Tribological behaviour study of ceramic composites

Abstract

Composites are materials consisting of two or more chemically distinct constituents, on a macro-scale, having a distinct interface separating them. In a composite one of the materials is embedded in a fiber of other. The fiber acts as the supporting structure or matrix and bears most of the load while the other component is embedded in the matrix. Polymer matrix ceramic composites are the one in which the polymer acts as the supporting matrix and the ceramic particles are embedded in it. It is known for its high strength to weight ratio and finds application in the areas where weight reduction is required and a small change in weight can bring about a considerable difference. More ever they also have good shock absorbing and damping properties. The failure mechanisms of composites are very different as compared to conventional materials and their performance is mostly governed by their tribological properties. This is because the composites properties are controlled by the fact that how various layers of composites interact with respect to one another. In this paper we are going to study the wear properties of two of the most widely used composites Alumina and Zirconia by varying the weight percentage of the ceramics in the polymer matrix and then comparing the results so obtained.