Powertrain

Extend Powertrain Life & Reliability with Engineered Ceramics

Engine and drivetrain suppliers are using engineered ceramic components to improve the performance, lifetime, and reliability of automobile engines and drivetrains — including balls, bearings, seals, and valves.

Automotive Balls & Bearings

Engineered technical ceramic balls and bearings are ideal for automotive drivetrain components — helping engines run longer, smoother and cooler. Cerbec® balls and bearings made with CoorsTek silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) are inherently lighter, stiffer, smoother, harder, corrosion resistant, and require less lubrication than their steel counterparts. This means Cerbec bearings can run at higher speeds and higher operating temperatures with lower torque. 

• Fuel injector valves
• Seat belt bearings

Electric Vehicle Components

Technical ceramics extend system life, improve range, and increase safety—reshaping the possible in battery electric vehicle (BEV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), and fuel cell vehicle (FCV) systems. CoorsTek technical ceramics provide necessary material properties such as high thermal conductivity and dielectric strength to help ensure safe and efficient operation. 

Hard Face Seal Components

In automobile fluid controls, advanced ceramic seals provide long-life, high-reliability performance. Hard face seal components are used in critical-duty applications such as:

• Fuel pump seals
• Water pump seals 

 

METAL FOUNDRY FILTERS

CoorsTek Flow-Rite® ceramic filters remove particulate from molten metal used for automotive castings such as engine blocks and heads, axle and transmission housings, and more. These thermally stable alumina-silicate components provide superior filtration of iron, aluminum, and steel castings at foundries worldwide. Learn more

SOLUBLE CASTING CORES

Ceramic cores are used as "salt cores" or sacrificial structures to form cavities for precise, complex shapes in automotive investment casting processes. For example, piston rings for automotive engines require precision geometries and features for low-friction, good-sealing, long-life performance  — using ceramic cores for tight tolerances and precise features. CoorsTek ceramic cores are engineered for precision tolerance, high thermal stability, low thermal expansion, and soluble removal.

 

Valves

CoorsTek engineered ceramic valve components stand up to the high-cycle, harsh environments of automobile powertrain and fluid control valve applications including:

• Chassis leveling valves
• Metering valve plungers
• Fuel injector valve assemblies
• Rotary & slide valves   

Engine Components

CoorsTek engineered ceramic components are critical in the most severe automotive powertrain applications — delivering superior reliability and useful life in high temperature, high stress, and corrosive environments. Silicon nitride, for example, is inherently lighter, stiffer, smoother, harder, corrosion resistant, and requires less lubrication than steel engine component counterparts.  

Fuel Cell Components

CoorsTek provides CeramiCell® ceramic fuel cell components for use in fuel cell vehicles (FCV). With over two decades of experience, we work with fuel cell designers and manufacturers to provide custom half cells, ceramic tubes, and planar substrates.   

• Half cells
• Ceramic tubes
• Planar substrates