ABSTRACT
Single pass scratch experiments were conducted with a Vickers indenter on ceria stabilised tetragonal zirconia polycrystals having grain sizes from 0.5 to 2.7 μm to understand the friction and wear characteristics. For a given grain size, the frictional force and volume of the wear groove and transformation zone size (h) increased with applied load (≈ 8 N - 20 N). At a given load h increased with grain size. Plastic ploughing, and to a small extent localised microcracking, grain boundary microfracture and chipping were involved in the wear damage process.
