Synthesis and Tribologieal Behaviors ofTi3SiC2 Material Prepared by Vacuum Sintering Technique

The bulk Ti3SiC2 specimens with less than 1 wt% TiC impurity were prepared by vacuum sintering technique, and the average grain size was about 5-6 μm in the elongated direction. When the sintering temperature, soaking time and heating rate were 1 400 ℃, 1 h and 10℃·min-1, respectively, the highest relative density of Ti3SiC2 specimens could reach 97.8%. Meanwhile, the lowest coefficient of friction （COF） and wear rate （WR） of the Ti3SiC2 samples were 0.55 and 1.37×10-3 mm3（Nm）-1 at a sliding speed of 0.35 m/s, load pressure of 10 N and ambient condition, respectively. The COF of the Ti3SiC2 sample reduced with the increasing of the load pressure, while the WRs fluctuated little. The WR increased with the increasing of the sliding speed, and weakly influenced the COF. These changing behaviors could be attributed to the presence and coverage of the amorphous mixture oxide film ofTi, Si, A1, and Fe on the Ti3SiC2 friction surface. The self- antifriction mechanism led to reducing of the COF. The increasing of the WR was attributed to the wearing consumption.