Evaluation of properties of spark plasma sintered Ti3SiC2 and Ti3SiC2/SiC composites

The powder mixtures of Ti, Si, TiC and Al were sintered to synthesize Ti3SiC2 and Ti3SiC2/SiC by spark plasma sintering (SPS) method. Single phase Ti3SiC2 and Ti3SiC2/SiC composites were obtained by sintering Ti/1.1Si/2TiC/0.2Al and 2.2Si/3TiC/0.2Al at 1400 degrees C, for 15 min, under a pressure of 50 MPa, respectively. The reduction of Al and Si contents in the starting powder mixture led to the formation of TiC impurity phase. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rietveld analyses were used to evaluate the phase constituents. The main objective of this study was to reveal the properties of single phase Ti3SiC2 and to evaluate the development of the mechanical and tribological properties of Ti3SiC2/SiC comprehensively. The results indicated that the SiC in situ reinforced Ti3SiC2 composites exhibited higher hardness, fracture toughness and wear resistance compared to single phase Ti3SiC2.