ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the results of a systematic study conducted to evaluate the feasibility of achieving a low-friction coefficient in self-lubricating ceramic matrix composites. The feasibility of lubricating different ceramic matrices with intercalated several solid lubricants was investigated. Several researches indicated that Ni3Al may be an excellent matrix for high-temperature self-lubricating composite owing to its high-temperature strength, good-oxidation resistance, and corrosion-resistance behavior. High-performance alumina ceramic composites are potential candidates for the application of wear-resistance components because of their excellent properties. A large number of problems remain, such as high friction coefficient of high-purity alumina ceramic and poor mechanical properties of ceramic–matrix self-lubricating materials, which limit a wider range of applications of these composites in tribological areas. Tetragonal zirconia polycrystals stabilized by yttria present a good combination of fracture toughness and bending strength, which is related to the stress-induced phase transformation of tetragonal ZrO2 into monoclinic symmetry.
