There are huge numbers of publications and data available on ceramics, especially the basic types that cover their friction, wear, tribological mechanisms, high-temperature behavior, tribochemistry, and also lubrication conditions. This article summarizes the key overall research findings found in several comprehensive monographs. It discusses the types and properties of structural ceramics, as well as typical properties that govern the friction and wear of ceramics. The article reviews the superlow friction of silicon nitride and silicon carbide, and describes wear-protective hydrated tribochemical layers. It concludes with information on the tribological applications of structural ceramics and composites.

This article reviews high-temperature corrosion of furnace parts used in heat-treating furnaces. It provides a comparison of cast and wrought materials in the context of their general considerations, advantages, and applications. The article provides information on the heat-resistant alloys used for parts that go through the furnaces, including trays, fixtures, conveyor chains and belts, and quenching fixtures and parts, and the parts that remain in the furnace such as combustion tubes, radiant tubes, burners, thermowells, roller and skid rails, baskets, pots, retorts, muffles, and drive and idler drums. The article also reviews the material characteristics of silicon/silicon carbide composite and reaction-bonded silicon carbide as used in radiant tubes.

This article focuses on the production methods, properties, and applications of two main types of commercially available continuous-length ceramic fibers, namely, oxide fibers based on the alumina-silica system and on alpha-alumina, and nonoxide fibers based primarily on beta-phase silicon carbide. It provides a discussion on factors that are considered in understanding thermostructural capability of ceramic fiber for high-temperature ceramic-matrix composites (CMC) applications. The article tabulates other commercial oxide and nonoxide fiber types for CMC reinforcement.

This article focuses on the production of particulate reinforcements that are used in discontinuously reinforced metal-matrix composite (DRMMC) materials systems, their physical and materials properties, and the particle shape and overall morphology. The most common DRMMC materials systems used for aerospace structural applications are silicon carbide and boron carbide particulate reinforcement in an aluminum alloy matrix. The article concludes with information on reinforcement chemistry for designing DRMMC materials systems.

This article discusses the properties and uses of structural ceramics and the basic processing steps by which they are made. It describes raw material preparation, forming and fabrication, thermal processing, and finishing. It provides information on the composition, microstructure, and properties of aluminum oxides, aluminum titanate, silicon carbide, boron carbide, zirconia, silicon nitride, silicon-aluminum-oxynitride, and several ceramic composites. It also explains how these materials maintain their mechanical strength and dimensional tolerances at high temperatures and how some of their shortcomings are being addressed.

Ceramics are materials with the potential for a wide range of high-speed finishing operations and for high removal rate machining of difficult-to-machine materials. This article describes the production process, composition, properties, and applications of ceramic tool materials. It presents a comprehensive discussion on the properties and composition of alumina-base tool materials, including alumina and titanium carbide, alumina-zirconia, and silicon carbide whisker reinforced alumina, and silicon nitride base tool materials.

This article is an atlas of fractographs that helps in understanding the causes and mechanisms of fracture of two types of ceramics, namely, boron- and carbon-doped silicon carbide.