EFFECTS OF SILICON-CARBIDE NANO-PHASE ON THE WET EROSIVE WEAR OF POLYCRYSTALLINE ALUMINA

Wet erosive wear rats of alumina-silicon carbide nanocomposites have b een measured and compared with those for pure polycrystalline aluminas of similar grain size. In pure materials for mean grain sizes > 2 mu m the dominant wear mechanism appears to be grain-boundary microfractu re, leading to grain pull-out; for finer grain sizes the worn surfaces are smooth. Within both grain size ranges significant reductions in w ear rate are found for the nanocomposite materials, thus extending the span of established benefits obtained through the incorporation of si licon carbide nanoparticles into ceramic materials.