-impact areas, ceramic-rubber composite pads combine an impact-absorbing rubber layer with ceramic tiles.

Short answer

For sliding abrasion and most slurry duty, use DA-92 / DA-95 alumina wear tiles — the industry default, and the cheapest per tonne handled. For high-velocity, coarse-particle or severe-duty points — pump internals, cyclone apexes, the elbow that eats a steel bend every quarter — use DA-SC-R reaction-bonded silicon carbide: near-zero porosity, much higher hardness, and the best erosion resistance of any affordable ceramic.

Get the duty parameters right (particle size, velocity, impact angle, temperature) and either material will outlast steel by a multiple most buyers find hard to believe. Get them wrong, and even ceramics fail early.

Two materials

One Is the Workhorse. One Is the Specialist.

Nearly every wear problem in mining, power and bulk handling is solved by one of these two ceramics. The engineering is in knowing which — and where neither is right.

Reaction-bonded silicon carbide cylinder liners and wear sleeves

01 · The specialist

Reaction-Bonded Silicon Carbide (DA-SC-R)

A SiC skeleton infiltrated with molten silicon, giving a fully dense body with almost no porosity — the property that makes it the best erosion-resistant ceramic affordable at industrial scale.

Best-in-class erosion resistance: no grout lines, no tile joints, no pores to undermine
Hardness 2,200–2,500 HV; thermal conductivity ≈ 100 W/m·K for cool-running surfaces
Near-net forming: large, complex, thin-walled sections with minimal grinding
Slurry pipe sections, elbows, cyclone cones & apexes, pump wear plates, nozzles
Monolithic body — the lining cannot peel off, because it is the pipe

Full SiC datasheet (incl. DA-SC-R) →

02 · The workhorse

Alumina Wear Tiles 92% / 95% (DA-92 / DA-95)

The most widely installed wear ceramic in the world. Nothing else matches its cost per tonne handled on sliding and low-velocity abrasion — which is why most mine sites are lined with it.

DA-92 for general duty; DA-95 finer-grain and harder for faster streams
Hardness ≈ 1,000–1,400 HV; excellent compression and sliding wear behaviour
Square, rectangular and hexagonal tiles — any surface can be lined
Fixed by high-temperature adhesive, stud-welding or bolts; field-replaceable
Ceramic-rubber composite pads for zones that see impact as well as abrasion
Limitation: lower toughness than SiC — manage impact first, then abrasion

Full alumina datasheet →

Curved equipment segment protected by ceramic wear tiles

Selection

Which Lining for Which Duty

Read your operating condition, not a hardness number. This is the table our engineers work from.

Duty condition	Typical example	First choice	Why
Sliding abrasion, low velocity (< 3 m/s), fine particles	Chutes, hoppers, bunkers, feed plates	DA-92 alumina tiles	Lowest cost per tonne handled; easy field repair
Slurry pipeline, 3–5 m/s, particles < 5 mm	Tailings, concentrate, thickener underflow	Alumina-lined pipe (DA-92 / DA-95)	Industry default; lined in replaceable segments
High velocity (5–8 m/s) or coarse / sharp particles	Pump suction & discharge, severe elbows, cyclone feed	DA-SC-R reaction-bonded SiC	Best erosion resistance; no joints to fail
Strong impact — large lumps, drop height	Crusher feeds, transfer points, rock chutes	Ceramic-rubber composite, or engineered DA-95 with backup	Ceramics are brittle; absorb impact first, then abrade
High temperature (> 400 °C) or thermal cycling	Hot clinker, furnace feed, hot slag chutes	SiC family — for severe thermal shock, ask about Si₃N₄-bonded SiC	Adhesive systems and tiles have temperature limits
Chemistry plus abrasion (acidic slurry, pH < 4)	FGD slurry, chemical process lines	DA-SC-R reaction-bonded SiC	Dense body resists attack; grout is the weak point in tiled systems

On the border between two rows? Send us the duty data instead of guessing — see the selection guide for how the decision is made in practice.

What we supply

Product Forms

From replacement tiles to complete lined assemblies — quoted as components, not as tonnes of material.

Piping

Ceramic-Lined Pipe & Elbows

Alumina-tiled or cast RBSiC segments for slurry lines; flanged or grooved ends; elbows lined tile-by-tile so replacements go in without cutting the line out.

How linings are selected

Flat alumina wear plates and liner tiles

Linings

Wear Tiles & Liner Plates

DA-92 / DA-95 tiles in square, rectangular and hexagonal patterns; paste-on, stud-welded or bolt-on; ceramic-rubber composite pads for impact zones.

Request a tiling layout

Reaction-bonded silicon carbide cylindrical wear parts

Equipment parts

Cyclone, Pump & Nozzle Parts

RBSiC cyclone cones and apexes, pump wear plates and sleeves, spray and burner nozzles — near-net-formed to keep diamond grinding cost down.

See the SiC datasheet

The number that matters

Cost per Tonne Conveyed, Not Price per Pipe

Wear ceramics rarely win on purchase price. They win on the arithmetic below — and the honest way to run it is with your duty data, not a brochure multiple.

Material	Life vs bare steel (sliding abrasion)	Life vs bare steel (severe slurry)	Relative cost / kg	Best when
Bare steel (reference)	1×	1×	1×	Short campaigns, frequent re-routing
DA-92 alumina tiles	8–15×	3–6×	≈ 1.5–2.5×	Budget-driven sliding wear, large areas
DA-95 alumina tiles	10–18×	4–8×	≈ 2–3×	Faster streams, finer grain needed
DA-SC-R reaction-bonded SiC	10–20×	8–15×	≈ 4–6×	Severe erosion where downtime dominates

How to read this honestly

These multiples are typical for well-matched duty — they are not a guarantee, and any supplier who quotes a lifetime in months without seeing your particle size distribution, solids content and velocity is guessing. What we will do is run the calculation that actually matters: a lined pipe that costs 3× more and lasts 10× longer also saves nine change-outs, nine shutdowns and the labour that goes with them. Send the duty data and we will put your numbers in the table.

Where it is used

Industries Served

Mining

Mining & Mineral Processing

Tailings and concentrate lines, thickener underflow, cyclone feed and overflow, mill discharge, pump stations.

Power

Power Generation

FGD slurry circulation, ash and hydraulic handling lines, burner and pulveriser wear parts.

Metallurgy

Steel & Metallurgy

Sinter and pellet handling, slag and dust chutes, coke and flux conveying — with high-temperature grades where needed.

Cement

Cement & Aggregates

Clinker and raw-meal ducting, separator and fan housings, conveyor and transfer-point liners.

Dredging

Dredging & Ports

Suction and delivery pipe sections, splash-zone liners, shiploader and reclaimer wear surfaces.

General industry

Bulk Handling

Hoppers, bunkers, vibratory feeders, screw conveyors and any surface where steel wears faster than the maintenance schedule allows.

Next step

What We Need to Quote a Lining

Six duty parameters turn an enquiry into a quotable, engineered package — the same ones our engineers ask for on every wear project.

Throughput and particle size distribution (top size matters most)
Solids content and slurry density
Line velocity, and where the direction changes
Temperature and chemistry (pH, reagents)
Impact events — lumps, drops, loading machinery
Target life and current steel consumption

Read the full selection guide →

Ceramic-lined slurry pipeline in a mineral processing plant

FAQ

Wear Ceramics, Answered

Alumina tiles or reaction-bonded SiC — which one for my pipeline?

Let velocity, particle size and impact decide. Below roughly 3–4 m/s with particles under 5 mm, DA-92/DA-95 alumina tiles are the industry default and the cheapest per tonne conveyed. Above that — pump internals, cyclone apexes, severe elbows, coarse or sharp particles — DA-SC-R reaction-bonded SiC wins on life because it has almost no porosity and no grout lines to fail.

How much longer than steel will a lined pipe last?

In well-matched sliding-abrasion duty, alumina tiles typically last 8–15 times as long as bare steel, and reaction-bonded SiC 10–20 times as long; in severe slurry duty the multiples fall but remain substantial. These are typical ranges, not a guarantee — the honest way to get a number is to send your particle size distribution, solids content and velocity so we can calculate cost per tonne conveyed rather than quote a slogan.

Can you reline existing pipes and chutes, or only supply new assemblies?

Both. Existing equipment is routinely re-tiled on site or in our workshop: surfaces are cleaned and prepared, new DA-92/DA-95 tiles are bonded, stud-welded or bolted on, and worn sections are replaced tile by tile so the rest of the lining stays in service. For cast reaction-bonded SiC, parts are supplied as replacement segments sized to the existing housing.

What is the maximum temperature for a ceramic-lined pipe?

It is set by the fixing system more than the ceramic. Alumina tiles bond with high-temperature adhesives or mechanical fixing are comfortable to roughly 200–400 °C in continuous service depending on the system; reaction-bonded SiC is a monolithic ceramic and handles far higher temperatures. Above 400 °C, or under severe thermal cycling, tell us the duty — the right answer is usually a different ceramic grade or a different fixing design, and quoting it without the temperature is how linings fall off.

How are the tiles fixed — glue, studs or bolts?

All three, chosen by temperature, impact and maintainability. High-temperature adhesive bonding suits most sliding-abrasion surfaces and keeps the lining thin. Stud-welded or mechanically anchored tiles are used where adhesives would creep, where the surface gets hot, or where tiles must be replaceable in the field. For high-impact areas, ceramic-rubber composite pads combine an impact-absorbing rubber layer with ceramic tiles.

Wear-Resistant Ceramics for Slurry Pipelines, Chutes and Cyclones

Short answer

One Is the Workhorse. One Is the Specialist.

Reaction-Bonded Silicon Carbide (DA-SC-R)

Alumina Wear Tiles 92% / 95% (DA-92 / DA-95)

Which Lining for Which Duty

Product Forms

Piping

Ceramic-Lined Pipe & Elbows

Linings

Wear Tiles & Liner Plates

Equipment parts

Cyclone, Pump & Nozzle Parts

Cost per Tonne Conveyed, Not Price per Pipe

How to read this honestly

Industries Served

Mining

Mining & Mineral Processing

Power

Power Generation

Metallurgy

Steel & Metallurgy

Cement

Cement & Aggregates

Dredging

Dredging & Ports

General industry

Bulk Handling

What We Need to Quote a Lining

Wear Ceramics, Answered

Send Us Your Duty Data