Evaluation of the wear behavior of silicon carbide−calcium oxide/zirconium oxide composite material

Abstract This study examined the microstructural features and mechanical properties of silicon carbide−calcium oxide/zirconium oxide (SiC–CaO/ZrO 2 ) refractories with various compositions. The effect of cold pressing (CP) and cold isostatic pressing (CIP) methods on prepared refractories’ hardness and wear resistance were also investigated. It was found that incorporating SiC and CaO in ZrO 2 leads to the formation of zirconium silicate (ZrSiO 4 ) and calcium zirconate (CaZrO 3 ) during the sintering stage. The addition of CaO and the formation of CaZrO 3 decreased the hardness, thus reducing the wear resistance of the refractory. On the other hand, SiC addition and the formation of ZrSiO 4 facilitated crack propagation due to the precipitation hardening of the material and stress concentration due to the ZrO 2 phase transformation. The hardening effect of SiC–ZrO 2 refractory resulted in hardness and wear resistance enhancement. It was also revealed that the application of pressure in an isostatic pressing can improve the mechanical properties of the refractories, which are used as lining materials in the steel manufacturing industry.