Mechanical and tribological properties of ceramic/metal composites: A review of phenomena spanning from the nanometer to the micrometer length scale

In the present work, the recent advances and promising potential applications of new developed ceramic (alumina, zirconia, spinel)/metal (Ni, Nb, W) micro/nanocomposites are discussed. We review the exotic properties of metal particles embedded into ceramic matrices and the effect of the percolation law, the nature of the interfaces and the size effect (micro/nano). This article discusses the material's mechanical and tribological properties, such as hardness, wear resistance and toughness.