Comprehensive Study of the Local Atomic Structure of Promising Ti-Containing Compounds

A comprehensive study of the local atomic structure of titanium compounds obtained by mechanical activation (Ti–Al–C, Ti 2 AlC) and reference samples (Ti, TiH 2 ) using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and extended electron energy loss fine structure (EXELFS) spectroscopy is carried out. An analysis of the local atomic structure of titanium hydride shows that the presence of hydrogen expands the crystal lattice and leads to a change in the parameters of the local atomic structure. This change is observed both in the EXAFS and EXELFS spectra. It is shown that after mechanical activation, the coordination numbers decrease, which may indicate the formation of a multiphase system. Further annealing leads to formation of the Ti 2 AlC compound, which is confirmed by the results of model calculations.