A Comparison of Alumina and Zirconia Engineering Ceramics

  N0.1: Alumina is Harder than Zirconia So It Must be More Wear Resistant?

  Although it’s commonly accepted that hardness equates with wear resistance, it’s not always the case. In sliding wear environments, hard counterfaces that do not interact with each other are an advantage. The engineering grades of Alumina are typically 25-50% harder than zirconia grade so in sliding wear environments or pure abrasive wear, where third body abrasive wear particles are present, alumina often outperforms Zirconia.

   No.2: Which is The Most Corrosion Resistant Alumina or Zirconia?

  Again, this is a very difficult question that can only be answered on a case-by-case basis by reference to an expert manufacturer. The combination of corrosive agent, chemical purity and temperature lead to a wide range of performance characteristics that are further varied by the individual composition and grade of Alumina or Zirconia. Do not think that because a material has excellent resistance to concentrated sulphuric acid it will perform well in steam at 200°C

    A Final Word on Material Selection

   Selecting the optimum material for a specific application always involves a decision tree constructed from a series of compromises. It is far too simplistic to say material A is always better than material B, because one must take into account the application, the environment and the available budget. The use of bare material specifications can also be dangerous as it can be all too easy to miss the key variable or combination of variables that are key to selecting the optimum material solution.

As is often the case, it’s always good to talk to an expert and if you are considering an engineering application that you feel may be suited to zirconia or alumina, why not consult someone like Chemshun – www.chemshun.com they have many decades of experience on manufacturing and designing engineering ceramics according to industrial abrasion problems.