Gas-Pressure Combustion Sintering and Properties of Cr<sub>3</sub>C<sub>2</sub> Ceramic and its Composite with TiC

Abstract

Dense Cr3C2 ceramic and its composite with 10 and 25wt% TiC were fabricated without additives by the gas-pressure combustion sintering. Their densities reached over 99% of theoretical density and no grain growth occurred because of a rapid sintering. The hardness, flexural strength and fracture toughness, thermal expansion coefficient and thermal conductivity of the Cr3C2 ceramics were 18GPa, 625MPa, and 5.6MPa.m1/2, 10.3×10-6/K and 0.14W/cmK, respectively. These properties are close to those of sintered one by normal sintering and post-HIPing. However, no further improvement of these properties was observed by forming composites.