Effect of Y2O3 on properties of Al/Ti3SiC2 composite

Al/Ti3SiC2 composite samples were prepared by pressless-sintering route with high purity of polycrystalline Ti3SiC2 and aluminum powders. As yttria Y2O3 being additives during sintering process, the interesting change is that impurities Al4C3, Al4SiC4 and Al3Ti phase which are familiar in products of reactions between Ti3SiC2 and aluminum disappeared and that is valuable to stability of Al/Ti3SiC2 composite in atmosphere due to hydrolyzation of Al4C3. Then the tribological properties of 50Al/45Ti(3)SiC(2)/5Y(2)O(3) and 50Al/50Ti(3)SiC(2) were investigated by sliding the composites block dryly against low carbon steel disk for the sliding speed 20 m/s and the normal pressure of 0.2-0.8MPa. It was found that with load higher, the friction coefficient of 50Al/45Ti(3)SiC(2)/5Y(2)O(3) increased from 0.21 to 0.57 and then reduced to 0.48, which is a little higher than 50Al/50Ti(3)SiC(2) on large scale of pressure except under 0.2 similar to 0.3 MPa, but meanwhile it is remarkable that its rate of wear maintained a nearly steady value about 1.40 x 10(-5) mm(3)/N.m comparing with 50Al/50Ti(3)SiC(2), which shows a valuable tribological properties called non-pressure dependence to frictional materials.