SLIDING FRICTION AND WEAR OF STRUCTURAL CERAMICS .2. ANALYSIS OF ROOM-TEMPERATURE WEAR DEBRIS

Analysis has been performed on SiC and partially stabilized ZrO//2 specimens employed in a study of sliding friction and wear. Wear volumes have been measured, wear debris has been studied by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy, and comparative X-ray diffraction studies have been performed on worn and unworn surfaces. There is no correlation between the wear during running-in and the steady-state coefficient of friction established by this process. ZrO//2 -ZrO//2 friction couples wear much faster than SiC-SiC couples, which in turn wear faster than ZrO//2 -SiC couples.