Ceramic materials offer new and unique solutions to engine design issues. They offer advantages of lower density, excellent wear resistance, increased stiffness, low thermal expansion and more high temperature capability over the traditionally used metals. Since they involve new technology with its higher initial cost, it is necessary to use a system approach to obtain cost-effective applications that allow the replacement of one component and simplification of several others with equivalent or improved performance. The use of the ceramics requires consideration of reliability, defining the specification for good wear resistance, and controlling and reducing cost through optimization of the material for the application.
