Determination of the wear resistance of traditional ceramic materials by means of micro-abrasion technique

Micro-abrasion techniques enable the surface wear of materials to be studied with greater precision than provided by other methods. In addition to their reliability, micro-abrasion techniques allow the wear phenomenon of the top-most layers to be studied while assuring, in the case of thin coatings, that this is not influenced by the substrate. In the present study, micro-abrasion technique (cratering with a steel ball) was used to determine the wear resistance of traditional ceramic materials, as a complementary test to the methodologies on a macroscopic scale that are customarily used for this type of material. In order to adapt the test to these materials, the individual effect of each test condition on wear resistance was isolated, while keeping the other conditions constant. The following variables were studied: diameter and angular velocity of the ball, abrasive suspension feed rate and grain size, sample–ball contact angle and groove in the supporting drive shaft. The values established were validated by performance of the test on materials of a glassy nature. The micro-abrasion test is shown to be a useful method for studying wear performance of ceramic glazes.