THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SURFACE MODIFICATION ON THE TRIBOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF SiC AND Si3N4 CERAMICS
The reduction in friction and the enhancement in wear resistance of ceramic-based components are considered to be necessary from a point of view energy saving and environmental protection. In this study, therefore, we demonstrated the new way of controlling the unlubricated tribological properties of SiC and Si3N4 ceramics by UNSM technique. This opens new possibilities for hard brittle ceramics as a potential materials for various applications, where Si is the most common material but has very poor fracture toughness, and poor friction and wear properties. Hence, the main aim of this study is to extend the applicable range of UNSM technique for hard ceramics. As a comparison, the structural, nanomechanical and unlubricated tribological properties of untreated SiC and Si3N4 ceramics were also investigated under identical test conditions.