Sintered Alpha Silicon Carbide Pump Bearings - Tribological Materials Optimization To Improve Reliability

Abstract

The material properties of sintered silicon carbide, such as universal corrosion resistance, hardness, strength, and thermal conductivity, offer a great potential as sealless pump bearings and mechanical seal faces. In order to exploit the positive properties of pure silicon carbide, one also has to deal with its most negative property, brittleness. The brittleness requires knowledgeable ceramic design combined with appropriate material properties as the necessary requirements for reliable performance of a ceramic component. Both materials properties and design features are discussed with regard to the successful application of sintered silicon carbide as sealless pump bearings.