Sliding-wear resistance of liquid-phase-sintered SiC containing graphite nanodispersoids

The influence was investigated of a graphite nanodispersoid addition on the lubricated sliding-wear behaviour of liquid-phase-sintered (LPS) SiC ceramics fabricated by spark-plasma sintering (SPS). The graphite nanodispersoids, introduced into the microstructure of the LPS SiC ceramic to act as self-lubricating phase, were obtained by graphitization of diamond nanoparticles during the SPS. It was found that the graphite nanodispersoid addition results in a lower resistance to mild wear, attributable to the lower hardness of graphite and the null lubrication it provides. Moreover, the graphite nanodispersoids, which mostly locate at grain boundaries/faces, worsen the cohesion of SiC grains, contributing together with the higher mild-wear rate to an early transition to the severe-wear stage. On the contrary, the graphite nanodispersoids were effective at improving the resistance to severe wear because they increase the fracture toughness while providing some external lubrication. Relevant implications for the microstructural design of advanced triboceramics are discussed.