Wear resistance tests, using the pin-on-disk test method with sliding pairs, were carried out on pins produced from alumina powders prepared by thermal decomposition of lyophilized aluminum acetate. Alumina powders of alpha-Al2O3 and gamma-Al2O3 phases, with and without sintering additives (MgO and La2O3), were used to produce wear pins. In addition, pins made of commercial alumina (A1000 SG) were tested and the results compared. The tests, carried out according to the ASTM standard, indicated that the pins made with alpha-Al2O3 powder showed high wear resistance, a finding corroborated by mass loss tests and scanning electron microscopy. The gamma-Al2O3 pins showed an intermediary performance while the A1000 SG pins showed less interesting results.
wear resistance; nanometric alumina; thermal decomposition
