Al2O3-TiC Composite Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering Process: Evaluation of Mechanical and Tribological Properties

Abstract

Al2O3-10TiC composites were synthesized by spark plasma sintering (SPS) process. Microstructural and mechanical properties of the composite reveal homogeneous distribution of the fine TiC particles in the matrix. The samples were produced with different sintering temperature, and it shows that the hardness and density gradually increases with increasing sintering temperature. Abrasion wear test result reveals that the composite sintered at 1500 °C shows high abrasion resistance (wt. loss ~ 0.016 g) and the lowest abrasion resistance was observed for the composite sample sintered at 1100 °C (wt. loss ~ 1.459 g). The profilometry surface roughness study shows that sample sintered at 1100 °C shows maximum roughness (Ra = 6.53 µm) compared to the sample sintered at 1500 °C (Ra = 0.66 µm) corroborating the abrasion wear test results.