Excellent ablation resistance of Ti3AlC2 ceramics up to 1900 °C in nitrogen plasma flame

Abstract

In this work, the ablation behaviors of Ti3AlC2 ceramics were investigated in a nitrogen plasma flame at various temperatures. The ablation mechanisms were determined by analyzing phase compositions, macroscopic morphology, and microstructure. As the ablation temperature increased from 1500 to 1900°C, the linear ablation rate increased from − 0.725–8.7 µm/s, while the mass ablation rate increased from− 0.095–2.103 mg/s. At the ablation temperatures below 1900 °C, an oxide layer mainly consisting of Al2TiO5 was formed on the ablated surface owing to the decomposition and oxidation of Ti3AlC2, which adequately protected the matrix. When the ablation temperature reached 1900 °C, the oxide layer melted and was blown away by the plasma flow, resulting in the loss of protection and the rapid increase in ablation rates. The results indicate that Ti3AlC2 ceramic exhibits excellent ablation resistance below 1900 °C and is potentially used as thermal protection material.