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Advanced Ceramics in Automotive Technology

Advanced ceramics have properties that make them useful for automotive applications such as high strength and ability to operate at high temperatures. Some examples of advanced ceramics used in automobiles are zirconium oxide for exhaust gas valves and bearings due to its high temperature resistance, silicon nitride for components experiencing high impact stresses due to its high strength and density, and silicate ceramics for catalytic converters due to their ability to form small channels for exhaust gas. Advanced ceramics are tested for properties like flexural strength and have advantages over traditional ceramics like metals in applications that require high temperatures and strengths.

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Syafiq Nasir
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78 views

Advanced Ceramics in Automotive Technology

Advanced ceramics have properties that make them useful for automotive applications such as high strength and ability to operate at high temperatures. Some examples of advanced ceramics used in automobiles are zirconium oxide for exhaust gas valves and bearings due to its high temperature resistance, silicon nitride for components experiencing high impact stresses due to its high strength and density, and silicate ceramics for catalytic converters due to their ability to form small channels for exhaust gas. Advanced ceramics are tested for properties like flexural strength and have advantages over traditional ceramics like metals in applications that require high temperatures and strengths.

Uploaded by

Syafiq Nasir
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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1.

0 Details on Advanced Ceramics in Automotive


Advanced ceramics has been one of the highest demand in the present technologies. Ceramics
materials can be insulator, conductor and semi-conductor. Ceramics material can also act as
ferroelectrics without the present communication technology could be poor. The properties of
structural ceramics with the capability to operate at temperature better than metals. A few
examples involving the structural applications are engine components, cutting tools, valves,
bearings and chemical process equipment or electrical component that have a low thermal
expansion coefficient and high thermal conductivity such as superconductors, substrates,
magnets and capacitors.

Talking about advanced ceramics, it is much differ than the traditional ceramics which
are brick and porcelain. The properties that can be differentiated includes:

Advanced ceramics Comparison Traditional ceramics


High Strength Low
High Operating Temperatures Low
High Toughness Low
Yes Tailorable properties No
Table 1: Comparison of Advanced Ceramics and Traditional Ceramics
Advanced ceramics or known as engineering ceramics, the materials are substitution metals
applied which the density is reduced and the melting point is higher which increasing the
operation speed and efficiency. Advanced ceramics are self-bonded which the grain boundaries
are joined at same energy equilibrium level causing the metal grains to bond together.

1.1 Testing of Advanced Ceramics

Flectural strength or Modulus of Rupture(MOR) is the test to measure the ceramics


strength for critical, high strength application. The ceramics as specimen in the form of
rectangular plate is supported at near end where the load(bending) is applied. The load
is increase until the specimen totally rupture. Two types of loading condition:

a) Three point test- load applied at one point midway between two support
b) Four point test -load applied two point in equal distance from support

In term of property value of advanced ceramics, some sources or published


value may be misleading. The data may be valid because it only represent some certain
measurement method of a material at a time For example, thermal conductivity values
depends highly on microscopic and macroscopic characteristics such as crystal
structure and orientation. The porosity of ceramics can affect the thermal conductivity
depends on a few factors.

Figure 1: Classification of Ceramics


1.2 Advanced ceramics in Automotive Technology
In automotive technology involving the application of advanced ceramics, Alumina efficacy
include sensor components along with rotary gate valves and wear components for a broad
range of pumps. Silicon carbide dominates the coolant pump market as bearing and material
for sealant due to its best thermal conductivity. The high-quality material’s mechanical and
thermal properties offer more dependable operation than other solutions.

a) Zirconium Oxide for Exhaust gas valves and Bearings

Part of the hot exhaust gas emission will be fed back into intake port and the
combustion should be accordance to EU exhaust emission standards. As the
temperature exceeds 450 C near the engine, it can cause a failure if the valve can’t
withstand the hot temperature. So, material such as ZiO is an ideal material because
of its thermal expansion coefficients similar to the steel.

Besides, ZiO is easy to combine with steel where it can be use to produce
frictional bearings. Temperature resistance and positive tribological properties
obtained through coupling of ZiO and steel enable high temperature bearing with
the absence of lubricant such as grease.

Figure 2: Gas valve Figure 3: Ball bearing

b) Silicon Nitride for dynamic applications

The mechanical properties will helps the material to be used in applications with
high or impact contact stress as well as the density which providing additional
benefits in dynamic applications. These characteristics make silicon nitrode the
ideal material for executing automobile manufacturer’s to cut cost for example in
reducing engine size while they can increase the power density.
Figure 4: Engine CAM Roller (Valve train)
c) Silicate ceramics for catalytic converter

Catalytic converter is standard in exhaust gas purification. When temperature


surpassing 250 C and with a balanced ratio of air and fuel during the complete
combustion, catalytic converters will eliminate the existence of Hydrocarbons,
Nitrous Oxide and Carbon Monoxide. The basic build of catalytic converter
comprises silicate ceramic body with thousands of small channel flooded with
exhaust gas. The catalytic layer with platinum and rhodium is located on alumina
coating.

Besides, silicates are also used to produce socket for halogen lamp. The reason
why plastics are not suitable for the socket is that it is unable to withstand a high
temperature. Next, piezoceramics used in vehicle engineering as actuators, to
control ABS, diesel as well as fuel injection valves.

Figure 5: Catalytic converter comprises with ceramic honeycomb


1.3 Details on Zirconium Dioxide(ZrO2) as ceramic application in Automotive

From the previous sub topics, Zirconium Dioxide is the material used in
automotive engineering. Operation of combustion engines is the part where the
exhaust gas was cleaned and it is converted into non-hazardous substances to
the environment. That is the reason catalytic converter is introduced.

The functional element consist of honeycomb body made form


cordierite coated with Al2O3, other oxides including catalytically active metal
in platinum group and alloy. The permissible optimum temperature for
combustion should be around 500 C to CO2, H2O and N2. The ratio of air and
fuel will be controlled with help of sensor which mainly made from solid
electrolyte from ZrO2 ceramic or in today’s application it is called Y-TZP.

By the way, catalytic converter cant be said to be practical for diesel


engines because the excess of O2, NOx which is also not reduced to N2. But,
with proper technical measure NOx can be achieved. The physical,
microstructure and the fabrication process will be discuss further in the next
topics.

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