Technical Ceramics Lapping

Indoor Air Quality Concerns

Engine components, space shuttle tiles, medical implants, and cutting tools are all industrial objects that have been made, in part, with technical ceramics. For technical ceramics to be usable, a fine finishing process, called lapping, must be employed. When done properly, the number of products that can be manufactured is endless. This technology comes at a cost, however, unless specific indoor air quality (IAQ) actions are practiced.

Technical Ceramics Lapping Defined

Technical ceramics, also known as engineering ceramics, are valued for their electrical and geothermal elements, as well as their hardiness and resistance to high temperatures. They are non-metallic, inorganic matter engineered from refined raw materials. 

Lapping is a machining process that uses polishing abrasives to achieve highly precise surface finishes. Unlike grinding, which is used to remove finishes and change the shape of large-scale materials, the primary purpose of lapping is to improve the smoothness and flatness of a given object.

Post WWI, the manufacture of engineering ceramics used silicon carbide and sapphire parts for refinishing. Due to its solidity, technical ceramics require additional methods because traditional machining cannot process them. By the 1960s, lapping became the preferred method of advanced polishing for industrial purposes.

IAQ Concerns from Technical Ceramics Lapping

Made of nitrides, oxides, carbides, among other elements, the ingredients in technical ceramics include potentially hazardous ingredients such as manganese, chromium, and silicon. During the lapping process, microscopic particles are generated. This dust (fine particulate matter) becomes airborne and can be inhaled by nearby workers.

The illness risks are considerable. Consider these examples of technical ceramics ingredients and their resulting health threats:

Aluminum – neurological dysfunction, bone disease

Cobalt – asthma, heart failure

Lead – respiratory and systemic disorders

Crystalline Silica – lung disease, cancer

Tungsten – respiratory distress, lung disease

The list of health problems caused by technical ceramic dust emissions goes far beyond what is listed above. But the occupational risk stemming from technical ceramics lapping need not be a concern if proper mitigation strategies are in place.

Control Measures

In addition to traditional health and safety protocols, such as the use of PPE (personal protective equipment), safe handling of dry materials, workplace cleanliness, and proper ventilation, there is another important step in ensuring worker safety. Businesses can go a step further by installing air quality monitors and using air cleaning equipment to remove emissions before they become a health risk.

At AIR Systems, Inc, we serve our customers in the technical ceramics industry by providing indoor air quality management solutions in addition to our stellar IAQ products. Our industrial E-1400 Oil Mist Collector and SP-4000BWC Portable Air Cleaner are examples of products we provide to remove toxic ceramic dust from the manufacturing floor. Contact us today for a free air quality assessment with one of our skilled and experienced environmental specialists.

E-1400 Oil Mist Collector

$5,943.00

The E-1400 Oil Mist Collector is ideal for capturing and removing hazardous byproducts of metalworking applications such as cutting, sawing, polishing, and grinding. Minimizing exposure to oils, coolants, lubricants, and other contaminants in metalworking is crucial for safeguarding the health of workers.

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SP-4000BWC Portable Air Cleaner

$9,576.00

The SP-4000BWC operates by collecting the contaminants though an 8” diameter by 7’ long externally-supported, articulating fume extractor arm that filters particulate through a 10-Pocket Bag Filter. Harmful vapors are contained by a refillable chemical adsorption module containing activated carbon.

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