DC resistivity of alumina and zirconia sintered with TiC

Pure alumina and zirconia powders were sintered separately with increasing amount of TiC up to ∼ 65 vol.%, as a conducting second phase with an aim to prepare conducting structural ceramics which can be precisely machined by EDM technique. TiC did not help in sintering the parent phase but it decreased the d.c. resistivity of the composite to 1 ohm.cm at ∼ 30 vol.% loading. The conductivity is explained by the effective media and percolation theories.