Classical ceramic-metal composites are made of the combination of two materials ceramics and metal, that is materials of different chemical and physical properties including chemical bonds. The most important reason of fabrication of this type of composite is obtaining material with improving fracture toughness in comparison to the ceramic matrix. However, high hardness, good mechanical properties such as bending strength, tribological properties and others are also desired. As far the literature, the mechanisms responsible for the increasing fracture toughness in composites with micro size metal particles in ceramic matrix are well described. In these phenomena the bridging and deflection of crack by the metal particles, and others are the effective mechanisms of crack energy dissipation and increasing fracture toughness. Crack bridging by ceramic matrix grains is also an important mechanism of improving the fracture toughness.
This article appeared in the March–April 2020 issue of Metal Powder Report.
