Abstract: Under dry and lubricated (with water or oil) conditions at room temperature, the wear characteristics of TiC(N) Al 2O 3 composite ceramic and stainless steel rubbing pair were investigated by using a block on ring tribometer, which can well simulate the wear process of cutting tools. The test results showed that, the wear of ceramic and stainless steel increased rapidly with load and speed. Compared with dry friction condition, the existence of water or oil at contact surfaces in this test made the wear of materials more severe. A scanning electron microscope with energy dispersion X ray spectroscope was used for analysis and determination of the wear mechanisms. It has been found that the wear mechanism for metal ceramic sliding pairs is governed by the metal transfer on to the ceramic surface.