si3n4 ceramic is one of the highest performing technical ceramics, with its outstanding compressive and flexural strengths, high fracture toughness, low friction coefficient and strong corrosion resistance making it an ideal engineering material for demanding applications. Its superior properties have led to extensive research and development in this area.

Advantages of silicon nitride

Silicon nitride (Si3N4) is one of the world’s hardest materials, with a tensile strength greater than ten times that of steel. It is also resistant to water, salt water and many acids and alkalis. This makes it an excellent choice for a wide variety of applications in the oil and gas industries, where extreme temperatures and harsh environments are often encountered.

The unique composition of silicon nitride also gives it high thermal shock resistance, allowing it to be used in applications such as 3D printing. This is due to the interlocking grain structure which retains its strength and hardness at high temperatures.

It is a non-porous, non-magentic and non-corrosive material. This allows it to be used in a wide range of applications where there is a need for minimal lubrication.

A number of ceramic bearings are available that are made from si3n4 ceramic. These can be precision turned and a variety of surface finishes can be achieved.

Rolling contact fatigue tests have shown that fully dense Si3N4 can outperform bearing steels. This is due to the fact that the material has a low density, which reduces the centrifugal stress on the outer races of rotating bodies at high speeds.