science

Macor

Macor is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Macor rather than just read about it. In short: Macor is the trademark for a machinable glass-ceramic developed and sold by Corning Inc. It is a white material that looks somewhat like porcelain.

Key takeaways

Macor belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Macor to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Macor from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Macor is the trademark for a machinable glass-ceramic developed and sold by Corning Inc. It is a white material that looks somewhat like porcelain. Macor is a good thermal insulator and is stable up to temperatures of 1000 °C, with very little thermal expansion or outgassing. It can be machined using standard metalworking tools.

Composition Macor is made up of fluorphlogopite mica in a borosilicate glass matrix. Its composition is roughly: 46 wt% silica (SiO2), 17 wt% magnesium oxide (MgO), 16 wt% aluminium oxide (Al2O3), 10 wt% potassium oxide (K2O), 7 wt% boron trioxide (B2O3), 4 wt% fluorine (F).

Properties Macor has a density of 2.52 g/cm3, a Young's modulus of 66.9 GPa at 25 °C, a specific stiffness of 26.55×106 m2s−2, a Poisson’s Ratio of 0.29 and a thermal conductivity of 1.46 W/(m·K). It has a low-temperature (25 to 300 °C) thermal expansion of 9.3×10−6 K−1. Its compressive strength is 50×103 lb/in2 (~350 MPa). Nominal engineering properties are comparable to borosilicate glass. Extremely machinable, Macor offers tight-tolerance capabilities, allowing complicated shape design (optimal performances up to ±0.013 mm for dimensions, < 0.5 μm for finished surface and up to 0.013 μm for polished surface). Macor remains continuously stable at 800 °C, with a maximum peak at 1000 °C under no load, and unlike ductile materials, doesn’t creep or deform. Its coefficient of thermal expansion readily matches most metals and sealing glasses. As an electric insulator, particularly at high temperatures, it is excellent at high voltages and a broad spectrum of frequencies. Macor comes in a standard size maxi slab (about 36 cm × 36 cm × 6cm). Components, bars, rods and plates can be machined within the size of this slab (hand tools can be used).

Applications Macor is used in the following applications:

Constant and ultra-high vacuum environments Laser technology Semiconductor / electronic Aerospace / space Medical/ laboratory equipment Fixtures Chemical Automobile Military Nuclear

Safety There are no major safety concerns or toxic effects associated with Macor. The dust created when machining it can be an irritant, and inhalation should be avoided.

Machining guidelines Key factors for successful machining are proper machining speeds and coolant. Macor can be machined with high-speed steel tools, but carbide tools are recommended for longer wear. Best results achieved by using a water-soluble coolant (such as Cimstar 40 – Pink) especially formulated for cutting and grinding glass or ceramics. No post-firing is required after machining.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Macor

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Macor claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Macor before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Macor ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Macor

In research: Macor appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Macor in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Macor is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Glass-ceramics, Glass trademarks and brands, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Macor outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Macor in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Macor means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Macor out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Macor in simple terms?

Macor is the trademark for a machinable glass-ceramic developed and sold by Corning Inc. It is a white material that looks somewhat like porcelain.

Why does Macor matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Macor?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Macor.