Tribology of ceramics and ceramic matrix composites

Abstract

Ceramic materials are well suited for tribological applications due to their superior hardness, high wear resistance, good chemical resistance, stability at high temperatures, etc. Ceramic pairs are commonly used in extreme environmental applications, such as high loads, high speeds, high temperatures and corrosive environments. This present chapter briefly discusses the friction and wear behaviour of ceramics and ceramic matrix composites. Friction of ceramics depends largely on fracture toughness besides normal load, sliding speed, temperature, etc. Wear mechanisms in ceramics involve fracture, tribo-chemical effects and plastic flow. In case of ceramic matrix composites, the incorporation of the secondary phase into ceramic matrix results in the improvement of both mechanical properties and friction performance. In nano-ceramics, reduction in microstructural scale yields significant improvements in wear resistance. Tribological behaviour of ceramics in biological environment is also highlighted.