Development and characterisation of high performance ceramic-metal composites

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Ceramic-metal composites, or cermets, are used in a wide variety of industrial applications where toughness, high strength, and resistance to corrosion and wear are required, notably in the petroleum, mining, chemical processing, transportation, and pulp and paper industries. There is consequently a continuing drive to develop improved materials for use in these demanding environments, either in bulk or coating form. For approaching 100 years, materials based on tungsten carbide/cobalt (WC/Co), have been the cermet of choice. However, WC/Co actually exhibits relatively poor corrosion and oxidation resistance, while the mechanical properties are severely degraded above ~500°C. A family of novel cermets, co-developed by the applicant, utilising ductile nickel aluminide (Ni3Al) alloys, eliminate many of the problems associated with WC/Co and other cermet systems, and offer the notable benefit that strength actually increases with temperature, up to ~1,000°C.