Fabrication and wear properties of TiN nanoparticle-dispersed Si3N4 ceramics

TiN particle-dispersed Si3N4 ceramics are applied to bearing materials because of their excellent mechanical and thermal properties, chemical stability, etc. In particular, hybrid bearings composed Of Si3N4 ceramics and metals are more popular because of low production costs. In such hybrid bearings, control of abrasive wear of metals by hard TiN particles is required. The objective of this study is development of TiN nanoparticle-dispersed Si3N4 ceramics that cause low damage to the mating metals. In order to disperse TiN nanoparticles in Si3N4 ceramics, TiO2 nanoparticles and Si3N4 particles were mixed by mechanical treatment. TEM observation showed that TiO2 nanoparticles were directly bonded to submicron Si3N4 particles. Si3N4 ceramics in which TiN nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed were fabricated using the composite particles. The amount of damage caused by the Si3N4 ceramics with TiN nanoparticles, developed in this study, to the mating metals in ballon-disk test is comparable to damage caused by the Si3N4 ceramics without TiN particles. (c) 2008 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.