Space vehicles are covered with ceramic so they can take temperature transients, its just a matter of which ceramic you are using. Modern seal designs are made to fit A.N.S.I. and I.S.O. pump designs without having to make any modifications to the seal or pump. The seals will fit, but they will not have enough outside diameter clearance for proper operation. The stuffing box bore should be enlarged. Seal faces have to be lubricated.
Carbon graphite is a natural lubricant.
Vibration analysis is a good technique for predicting seal failure. Vibration analysis requires that you know the frequency of the piece of hardware you are analyzing. This is easy for bearings that are always made out of the same material, always in the same basic medium and vary little in shape. Seals come in a variety of shapes and materials and run in all sorts of mediums. Oil is a good barrier fluid to use between dual mechanical seals.