In this study, we investigated impact and wear damage in silicon-nitride ceramic valves that were subjected to an engine duration test in a natural-gas engine. A high-speed automated laser-scattering system was developed for the nondestructive evaluation (NDE) of 10 SN235P silicon-nitride valves. The NDE system scans the entire valve surface and generates a two-dimensional scattering image that is used to identify the location, size, and relative severity of subsurface damage in the valves. NDE imaging data were obtained at before and at 100 and 500 hours of the engine duration test. The NDE data were analyzed and compared with surface photomicrographs. Wear damage was found in the impact surface of all valves, especially for exhaust valves. However, the NDE examinations did not detect subsurface damage such as cracks or spalls in these engine-tested valves.
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