Progress on the Regulation of Tribological Properties of Ceramics

In addition, the judicious introduction of pores can accommodate wear debris and inhibit three-body abrasive wear, thereby reducing surface friction and material loss, although pores may compromise load-bearing capacity. Second-phase incorporation, which introduces toughening or solid-lubricating phases into the ceramic matrix, can more effectively enhance tribological performance compared with microstructural optimization.

Toughening phases, such as particles, whiskers, and fibers, inhibit friction-induced brittle failure on ceramic surfaces through mechanisms including plastic deformation, crack bridging, and crack deflection, thereby improving wear resistance. Solid lubricants—including 2D materials, soft metals, metal oxides, and fluorides—form protective tribofilms, thereby reducing friction and wear at the contact interface.

However, second-phase incorporation may reduce the load-bearing capacity and mechanical strength of ceramic materials, whereas bioinspired lamellar architectures can partially mitigate this limitation while achieving a favorable balance between strength and lubrication. Surface modification, which involves constructing functional coatings or fabricating surface textures on the surface of ceramic components, enhances surface hardness, alters contact mechanics, and regulates interactions with lubricants to achieve friction reduction and wear resistance.

It should be noted that under high loads and prolonged service, coatings and textures may gradually wear or even crack and delaminate. We systematically summarize the technical features, underlying mechanisms, development status, and limitations of these methods, and highlight that a single strategy alone is often insufficient to meet future engineering demands. Finally, we discuss the future prospects for multi-strategy synergistic approaches and bioinspired designs, providing guidance for the rational design and engineering of high-performance ceramic materials and components.