What Does
Cermet Mean?
Cermet is the term used to describe the combination of two elements: ceramic and metal. It is the generic term for a wide range of composites.
Ceramic is typically the more abundant ingredient and operates as the binder or base to which metal particles attach. The metal components generally include nickel, cobalt or molybdenum.
Corrosionpedia Explains Cermet
Cermets are used in situations where neither metals nor ceramics alone would be ideal. For example, metal is not capable of resisting the heat produced in space rockets and airplane engines, although it is highly versatile. On the other hand, ceramics are excellent at withstanding extremely high temperatures. Additionally, ceramics are more resistant to chemical attacks and oxidation, which could lead to corrosion damage.
Therefore, industries that require materials with great strength and flexibility as well as resistance to high temperature often use cermets. In addition to benefits already mentioned, cermets also have high resistance to plastic deformation and impressive toughness.
Cermets play a vital role in the electronics industry because they can be applied in electrical components. Electronic elements may get very hot, so they must act like ceramics, but they also have to act as conductors of electricity. The most ideal applications of cermets are in vacuum tubes and resistors. Another application is in machine tools. For instance, a great number of drilling, boring, milling, turning and cutting tools are made of cermets.
Cermet’s ability to reduce friction wear is highly notable. It can reduce friction in equipment parts as it behaves like a metal-ceramic conditioner in order to prevent corrosion and wear in machine parts.