Development of Al2O3 based ceramics for dry friction systems

In the present study, ceramic composites were produced by embedding TiN particles into the surface of a commercial monolithic Al2O3 ceramic using a laser-assisted process. In this way multiphase microstructures were achieved in a surface layer of about 300 μm thickness. Tribological performance of the ceramic composites was studied in a pellet-on-disc tribometer by running consecutive short-time tests as function of the counterbody material, sliding speed, humidity and temperature. The results showed a substantially improved stability of friction coefficient compared with the monolithic alumina used for reference.