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Emerging Trends in Ceramic-Incorporated Hybrid Composites for Next-Generation Automotive Suspension Applications

Shisheng Li, Shisheng Li, Qiong Yuan

Journal of Ceramic Science and Technology, Vol. 16, No. 4 (2025), pp. 187-203

DOI: 10.4416/JCST2025-00010

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Abstract

This review explores recent advancements in ceramic-incorporated hybrid composites tailored for automotive suspension systems. Recognizing the limitations of traditional metal components, including weight, corrosion susceptibility, and limited fatigue life, engineers are increasingly incorporating ceramic reinforcements into lightweight matrices. This hybridization strategy significantly enhances mechanical, thermal, and tribological properties critical to suspension performance. Ceramic materials, such as alumina, silicon carbide, and boron carbide, offer exceptional stiffness, thermal stability, and wear resistance when integrated into polymer or metal matrices. Various ceramic reinforcement forms – including nanoparticles, whiskers, and continuous fibers – are assessed, highlighting their roles in optimizing composite behavior. Interface engineering is emerging as a key focus area, with advances in coupling agents and interphase modifications crucial for effective load transfer and toughness enhancement. Additionally, emerging scalable fabrication techniques, including resin transfer molding and squeeze casting, are evaluated for their suitability in mass-producing hybrid composites. Real-world prototypes and performance evaluations reveal substantial weight reductions, improved fatigue life, corrosion resistance, and superior damping characteristics compared to conventional materials. Nevertheless, significant challenges persist in interface toughness, manufacturing scalability, material costs, and design methodologies. Addressing these challenges through innovative interphase designs, automated manufacturing, and advanced computational modeling is essential to realizing the broader commercial adoption of these composites.

Keywords

Interface engineering, tribological properties, nanoparticle reinforcement, scalability, hybridization

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