2 - Self-healing ceramic coatings

Abstract

Generally, all man-made engineered materials exhibit superior mechanical properties that often exceed native materials. However, all such engineered materials lack the potential to self-heal, that is, the ability to eliminate or neutralize microcracks without deliberate human intervention. The damage prevention paradigm that underpins all modern engineering material optimization efforts has unintentionally resulted in this limitation. The utilization of self-healing ceramic coatings and composites such as Al2O3/SiC, SiC/Si-B-C, and cerium (Ce)-incorporated niobium oxide (Nb2O5) bioceramics, which automatically repair the damaged part by physical and chemical reaction and recover compromised strength, has been reviewed. This chapter gives an overview of the most significant research in the design and exploration of ceramic coatings that are utilized to develop smart surfaces that can modify their chemistry and structure to attain the required functionalities, followed by a brief overview of their self-healing mechanisms.