Pressureless Sintering and Properties of Ti3AlC2

Pressureless sintering of titanium aluminum carbide (Ti3AlC2) is difficult due to its easy decomposability at high temperatures, thus decomposition must be avoided during sintering. In this work, pressureless sintering was performed in different embedded powders and Al4C3 was found to be effective to inhibit Ti3AlC2 from decomposition due to the offering of Al rich ambience. High-density Ti3AlC2 was obtained by pressureless sintering in Al4C3 powder bed without additives. The good sinterability is due to the special crystal structure of Ti3AlC2 and the easy diffusion of Al atoms. The mechanical properties of pressureless sintered Ti3AlC2 are comparable to those of the hot-pressed ones.