Sinterability, Mechanical Properties and Wear Behavior of Ti3SiC2 and Cr2AlC MAX Phases

Eduardo Tabares,Erich Neubauer,Michael Kitzmantel,Sophia A Tsipas,Antonia Jimenez-Morales

doi:10.3390/ceramics5010006

Eduardo Tabares, Erich Neubauer + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ceramics5010006

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Abstract

MAX phases are a promising family of materials for several demanding, high-temperature applications and severe conditions. Their combination of metallic and ceramic properties makes MAX phases great candidates to be applied in energy production processes, such as high temperature heat exchangers for catalytic devices. For their successful application, however, the effect of the processing method on properties such as wear and mechanical behavior needs to be further established. In this work, the mechanical and wear properties of self-synthesized Ti3SiC2 and Cr2AlC MAX phase powders consolidated by different powder metallurgy routes are evaluated. Uniaxial pressing and sintering, cold isostatic pressing and sintering and hot pressing were explored as processing routes, and samples were characterized by analyzing microstructure, phase constitution and porosity. Wear behavior was studied by reciprocating-sliding tests, evaluating the wear rate by the loss of material and the wear mechanism.

Highlights

IntroductionNanolaminated ternary carbides and nitrides, MAX Phases, are a new family of materials with great potential for different highly demanding and aggressive environments [1,2]
Academic Editors: MargaritaNanolaminated ternary carbides and nitrides, MAX Phases, are a new family of materials with great potential for different highly demanding and aggressive environments [1,2].Due to their structure, MAX phases show good mechanical properties at high temperatures [3] with good oxidation and corrosion behaviors, and at the same time, exhibit good electrical and thermal conductivity and are machinable [4,5]
Complementary to the X-ray diffraction patterns of the powders shown in Figure 2, it is possible to observe the presence of some secondary phases, corresponding to TiSi2 in the case of the production of Ti3 SiC2, and Cr5 C3 for Cr2 AlC

Summary

Introduction

Nanolaminated ternary carbides and nitrides, MAX Phases, are a new family of materials with great potential for different highly demanding and aggressive environments [1,2] Due to their structure, MAX phases show good mechanical properties at high temperatures [3] with good oxidation and corrosion behaviors, and at the same time, exhibit good electrical and thermal conductivity and are machinable [4,5]. MAX phases’ name comes from the elements that configure the ternary compound: M is an early transition metal, A is an element of the groups IIIA and IVA of the periodic table and X is either carbon or nitrogen They exhibit a fixed stoichiometry and a general formula of Mn+1 AXn , where n is a number between 1 and 3 [4,6]. Their use as heat exchangers [7] or catalytic devices using porous Ti3 SiC2 and Ti2 AlC [8], thermal barriers using Cr2 AlC [9] or as fuel cladding material in nuclear reactors using Zr2 AlC [10] are some of the possible applications of these materials

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