Pressure-Assisted Combustion Synthesis of Dense Layered Ti3AlC2 and its Mechanical Properties

A near‐single‐phase Ti3AlC2 ternary carbide was synthesized from 3Ti–1.1Al–1.8C powder blend, both by the wave propagation and thermal explosion (TE) modes of self‐propagating high‐temperature synthesis. The application of a moderate (28 MPa) pressure immediately after TE at 800°C (reactive forging) yielded a 95% dense material containing, in addition to Ti3AlC2, an appreciable amount of TiC1−x. By adjusting the starting composition, a 99% dense material containing up to 90 vol.% Ti3AlC2 was obtained. The material had a fine‐layered microstructure with Ti3AlC2 grain size not exceeding 10 μm. The samples were readily machinable and had a high compressive strength of ∼800 MPa up to 700°C.