Preparation of Ti3SiC2 MAX phase from Ti, TiC, and SiC by SPS

Abstract

Ti3SiC2 MAX phase was prepared from Ti, TiC, and SiC using spark plasma sintering. Three sintering temperatures, namely 1450, 1550, and 1600 °C were employed. The effect of the atmosphere, dwell time, and SiC grain size were studied. The prepared samples were subjected to XRD, Vickers hardness, and SEM analyses. Phase composition of the samples revealed that a maximum MAX phase content of ∼90 wt% is achieved at the sintering temperature of 1550 °C. TiC (∼9 wt%) and small amount of SiC were identified as secondary phases. Values of the Vickers hardness exhibited a steady decrease with an increasing sintering temperature from 704 HV at 1450 °C to 544 HV at 1600 °C due to the reduction of the TiC content in the sample. The porosity of the samples with the highest Ti3SiC2 content reached 5%. The coefficient of thermal expansion fell into the interval from 9.8 to 11 × 10−6 K−1.