Carbides and nitrides reinforced alumina based ceramic composites are generally accepted as a competitive technological alternative to cemented carbide (WC-Co). The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of dispersed tungsten carbide (WC) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of alumina (Al2O3). Micron size alumina and tungsten carbide powders were mixed in a ball mill and uniaxially pressed at 1600 degrees tC under 20 MPa in an inert atmosphere. The hardness of WC reinforced alumina was 19 GPa and fracture toughness attained up to 7 MPa m(1/2). It was demonstrated by TEM analysis that coarse, micrometersized tungsten carbide grains were located at grain boundaries of the alumina matrix grains. Additionally, sub-micrometer tungsten carbide spheres were found inside the alumina particles. Crack deflection triggered by the tungsten carbide at the grain boundaries of the alumina matrix is supposed to increase fracture toughness whereas the presence of intergranular and intragranular hard tungsten carbide particles are responsible for the increase of the hardness values of the investigated composite materials. (c) 2006 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.