Formless Materials
Prokem (Corrosion Protection) Ltd
Coatings & linings
www.Prokem-Corrosion-Protection.co.uk
Chemical protection systems
Prokem (Corrosion Protection) Ltd has more than 30 years’ experience in the
protection of surfaces from chemical, thermal and mechanical attack.
The company provides systems and services for a range of clients within the
petrochemical, steel, paper, power, water, food, beverage and engineering
industries.
Prokem’s range of systems includes seamless coatings for protecting floors
and walls against aggressive chemicals; screeds for floors, pits, channels and
bunds; acid- and chemical-resistant tiling; and glass flake linings.
Prokem (Corrosion Protection) Ltd
60 Main Road
Holmesfield
Dronfield
Nr Sheffield S18 7WT
t: 0114 289 9281
[email protected]
Morgan brings industryleading ceramics to
HIFU transducers
Morgan Advanced Materials, widely
acknowledged as a global leader in
ceramics and other advanced materials,
has announced that it now has the
capability to design and manufacture
components for use in high intensity
focused ultrasound (HIFU) technologies,
particularly in medical applications.
Morgan is producing HIFU ultrasound
transducers in a range of shapes and
geometries, from 5mm to 150mm in
diameter and with frequencies between
200kHz and 8MHz. The transducers are
made from a modified range of hard
piezoelectric (PZT) materials, which
have been developed from Morgan’s own
proprietary range of ceramics. Other
piezoelectric formulations are available
on request depending on the ultrasonic
power level required in the application.
HIFU is used in a range of applications,
including the treatment of uterine fibroids,
cancer research and cosmetic therapies.
In HIFU, ultrasound beams emanate from
the PZT transducer, heating or agitating
the target tissue. As a result, the tissue is
64
PECM Issue 18
destroyed by coagulation necrosis.
The operating frequencies used can vary
widely, according to the area of the body
being treated. In general, the lower the
frequency, the deeper the penetration
of the focused ultrasound; cysts, for
example, require lower frequencies, from
250KHz to 2MHz. Higher frequencies, of
6MHz and above, are typically used to
treat forehead skin, close to the skull.
HIFU. “Many of our exclusive, proprietary
materials have qualities that are very
helpful in HIFU. For example PZT401
offers a good compromise between high
permittivity, low dielectric losses, high
density, high piezoelectric activity and a
high mechanical factor.
In cosmetic medicine, HIFU has been
cleared to treat subcutaneous tissues
for the purpose of body contouring, also
known as non-invasive liposuction.
The use of HIFU is not restricted to
medicine; in industrial settings, it is used
to break off solids or agglomerations of
compounds. In some water treatment
plants, for example, HIFU is used to
destroy soils and promote the process of
osmosis that purifies the water.
“This combination makes a transducer
that is extremely efficient, and maximises
the propagation of ultrasound wave
energy. Another ceramic, PZT807, is
excellent where higher HIFU power levels
are needed, because it offers even lower
dielectric losses, which means that it
can be driven at higher frequencies and
voltages, without causing self-heating
of the transducer. PZT807 is also very
dense and has low porosity, so is ideal for
machining in thin components,” he added.
Frédéric Pimparel, Technical Application
Manager for Morgan Advanced Materials
explains, several of Morgan’s cutting
edge ceramics are particularly suitable for
For more information, please visit www.
morgantechnicalceramics.com/HIFU