Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd.

Yasuhiko Suehiro

Hideo Nakanishi

Masahiro Nawa

A ZrO&#x2014;AlOcomposite ceramic material having excellent wear resistance, hardness, strength and toughness is provided. This ceramic material comprises a ZrOphase composed of 90 vol % or more of tetragonal ZrO, and containing 10 to 12 mol % of CeOas a stabilizer, and an AlOphase. An amount of the AlOphase in the ceramic material is in a range of 20 to 70 vol %, and preferably 40 to 70 vol %. In the composite ceramic material, AlOgrains each having a fine ZrOgrain therein are dispersed. Some of the AlOgrains each having the fine ZrOgrain therein are trapped within ZrOgrains to form composite grains. A ratio of the number of the AlOgrains each having the fine ZrOgrain therein relative to the number of the entire AlOgrains dispersed in the composite ceramic material is 10% or more, and preferably 50% or more.

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Osaka, Japan

Yasuhiko Suehiro