Ceramics generally have better erosion, abrasion and corrosion resistance than metals. 

Alumina is the most widely used ceramic in tile form.  Slightly harder, but more difficult to make, is silicon carbide.  The biggest problem with tiles is anchoring them.  If one tile comes loose, it removes a large number of other tiles. 

Alumina also has problems with thermal shock.  Attaching ceramics to steel has a lot of problems, mainly due to the fact that steel expands more than ceramic when heated.

The best solution to this problem is a honeycomb shaped metal anchoring system called hexmetal.  It is welded to the steel backing and the ceramic is filled in the cavities in putty form.  The other anchoring system is expanded metal, tacked onto the steel shell.  Relatively thin ceramic plasters are used in this system, typically 15mm thick.