구조용 세라믹스의 자동차와 제조업에의 응용

Structural Ceramics for Automobiles and Industrial Application in Japan

The status of structural ceramics in Japan is presented. Use of ceramics for structural components had been limited due to their brittleness, and the successful application was wear resistant parts such as thread guides and ceramic cutting tools up to around 1980. Since then, considerable work has been done for applying ceramics to mechanical parts, and automotive components made of silicon nitride were developed and commercialized in 1980s. Unfortunately, the application of silicon nitride to automotive engines is not so popular in these days. Instead, a variety of structural ceramics such as alumina, silicon carbide and zirconia have recently extended the market, and the expanded application includes vacuum process parts for manufacturing semiconductor and liquid crystal devices, refractory tubes for casting aluminum alloy, and dies for optical lens forming. In addition, cordierite honeycombs and diesel particulate filters are widely used in automobiles. In the present review, the recent application of structural ceramics to automobiles and industries in Japan is summarized.