cermet

[sur-met]

noun

1. a durable, heat-resistant alloy formed by compacting and sintering a metal and a ceramic substance, used under conditions of high temperature and stress.

cermet

/ ˈsɜːmɪt /

noun

1. Also called: ceramal. any of several materials consisting of a metal matrix with ceramic particles disseminated through it. They are hard and resistant to high temperatures

Word History and Origins

Origin of cermet¹

First recorded in 1950–55; cer(amic) + met(al)

Word History and Origins

Origin of cermet¹

C20: from _cer ( _amic ) + _met ( _al )

Example Sentences

Caccia et al. now report a cermet that can withstand extreme temperatures, high pressures and rapid thermal cycling.

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One technical challenge that must still be addressed concerns the oxidation resistance of the new cermet: the material is prone to oxidation in air at high temperatures such as might be experienced in a power-plant heat exchanger.

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Supercritical CO2 is only a weak oxidizing agent, but could still break down the cermet.

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Lastly, the authors’ preliminary estimates indicate that the combined costs of raw materials and processing required to make a heat exchanger from the ZrC/tungsten cermet would be lower than for an analogous heat exchanger made from a conventional nickel alloy.

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Moreover, the cermet device would provide twice the power density — that is, it could be half the size of its nickel-alloy counterpart.

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