Corrosion of Ceramics in Aqueous Environments

Structural ceramics have a high chemical resistance coupled with favorable wear behavior. However, corrosion resistance is a property of the system, i.e. it depends not only on the material but also on the conditions (temperature, pressure, composition of the medium, volume, flow velocity, etc.). The corrosion resistance of a material under given conditions often depends on minor changes in composition. This is specially the case for liquid phase sintered ceramics which have grain boundary phases which form three-dimensional skeletons. In many cases, these determine the stability of the ceramic in aqueous solutions. The present article is intended to give an overview of the essential processes involved in the corrosion of ceramic materials in aqueous media and an introduction to the behavior of important ceramic material classes.