Correlation between permeation performance and structural evolution of Al-doped lamellar porous Ti3SiC2 through freeze casting

Abstract

In order to meet the requirements for heat and mass transport and filtration applications, a lamellar porous Ti3Si(Al)C2 has been prepared. The resulting scaffold phase and porous structure have been thoroughly investigated to fully understand the thermal and fluid transport properties. It has been observed that the porous structure evolves in response to changes in solid content, which subsequently leads to changes in permeability. Specifically, as the solid content of the material increases from 15 % to 25 %, the pressure drop increases from 0.22 to 2.81 MPa/m. The unique lamellar structure, low tortuosity, small roughness, and small surface area of the Ti3Si(Al)C2 contribute to lower flow resistance and induces a decrease in pressure drop. Additionally, high temperatures have been found to have little effect on the porous Ti3Si(Al)C2 material, in terms of both its structural integrity and permeability. Overall, the results of this study suggest that the lamellar porous Ti3Si(Al)C2 has significant potential for application in mass transport and filtration applications due to excellent permeability.