Tribological behavior of silicon nitride and carbon based filler composites – a review

Abstract

Silicon nitride is a structural ceramic material which has been applied in many engineering structures where hardness, high flexural strength, resistance to oxidation and brittleness are required. High brittleness, low fracture toughness and low electrical conductivity limit its use in many sectors. Silicon nitride is one of the best candidates for tribological application and can be used in many sectors such as automotive and aerospace sectors. Carbon nanofillers, e.g. graphene and carbon nanotubes (CNT), possess remarkable electrical and thermal properties as well as excellent mechanical properties compared to conventional ceramic composites. Tailoring the tribological properties of Si3N4 by introducing the carbon nanometric reinforcement is becoming the popular. This review paper summarizes the advances of carbon nanofiller (CNTs and graphene) reinforced Si3N4 composites which can assist the ceramists to develop the Si3N4 composites with improved tribological properties.