EKasic^® silicon carbide bearings, seals and bushings from ESK are used successfully in many process-lubricated pump applications (e.g. ESP's). Our optimized ceramic materials have an extremly high thermal conductivity and are much harder than common abrasives such as sand. These characteristics allow excellent thin film performance and the ability to crush any abrasive debris in the system. The different EKasic^® silicon carbide grades we provide have been successfully used for both tilt-pad thrust and journal bearings as well as for cylindrical bore bushes.

Ceradyne manufactures balls for check valves for the oil exploration and recovery industry and other applications. These balls are produced to Grade 25V from Ceralloy® 147-31N Silicon Nitride and are used widely throughout the Permian Basin and other regions to extend the life of "sucker rod" pumps used in oil production.
Silicon nitride is the material of choice because of its high strength, fracture toughness as well as wear and chemical erosion resistance. Consequently, silicon nitride balls for check valves are used in the most demanding oilfield applications.

EKasic^® silicon carbide and EKasin^® silicon nitride have proven to be the most economical solution for sealing compressors and gas-lubricated mechanical seals. These ceramic materials offer an impressive combination of high mechanical strength, excellent thermal conductivity, high stiffness and corrosion resistance.
Microstructures introduced into the running surface provide the “air cushion” that allows contact-free rotation. The crucial advantages are no maintenance and minimum leakage.

Component metals such as Kovar are being replaced with Ceralloy® Silicon Nitride in measuring
wheels that are used to measure the depth of oil wells.
Key silicon nitride properties are wear resistance and a low thermal expansion coefficient for improved accuracy despite temperature extremes.

Ceradyne has supplied silicon nitride components for use in downhole telemetry tooling for more than twenty years. Telemetry tooling has been used in logging data from wells that are in excess of 9000 m below the surface of the earth.
Key material benefits such as lightweight, electrical resistivity and high strength are required for these components.