Abrasive wear of carbide - Reinforced TZP composites

Zirconia particulate composites containing hard carbide inclusions show ver y good abrasive wear resistance when compared to other ceramic systems. In the present paper abrasive wear susceptibilities of composites containing W C, SiC, TiC, (Ti, W) C, Cr3C2 and Cr7C3 are compared. A hot-pressing techni que was used to manufacture the composites. In the dry sand abrasive test s everal of the composites reveal properties significantly better than the TZ P matrix. Some factors influencing the wear properties of these materials a re identified; these are the stress state of the material and the inclusion dispersion.