Silicon nitride, as one of the most important structural ceramics, is widely used in wear-resistant and high-temperature applications.
Automotive Silicon
nitride is currently used primarily in the automotive industry. This material is used in engine parts and accessories, including turbochargers to reduce inertia and reduce engine latency and emissions, glow plugs to speed up starting, exhaust gas control valves to increase acceleration, and rocker arms linings for gas engines to reduce wear. Regulatory limits on engine emissions and rising fuel costs are driving the use of silicon nitride in the automotive industry. Each application in the automotive industry requires completely different but highly controlled performance to meet the requirements and achieve the greatest performance improvement compared to other materials.
Bearing Industry
Due to its superior impact resistance compared to other ceramics, silicon nitride is considered an extremely promising material for the manufacture of high-performance all-ceramic or hybrid steel-ceramic rolling bearings. Due to its exceptional strength, toughness, and resistance to chemical and thermal factors, silicon nitride provides significant benefits by increasing the fatigue life of the contacts. As a low-density material, silicon nitride can significantly reduce the dynamic load of ball contact in very high-speed systems, such as gas turbine engines. The material is also used in harsh lubrication and wear conditions, including extreme temperatures, large temperature differences, ultra-high vacuum, as well as in safety-critical applications, allowing the material to meet specific requirements, such as aircraft maintenance. Silicon nitride bearings, which exhibit outstanding performance under extreme conditions, are expected to be widely adopted in many industrial fields.
