Abstract: | The frictional behaviour was experimentally investigated of alumino-silicate ceramics (3Al2O3, 2SiO2) rubbing against a hard steel surface under static and kinetic friction conditions. Tests were carried out on a pin-on-disc machine under both dry and wet contact conditions. Results showed that the frictional behaviour under either static or kinetic conditions was highly dependent on the ceramic body phase transformation which in turn was controlled by the firing temperature during ceramic processing and treatment. Lower friction values were evident when using specimens of ceramic bodies containing a high mullite crystalline phase, which are attained at high firing temperatures. Both the running speed and applied loads had insignificant effects at high loads.During kinetic friction tests lower frictional values were displayed than for static friction tests under wet contact conditions, and under dry conditions when using high mullite ceramic bodies. For specimens of ceramics fired at relatively low temperatures, kinetic friction tests produced higher frictional values than static friction tests. |