Cerabeads - Products - ITOCHU CERATECH CORPORATION

CERABEADS®

It is a highly functional spherical ceramic sand made from mullite. Its excellent properties, including high fluidity, low thermal expansion, and high heat resistance, help suppress various defects and improve product quality. It also contributes to reducing industrial waste due to its durability in long-term use. The extremely low content of crystalline silica minimizes the risk of health damage from dust.

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Features

Made in Japan
High durability in terms of abrasion resistance, crush resistance, and thermal shock resistance
Uniform composition
Very little thermal expansion
Stable particle size distribution and air permeability
Excellent fluidity and filling properties due to spherical shape
High heat resistance (SK37, 1825℃)
Very low in crystalline silica

Applications

Molding materials
Aggregates for
sand mold 3DP
Mold coating aggregates
Fillers
Fluidized bed media
Blast furnace setters
Ceramic filters, etc.

Particle Size Distribution

mesh /µm	36	50	70	100	140	200	280	PAN	AFS GFN
mesh /µm	+425	300	212	150	106	75	53	-53	AFS GFN
# 400	8.2	73.3	17.9	0.6					41.1
# 500	4.1	38.2	29.5	23.3	4.6	0.3			52.6
# 550	2.9	30.9	32.5	28.1	5.2	0.4			54.9
# 650		3.8	40.3	45.7	9.4	0.9			64.2
# 750		2.9	27.6	33.4	27.6	8.0	0.5		78.1
# 850		2.8	24.5	28.1	28.9	13.0	2.5	0.1	85.6
# 900		2.0	20.8	24.6	36.9	15.1	0.5		87.5
# 950		1.6	13.5	18.1	47.2	18.7	0.9		95.3
# 1450				4.2	69.9	24.1	1.8		110.2
# 1700					1.4	73.0	23.2	2.3	157.1

※ Please feel free to contact us as the available particle sizes vary depending on the product type.

Note: The values in the table are representative figures.

Comparison of Characteristics

	CERABEADS	High purity silica sand	Chromite sand	Zircon sand
Appearance
Mfg. Method	Artificial	Natural	Natural	Natural
Origin	Japan	Australia	South Africa	Australia, South Africa
Bulk density^※1 [g/cm³]	1.69	1.58	2.81	2.99
Refractoriness^※2 [-]	SK37（1825℃）	SK33（1730℃）	SK39（1880℃）	SK37（1825℃）
Thermal expansion^※3 [%]	Tr.	1.50	0.29	0.18
Main chemical components [%]	Al₂O₃ 61% SiO₂ 36%	SiO₂ 99% or more	Cr₂O₃ 45% Fe₂O₃ 25% Al₂O₃ 15% MgO 10%	ZrO₂ 66% SiO₂ 32%
Main constituent minerals^※4	Mullite	Quartz	Chromite	Zircon

※1 Cerabeads has a bulk density similar to silica sand after vibration, minimizing the impact on mold handling, unlike Chromite sand and Zircon sand.
Additionally, compared to Chromite sand and Zircon sand, they can produce nearly twice the number of molds per unit weight.

※2 With high refractoriness, Cerabeads is suitable for all types of castings, eliminating the need to change sand types based on material differences.

※3 Cerabeads has low thermal expansion, which can improve dimensional accuracy. (Measured using JACT M-2 testing method)

※4 Cerabeads is primarily composed of mullite minerals, which help reduce crystalline silica levels in the work environment.
Additionally, the densely sintered mullite crystals formed at high temperatures exhibit excellent crush resistance, contributing effectively to the reduction of industrial waste.

Note: The values in the table are representative figures.

CERABEADS (NCB)

NCB is used in various fields, including the casting industry, as fillers, and for biomass applications. In the casting industry, it contributes to high product quality due to its properties such as high heat resistance and low thermal expansion. Additionally, because it does not contain carcinogenic substances, there are many cases of switching from silica sand.

CERABEADS-ES (CB-ES)

CB-ES is Cerabeads® developed to have higher strength and higher fillability, while maintaining the characteristics of NCB. It is effective in reducing the amount of resin added and reducing gas defects.

CERABEADS-X (CB-X)

CB-X is Cerabeads® compatible with the furan process in the casting industry. It exhibits sufficient strength in the furan process while maintaining the characteristics of NCB. It is widely used in sand mold 3D printers due to its excellent fluidity.

CERABEADS-M (CB-M)

CB-M is Cerabeads® compatible with inorganic processes in the casting industry. It exhibits higher strength in inorganic processes while maintaining the characteristics of NCB.It demonstrates strength in repeated use as it hardly wears even with vigorous regeneration.

Mullite Ball (MB)

MB has a larger particle size while retaining the characteristics of NCB, minimizing losses due to dust collection.
In addition, even when mixed with other sand, it can be easily separated by sieving.

Features

Made in Japan
High heat resistance (SK37, 1825℃)
Uniform composition
High durability in terms of abrasion resistance, crush resistance, and thermal shock resistance
Large particle size allows for sieving
Very little thermal expansion
High permeability
Excellent fluidity and filling properties due to spherical shape

Applications

Mold materials
Filler materials
Fluidized bed media
Ceramic filters, etc.

Particle Size Distribution

mesh /µm	12	14	18.5	28	36	50	70	100	-100	AFS GFN
mesh /µm	1400	1140	850	600	425	300	212	150	-150	AFS GFN
1.4-0.6 mm	2.0	22.0	52.0	23.0	1.0					12.0
1.0-0.2 mm	Tr.	1.0	7.0	29.0	40.0	19.0	3.0	1.0	Tr.	28.0

※ It is completely made to order. Please feel free to contact us for custom orders.

Note: The values in the table are representative figures.

Comparison of Characteristics

	Mullite Ball	CERABEADS	High purity silica sand	Chromite sand
Appearance
Mfg. Method	Artificial	Artificial	Natural	Natural
Origin	Japan	Japan	Australia	South Africa
AFS particle size index^※1 [-]	12	60	60	60
Bulk density^※2 [g/cm³]	1.63	1.69	1.58	2.81
Crushing resistance^※3 (AFS GFN change ratio after 60 min crushing treatment)	1.06	1.04	1.25	1.23
Main chemical components [%]	Al₂O₃ 61% SiO₂ 36%	Al₂O₃ 61% SiO₂ 36%	SiO₂ 99% or more	Cr₂O₃ 45% Fe₂O₃ 25% Al₂O₃ 15% MgO 10%
Main constituent minerals^※4	Mullite	Mullite	Quartz	Chromite

※1 Mullite Ball has larger particle size compared to common foundry sand, making separation by sieving easy.

※2 Mullite Ball has a bulk density close to that of silica sand after vibration filling, ensuring minimal impact on mold handling during silica sand replacement.

※3 Both Mullite Ball and Cerabeads exhibit high crush resistance compared to other natural sands, maintaining high sand yield even with repeated use.
(Measured using JACT S-6 test method.)

※4 Because the main constituent mineral of Mullite Ball is mullite, it reduces the amount of crystalline silica in the work environment.

Note: The values in the table are representative figures.