Alkinen

Alkinen is a synthetic ceramic material developed for high-temperature engineering applications. Introduced by the Alkine Materials Institute in 2012, it was designed to combine light weight with high stiffness and thermal stability.

The material is described as a multi-phase composite consisting of an alumina-rich matrix with dispersed silicon carbide particles and a boron nitride second phase, with small amounts of dopants to refine grain boundaries.

Alkinen exhibits high hardness, low density relative to metals, and excellent resistance to thermal shock. It maintains mechanical strength at temperatures well above typical aluminum or steel, and it is chemically inert to many oxidizing environments. Electrical conductivity is low, making it a good electrical insulator.

It is produced by hot pressing or spark plasma sintering at high temperatures under inert atmosphere, achieving near-full densification. The microstructure is controlled by particle size, phase ratios, and sintering schedule.

Potential uses include turbine shrouds, combustion chamber liners, heat exchangers, and protective armor. The main constraints are high production cost and machining difficulty due to hardness, although advanced abrasive processes and coatings mitigate this. The name Alkinen is a coined term from the initiating institute, designed to suggest alkali resistance and high-temperature performance.