Effect of Grain Size on Erosion Wear of B4C/TiC/Al2O3 Ceramic Nozzles

The effect of grain size on erosion wear of B4C/TiC/Al2O3 (BT) ceramic nozzles was studied. XRD analysis showed that B4C/TiC/Al2O3 ceramic nozzle was composed of B4C, TiB2, Al2O3 and C. The erosion experimental results showed that grain size affected the erosion behaviours of BT nozzles significantly. The volume erosion rate of BT2 nozzle was enlarged by 0.88 times than that of BT1 nozzle. Analysis of experimental data and observations on the worn surface revealed that the enhancement in the erosion resistance for BT1 nozzle was mainly owing to the finer grains in nozzle, which resulted in improved fracture toughness.