Improving the sliding wear resistance of SiC nanoceramics fabricated by spark plasma sintering via gentle post-sintering annealing

Experimental evidence is presented for the improvement of the sliding wear resistance of an SiC nanoceramic processed by spark plasma sintering (SPS) with post-sintering annealing. It is inferred that gentle annealing without nanograin growth strengthens the grain boundaries induced by the ultrarapid nature of SPS, and the consequent improvement in grain cohesion delays the onset of the severe-wear regime without affecting the rates of mild and severe wear. Implications for the fabrication of highly wear-resistant nanoceramics are discussed.