Application of Ceramic Fiber Boards in the Electronic Kiln Industry: Energy Efficiency and Industrial Green Upgrading

With the advancement of the electronics industry towards high-end and precision development, electronic kilns, as core thermal processing equipment in semiconductors, new energy materials, electronic ceramics, and other fields, are facing higher requirements for temperature uniformity, energy consumption control, and process stability. As a result, Fiber Board ceramic fiber boards, known for their lightweight, low thermal conductivity, and thermal shock resistance, are gradually replacing traditional refractory materials, becoming a key material for energy-saving retrofits in electronic kilns. This article analyzes the application scenarios, effectiveness, and development prospects of ceramic fiber boards in specific kiln types such as HTCC, MLCC, DBC sintering furnaces, and mesh belt furnaces.

I. Performance Advantages of Ceramic Fiber Boards

Ceramic fiber boards are rigid insulation materials made primarily from ceramic fibers through a wet vacuum forming process, offering the following core advantages:

Lightweight and Low Heat Storage: Density is only 1/5 to 1/10 of traditional refractory materials, significantly reducing the structural load on kilns and enabling lightweight equipment design.

Low Thermal Conductivity: Effectively blocks heat transfer, reducing heat loss, with energy savings exceeding 30%.

Excellent Thermal Stability: Resists rapid heating and cooling, with strong thermal shock resistance, suitable for the frequent start-stop requirements of electronic kilns.

Easy Installation: Customizable sizes and shapes, installation efficiency improved by over 50%, supporting the construction of complex furnace structures.

II. Specific Application Scenarios in Electronic Kilns

1. HTCC (High-Temperature Co-fired Ceramic) Sintering Furnaces
HTCC technology is widely used in high-reliability electronic packaging for aerospace, 5G communication, and other fields, with sintering temperatures reaching 1500–1650°C. As a lining material, ceramic fiber boards enhance process performance in the following ways:

• Temperature Uniformity Control: Ensures temperature variation within the kiln is ≤±2°C, preventing warping or delamination of multi-layer ceramic substrates due to uneven heating.

2. MLCC (Multi-layer Ceramic Capacitor) Sintering Furnaces
As core components of electronic devices, MLCCs place extremely high demands on the cleanliness and temperature precision of sintering furnaces. The application of ceramic fiber boards includes:

• Rapid Heating and Cooling: Heating rates improved by 30%–50%, shortening the sintering cycle of capacitor dielectric materials.
• Reduced Contamination Risk: Ceramic fiber boards contain no crystalline fibers, avoiding performance degradation of capacitors caused by debris from traditional materials.

3. DBC (Direct Bonded Copper) Process Furnaces
The DBC process requires eutectic bonding of copper and ceramics (e.g., alumina) at 1065°C, with strict requirements for atmosphere control and cooling rates:

• Controlled Cooling Design: Modular lining structures enable precise control of substrate cooling rates, reducing thermal stress cracking.

4. Mesh Belt Sintering Furnaces and Pusher Furnaces
In the batch sintering of electronic powder materials (e.g., magnetic materials, ceramic devices), ceramic fiber boards significantly improve the energy efficiency of continuous production:

Automation Compatibility: Compatible with mesh belt transmission systems (variable frequency speed regulation 0.1–5 m/min), ensuring stable workpiece conveyance and temperature uniformity (≤±5°C).

III. Empirical Data: Energy Savings and Efficiency Improvements

• Energy Consumption Comparison: After retrofitting an HTCC sintering furnace with ceramic fiber boards, an electronic ceramics enterprise achieved annual natural gas savings of 25%, reducing carbon emissions by 150 tons.
• Cost Optimization: Kiln lining thickness reduced by 40%, foundation costs decreased by 20%, and overall manufacturing costs dropped by 10%–15%.
• Efficiency Improvement: In MLCC sintering processes, heating speeds reached twice that of traditional kilns, production capacity increased by 30%, and maintenance cycles extended by 50%.

IV. Selection Guide: Scientifically Matching Process Requirements

Based on the operating temperature and atmosphere environment of electronic kilns, ceramic fiber boards require targeted selection:

• Density Range: Optimal bulk density is 180–240 kg/m³. Density that is too low may lead to erosion, while density that is too high may increase thermal conductivity.
• Temperature Adaptation:
  • Low and medium-temperature kilns (≤1000°C): Standard ceramic fiber boards (e.g., Type 1050).
  • High-temperature kilns (≥1200°C): High-alumina or zirconia-containing fiber boards, resistant to reducing atmospheres.
• Special Scenarios: Hydrogen atmosphere kilns require surface coating treatment to enhance resistance to airflow erosion.

V. Industry Prospects: Driven by Policy and Technology

1. Carbon Neutrality Policy Boost: The penetration rate of ceramic fiber boards in the electronic kiln sector is less than 1%, with vast substitution potential in high-energy-consumption industries such as petrochemicals and metallurgy.
2. Technological Iteration and Upgrades:
   • Microchannel Integration: HTCC processes combined with microchannel designs enhance the heat dissipation efficiency of high-power devices.
   • Thick-Film Lithography Technology: Drives MLCC sintering furnaces toward finer wiring (line width ≤30 μm).
3. Market Demand Expansion: During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the expansion of large-scale refining and chemical production capacity (doubling compared to the 13th Five-Year Plan) drives the demand for ceramic fibers, further increasing industry concentration.