Abrasion of Al2O3-SiC-(Al,Si) composites made by melt oxidation

We report here the remarkable abrasion wear resistance (normal pressure: 2. 92 to 5.42 MPa, sliding speed: 0.25 to 3 m/s) of a soft (relative to other structural ceramics) melt-oxidized ceramic matrix composite Al2O(3)-SiC-(Al , Si), In spite of being half as hard and more porous than zirconia toughen ed alumina (ZTA), a common cutting tool material, this composite fabricated at 1100 degrees C shows wear resistance comparable to that of ZTA at slidi ng speeds more than 2 m/s. The ability of this composite to generate a meta l-rich tribofilm when rubbed and its high thermal shock resistance are fact ors which may be responsible for this unique performance.