The Influence of Sintering Pressure on the Preparation, Friction Properties, and Magnetic Properties of Ti2AlC-TiC and Ti3AlC2-TiC Composites Under High-Pressure and High-Temperature

Li, Liang; Chen, Yuqi

doi:https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9108736

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

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Research Article | Open Access

Volume 2022 | Article ID 9108736 | https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9108736

The Influence of Sintering Pressure on the Preparation, Friction Properties, and Magnetic Properties of Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC Composites Under High-Pressure and High-Temperature

Liang Li^1,2and Yuqi Chen³

Academic Editor: Ghulam Rasool

Received30 May 2022

Revised29 Jul 2022

Accepted01 Aug 2022

Published28 Aug 2022

Abstract

Due to their high melting point, low density, and affordable price, TiC ceramics have emerged as one of the most promising ultrahigh temperature structural materials. However, its development and usage are severely constrained by its weak mechanical characteristics. The Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites were synthesized by using the laminated metal-ceramic Ti₂AlC/Ti₃AlC₂ as the binder, combined with high-temperature and high-pressure sintering technology (GPa order of magnitude confinement system). The thermal analysis shows that the exothermic heat of Ti/1.2Al/2TiC is less than that of 3Ti/1.2Al/2C, 2Ti/1.2Al/C, and 3Ti/1.5Al/C. The ratio of Ti/1.2Al/2TiC can suppress the thermal explosion phenomenon during the sintering process and improve the safety of the high-pressure sintering process. XRD results showed that the main composition of the sintered products was Ti₂AlC-TiC at 2∼3.5 GPa and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC at 4∼5 GPa. As the sintering pressure increased from 2 GPa to 5 GPa, the bonding phase changed from Ti₂AlC to Ti₃AlC₂. The thickness of the synthetic Ti₃AlC₂ layer is near 0.1 µm under 5 GPa. The average friction coefficient of Ti₂AlC-TiC composites sintered 2 GPa with POM is as low as 0.1767, while the average friction coefficient of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites with POM increased to 0.3468∼0.3797. The wear width of Ti₂AlC-TiC is lower than that of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites sintered under 4–4.5 GPa. The wear width of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites decreases following the rise of sintering pressure and is reduced to 0.3504 mm under 5 GPa. Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites with PP ball counterparts have friction coefficients of 0.375 to 0.45 and worse wear resistance than that of POM balls. Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites synthesized at 5 GPa with a Cu ball had the smallest friction coefficient (0.4558) and the smallest wear scar width (0.6289 mm). The friction coefficients and wear widths of synthetics with Al pairs ranged from 0.48–0.697 and 0.851–1.087 mm, respectively, and varied irregularly with increasing sintering pressure. Ti₂AlC-TiC composites synthesized at 2 GPa with agate and glass pairs have coefficients of friction of 0.5 and 0.61, respectively. Abrasion widths of Ti₂AlC-TiC composites synthesized at 2 GPa with agate and glass pairs were 1.3 mm and 0.72 mm, respectively. The friction coefficient of synthetics with agate and glass pairs increases with increasing sintering pressure. The magnetization and magnetization intensity of the Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites are stronger than those of Ti₃AlC₂. Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites held promise to serve in the field of ceramic grinding processing applications.

1. Introduction

Titanium carbide (TiC) ceramics with covalent bonding possess a high melting point, high hardness, low density, good thermal conductivity, and noticeable wear and corrosion resistance [1]. However, due to its strong covalent bonding and relatively low diffusion coefficients, it is often difficult to manufacture dense TiC ceramics at low sintering temperatures of around 1800°C or tiny applied pressures of around 40 MPa [2]. Therefore, the application of monolithic TiC is greatly restricted by its intrinsic low-toughness.

Ternary carbide Ti₂AlC/Ti₃AlC₂ phases display a remarkable mix of the favorable qualities of ceramics and metals [3–5]. A planar Al slab is sandwiched between two Ti-C octahedral slabs, which make up its hexagonal crystal structure [6]. Ti₂AlC/Ti₃AlC₂ has a low friction coefficient and great self-lubricating capacity due to the strong covalent Ti-C bond [6]. Meanwhile, Ti₂AlC/Ti₃AlC₂ has excellent oxidation resistance by generating an adhesive continuous Al₂O₃ layer [7]. As a result, it is a prospective candidate as a ceramic binder in TiC-based ceramics [8].

Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composite layers have been synthesized using a variety of techniques so far. The Ti₂AlC-TiC composite layer was formed on the surface of die-casting aluminum alloys to improve surface hardness [9]. The thickness of the Ti₂AlC-TiC coating was controllable, which may give effective protection to the carbon fiber under different conditions [10]. The shape, crystalline structure, and microstructure of Ti₂AlC-TiC coatings were studied following the change of oxidation temperature and the adhesion between Ti₂AlC-TiC coating and substrate is excellent [11].

Dense Ti₂AlC-TiC-Ti₃Al compacts were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) and the relationships of direction between the Ti₂AlC and the TiC were confirmed [12]. The Ti₂AlC-TiAl composites and TiC-TiAl composites with different consolidation paths were synthesized by the metallurgical method and tiny TiC particles are observed in Ti₂AlC grains with uneven forms [13]. In the prior research, high-pressure during sintering was helpful to synthesize the dense MAX solids [14]. The highest pressure of the afore-mentioned methods is ∼200 MPa in the hot isostatic pressing (HIP, ∼200 MPa pressure). Ti₃AlC₂-TiC has been synthesized under the pressure of 0.5–2 GPa and a temperature of 800–1200°C [15]. Higher pressures of up to 2 GPa can promote the formation of Ti₂AlC and increase Vickers microhardness.

In the previous research on the synthesis of Ti₃SiC₂-cBN composites by high-temperature and high-pressure sintering, hot-pressure sintering, and atmospheric pressure sintering [16]. It was observed that the sintering pressure is an important factor affecting the composition, structure, and properties of the composites. In general, material synthesis is more often studied in terms of raw material ratios, temperature, and time. The effect of pressure on the properties of Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites is less well reported. Therefore, the synthesis of TiC-based composites using high temperature and high-pressure technology is also meaningful for the innovative application.

In this study, we investigated the fabrication of the Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites at 950°C under 2∼5 GPa using high-pressure and high-temperature technology. The influence of sintering pressure on the composition of sintering products was studied. We also compared the stability of Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites under high-pressure. The friction properties of high-pressure synthetic composites paired with POM, PP, Al, Cu, agate, and glass under normal temperature dry friction conditions were investigated. The magnetic properties of Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites were characterized over the 4–300 K temperature range and magnetic fields up to 7 T.

2. Experimental Procedures

A V-type blinder was employed to mix the starting powders of Ti (325 mesh, 99.3 wt. % pure, Jinzhou Haotian Titanium Co., China), Al (200 mesh, 99.99 wt. % pure, Henan Yuanyang Aluminum Industry Co., China), and TiC (325 mesh, 99.3 wt. % pure, Aladdin Reagent Co., China) for 4 hours. The mixes were then cold pressed into a disc with a diameter of 10 mm and a height of 4 mm. At 950°C and 2–5 GPa, the samples were synthesized in a cubic anvil high-pressure device (SPD 6 1200). The increase in temperature and pressure took around 3 minutes. They were all kept for 60 minutes. After that, the heating power was turned off, and the pressure was removed after around three minutes.

The mixed starting powders were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, Thermogravimetry and Differential Thermal Analyzer, Evolution24, Setaram, France). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM, JSM-6390LV, JEOL, Japan) was used to investigate the fracture surfaces of the samples obtained. The samples were finely powdered for X-ray diffraction (XRD; Bruker AXS Co., Germany). XRD patterns were obtained by using an aD8ADVANCE X-ray diffractometer based on Cu Kα radiation.

The friction and wear tests of sintered synthetic bulks were performed on the pin-on-disk type of the CFT-I material surface performance comprehensive tester (Zhongke Kaihua Instrument Equipment Co., Ltd.). The surface of the synthetic sample was treated with sandpaper before the test, and the surface roughness of the treated sample was about 0.1 mm. The synthetic sample was fixed on hollow disc bolts in compression. The counter-abrasives were POM, PP, Al, Cu, agate, and glass balls of Φ 4 mm. The test balls and samples were ultrasonically cleaned with alcohol and then experimented with different conditions. The dry friction reciprocating sliding test was carried out at room temperature with a sliding distance of 5 mm, the drive motor speed of 300 rpm/min, the load of 12 N, and a test time of 30 min, and the dynamic real-time friction coefficient was automatically recorded by the computer during the test. A SQUID VSM (SQUID, Quantum Design) magnetometer was used to detect magnetization as a function of temperature (2–300 K) and magnetic field (between 0 and 7 T).

3. Results and Discussions

3.1. Thermodynamic Analysis

Figure 1 shows the thermal analysis (DSC) of four kinds of starting materials. The ratio of 2Ti/1.2Al/C and 3Ti/1.5Al/C is employed commonly to fabricate single-phase Ti₂AlC. As shown in Figure 1, the endothermic peak at ∼660°C was caused by the melt of Al. Compared with the mixture of 2Ti/1.2Al/C, the ratio of 3Ti/1.5Al/C had two strong exothermic peaks at about 945°C and 1100°C, which corresponded to the synthetic reactions of TiC and Ti₂AlC, respectively. The value of 3Ti/1.2Al/2C is bigger than that of Ti/1.2Al/2TiC in all ranges of 400 ∼1300°C because both the formation of TiAl_x [17–20]or TiC [21, 22] is an exothermic reaction. Gao et al. have systematically investigated the TiAl_x generation process in the systems Ti-Al-C and Ti-Mn-Al-C and confirmed the composition of the phases at different temperature points and discuss the formation mechanism of TiAl_x in Figure 5 of reference [20]. Professor Yanchun Zhou et al. showed that TiC_x was formed at 950°C by DSC analysis (Figure 1 of the reference [22]) which can be seen from XRD shown in Figure 2(d) of reference [22]. Therefore, the ratio of Ti/1.2Al/2TiC is better for the fabrication of Ti₂AlC/Ti₃AlC₂ to avoid thermal exploration during sintering.

3.2. Composition and Microstructure Characterization of Synthetic Composites

XRD patterns of synthesized samples from Ti/1.2Al/2TiC synthesized under 2∼5 GPa and 950°C for 60 min are shown in Figure 2. The composition of the synthetic bulk presents a symmetrical distribution. The inlayer is Ti₂AlC, while the main phase translated from Ti₂AlC to Ti₃AlC₂, and formed a TiC phase lastly on the surface of the specimen following the Al atom layer running off. From Figure 3, three samples have Ti₂AlC and Ti₃AlC₂ peaks under 2∼3.5 GPa and 4∼5 GPa, respectively. This is true that the functional gradient material Ti₂AlC/Ti₃AlC₂ can be synthesized at around 950°C. However, there are also strong TiC peaks in all synthetic compacts. The Ti₂AlC phase changed into Ti₃AlC₂ with the increase of external pressure. It is similar to our previous results with pressure-less sintering [23].

The influences of sintering pressure on the laminar structure of Ti₂AlC/Ti₃AlC₂ are shown in Figure 3(a) via SEM observation. The typical layer structure of Ti₂AlC with Ti/1.2Al/2TiC composition sintered at 2 GPa. With the increase of sintering pressure, the microscopic lamellar structure tends to be densified along with the change of chemical composition (Figure 2). Ti₃AlC₂ grains are lamellar structures in the vertical direction. Ti₃AlC₂ grains are tightly bonded to TiC under 4 GPa for 60 min (Figure 3(b)). Figure 3(c) shows the overall morphology of the fracture surface of compact sintered at 5 GPa for 60 min. From Figure 3(c), the average grain diameter is about 8 ∼ 10 μm. According to the XRD results (Figure 2), Ti₃AlC₂ surely exists. Figure 3(d) is an image with a high magnification of Ti₃AlC₂. The thickness of the Ti₃AlC₂ layer is near 0.1 um. Figure 3(e) is the formation process of Ti₃AlC₂ crystal nucleation, which will be discussed in detail about the formation mechanism of Ti₃AlC₂ in Figure 4.

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3.3. Friction Properties of Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC Composites

The effects of the sintering pressure of Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites on the friction and wear properties of POM were investigated. The average friction coefficient of Ti₂AlC-TiC composites sintered at 2 GPa is 0.1767, and the wear area of the POM ball is 0.46 mm². Combined with XRD results in Figure 2, the main components are Ti₂AlC and TiC. The average friction coefficient of Ti₂AlC by hot pressing sintering is about 0.65 under a contact load of 5–15 N and a sliding velocity of 5–15 mm/s [24]. The friction coefficient of Ti₂AlC/TiAl composites by hot pressing sintering is 0.45–0.58 [25]. It shows that the increase in sintering pressure can inhibit the grain growth, increase the number of grain boundaries, and reduce the friction coefficient and wear amount.

When the sintering pressure is added to 4–4.5 GPa, the main component is transformed into Ti₃AlC₂ and TiC. The average friction coefficients are 0.3624 (4 GPa) and 0.3468 (4.5 GPa), respectively. The friction coefficient of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites changes less as the test time increases. The effect of Ti₃AlC₂ reduced the friction coefficient of the TiC/Ti₃AlC₂-Co cermet coatings by producing more TiC and Al₂O₃ hard phases [6]. However, the wear area is significantly increased compared to the Ti₂AlC-TiC bulk sintered at 2 GPa. The average friction coefficient of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites sintered at 5 GPa is 0.3797, and the wear area of POM balls is 2.02 mm². The average friction coefficient of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites is similar to that of POM sliding on carbon steel, at about 0.41 under a contact load of 98 N and a sliding velocity of 0.15 m/s [26]. With the increase of sintering pressure, the friction coefficient first increases and then decreases, and the wear loss increases first and then decreases.

Figure 5(b) presents the wear width of Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites sliding on a POM ball. Ti₂AlC-TiC composites exhibited a lower friction coefficient and average width than those of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites sintered under 4 GPa and 4.5 GPa. There are almost no evident changes in the friction coefficient of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites. The wear width of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites decreases following the rise of sintering pressure. The wear width of the POM ball first increases and then lessens with the rise of sintering pressure, and the highest wear width of the POM ball was obtained for the sintered under 4.5 GPa.

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Figure 5(c) depicts the friction and wear properties of Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites and their PP ball counterparts. The friction coefficient first increases and then decreases with the increase of sintering pressure, and the friction coefficient reaches its maximum value at 4.5 GPa. Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites have friction coefficients of 0.375 to 0.45. The effect of sintering pressure on the friction coefficient is not instantly obvious. The friction coefficient of 45 steel and PP friction pair is 0.467 under the contact load of load 200N and a speed of 200 r/min [27]. The wear width of synthetic and PP balls both increased with the increase of pressure as shown in Figure 5(d). There are minor scratches and adhesive wear on the wear-scarred surface of the PP balls, resulting in large differences in the amount of wear. Compared with the POM ball, the PP ball has poor wear resistance under the same working conditions due to its weak flexural and tensile strength, stiffness, and hardness. Ramesh et al. have tested the polyoxymethylene (POM) and polypropylene (PP) combinations on a pin-on-disk setup, alternating static and rotating elements at ambient temperature analyzed regarding the effects of load and velocity [28].

Figure 6(a) shows the friction coefficient between Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites and their Cu counterparts. The friction coefficient of the synthetics increased sharply at the beginning of the experiment, indicating that a complete and stable lubricating film has not been formed between the friction pairs. The friction coefficient first increased and then decreased with the increase in sintering pressure. The samples synthesized under 2–4.5 GPa had a short running-in time, and the friction coefficient rose to roughly 0.7 before becoming steady. The friction coefficient of Cu–Ti₃AlC₂ composites decreases due to a lubricating film formed on the worn surface, and the wear rate initially decreases and then increases with increasing Ti₃AlC₂ content [29].

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The rising time of the Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites sintered at 5 GPa was longer, and the friction coefficient and wear width decreased, which was presumed to be related to the change of the main component of the material and the growth of grains [14]. Abrasive wear, minor scratches, and tiny adhesive wear produced by wear and particle shedding are among the wear processes between Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites and their Cu counterparts. The wear widths of the copper balls were similar, indicating that the sintering pressure and component fluctuations had little effect on the wear loss of the Cu ball, as shown in Figure 6(b).

Figure 6(c) shows the variation of the friction coefficient between synthetic and Al counterparts. With the increase of sintering pressure, the friction coefficient first decreased, then increased, and then decreased again. The reason for the friction coefficient decreasing finally is not fully understood but two major reasons might be attributed to the fluctuations in chemical composition and the influence of microstructural changes due to the elevated sintering pressure. The friction coefficient is between 0.5 and 0.7 (Figure 6(d)). Compared with the Cu counterpart, the friction coefficient is smaller, but there are partial adhesion marks on the surface of the Al counterpart. Ti₃AlC₂ displayed poor tribological properties when sliding against Al₂O₃ [30].

Figure 7(a) depicts the fluctuation in the friction coefficient of Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites sliding with the agate ball. With the increase of sintering pressure, the friction coefficient of synthetics and their agate counterparts first increases and then decreases. The abrasion width is larger for both the specimen and the agate ball (Figure 7(b)), presumably due to the occurrence of abrasive wear between the hard ceramic particles of the agate ball and the high-pressure sintered Ti₃AlC₂ or TiC particles. Similar behavior was confirmed for Ti₃AlC₂ composites with Al₂O₃, Si₃N₄, and SiC balls tested in dry air in reciprocating mode [31].

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Figure 7(c) depicts the change in friction coefficient of the Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites and the agate ball counterpart. With the increase of sintering pressure, the friction coefficient shows a gradually increasing variation trend. The friction coefficient of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites was similar to the friction coefficient of glass during the polishing process, in which the friction coefficient and load meet the positive ratio coefficient of 0.906 [32]. The friction coefficient of the test material of 2–4.5Gpa is relatively small, and the width of the test material abrasion marks is also much lower than that of the agate ball (Figure 7(d)).

3.4. Magnetic Properties of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC Composites

There is a controversy about the magnetic properties of Ti₃AlC₂, and to compare Ti₃AlC₂, the magnetic properties of the Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites were studied. A SQUID VSM was used to measure the magnetic moment followed by the applied magnetic field and temperature in a 1T applied magnetic field to see how the amount of etching influenced the magnetic properties. Figure 8 illustrates the Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites’ field-dependent magnetization at 2–300 K. The magnetization at 2 K and 7 T was 0.2017 emu/g for the Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites but reduced to 0.1758 emu/g at 300 K. Although the magnetization curve did not saturate at 7T, the larger magnetization in Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites proposed that it was ferromagnetic, which was similar to the reported Ti₃AlC₂ [33]. Moreover, the magnetization of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites sintered under high pressure is larger than that of commercial Ti₃AlC₂ powders (particle size >200 mesh) with a purity of 98%.

There is a debate about whether Ti₃AlC₂ is ferromagnetic or paramagnetic. It has been reported that Ti₃AlC₂ is paramagnetic [34]. Scheibe et al. noted that EPR spectra of their Ti₃AlC₂ sample exhibit a weak peak at 0.3–0.35 T (Figure 6 in reference [34]). In our data, changes in magnetization intensity of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites were found at 2 K in the 0.5-1 T magnetic field, but no fluctuations were captured from 10–300 K. The low-field signal associated with Ti³⁺ ions is weaker, but still noticeable in Ti₂AlC and Ti₃AlC₂ spectra [34].

In accordance with the M vs. H data (Figure 8), the M (T) behavior of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites at 1 T is shown in Figure 9, which reveals that it was essentially ferromagnetic. Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites have a lower magnetic intensity than single-phase Ti₃AlC₂. Migration and escape of Al atomic layers in synthetic Ti₃AlC₂ by thermal diffusion during high-pressure sintering [35], which led to the vanishingly intense (104) Ti₃AlC₂ X-ray reflection at 39° in Figure 2. This process is similar to the preparation of Ti₃C₂ by HF etching of Ti₃AlC₂. The comparison of the magnetic intensity of Ti₃AlC₂ and Ti₃C₂ at 2–300 K suggested that the presence of the Al atom layer might impact magnetic behavior and/or a magnetic phase transition [34].

3.5. Possible Mechanism of the Preparation of Ti₂AlC or Ti₃AlC₂ Composites

Ti₃AlC₂ solids were synthesized under different sintering pressures. To manufacture solid Ti₃AlC₂, a pressure of 40 MPa is needed in the hot press [36]. SPS (50–8 MPa pressure) [37] and HIP [38] apply higher pressure to improve the properties of Ti₃AlC₂. The lattice parameters of Ti₂AlC ( a-direction and c-direction) were studied under 50 GPa using a synchrotron radiation source, and they decreased with increasing applied pressure (Figure 2 in reference [39]).

Ti₃AlC₂ was discovered in the Ti-Al-C ternary system [40]. Starostina et al. [15] had synthesized Ti₂AlC-based composites from 3Ti/1.2Al/2C at 800–1200°C under 1–2 GPa. Earlier, the authors had successfully fabricated Ti₃SiC₂-cBN composites [16], and Ti₃AlC₂-cBN composites [14] under 4.5 GPa by HPHT. Li et al. fabricated Ti₃AlC₂-cBN [41] composites at 1350°C and Ti₃AlC₂-Al-cBN [42] composites at 1200–1500°C under 5.5 GPa. However, Qin et al. [35] reported that the raw materials of pure Ti₂AlC decomposed at above 1300°C and 3 GPa. It needs to indicate that the second phase (such as diamond, cBN, and TiC) can improve the stability of Ti₂AlC or Ti₃AlC₂ as shown in Figure 4(a).

The possible mechanism of stability enhancement is shown in Figure 4(b). In the second phase, TiC divides the binder Ti₂AlC or Ti₃AlC₂ into individually sealed units. The thermal diffusion of the Al atomic layer of Ti₂AlC or Ti₃AlC₂ is suppressed under high pressure. Thus, the stability of Ti₂AlC or Ti₃AlC₂ in the Ti₂AlC-based or Ti₃AlC₂-based composite is enhanced relative to that of pure Ti₂AlC or Ti₃AlC₂.

4. Conclusions

Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites were synthesized at 950°C and 2∼5 GPa from the mixture of Ti, Al, and TiC. XRD patterns show clear Ti₂AlC/Ti₃AlC₂ peaks and the peaks of residual TiC. SEM micrographs suggested the layered structure of Ti₃AlC₂ is a clear existence. The friction coefficient of synthetics with POM and PP friction couples is between 0.17 and 0.45, and the main wear mechanism is abrasive wear. The friction coefficients of the sintered material with Cu and Al paired pairs are more affected by the composition, and the main wear mechanism is adhesive wear. The width of the abrasion marks of the sintered and agate paired specimens is much larger than that of POM, PP, Cu, Al, and glass. The average friction coefficient of the synthetic and glass pairs gradually increases with increasing sintering pressure. Both agate and glass have abrasive wear as the main wear mechanism. The magnetization rate and magnetization intensity of synthetic Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC composites are greater than those of single-phase Ti₂AlC or Ti₃AlC₂, which may be related to the migration of Al atomic layers in the Ti₂AlC or Ti₃AlC₂ at high pressure. The stability of Ti₂AlC or Ti₃AlC₂ increases as the TiC matrix hinders the migration of Al atoms.

Data Availability

The data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Conflicts of Interest

There are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Acknowledgments

The present work was sponsored by the Natural Science Foundation of Henan (202300410296) and the Scientific Research Foundation of Henan for Returned Scholars (208007).

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Copyright © 2022 Liang Li and Yuqi Chen. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

The Influence of Sintering Pressure on the Preparation, Friction Properties, and Magnetic Properties of Ti2AlC-TiC and Ti3AlC2-TiC Composites Under High-Pressure and High-Temperature

Abstract

1. Introduction

2. Experimental Procedures

3. Results and Discussions

3.1. Thermodynamic Analysis

3.2. Composition and Microstructure Characterization of Synthetic Composites

3.3. Friction Properties of Ti2AlC-TiC and Ti3AlC2-TiC Composites

3.4. Magnetic Properties of Ti3AlC2-TiC Composites

3.5. Possible Mechanism of the Preparation of Ti2AlC or Ti3AlC2 Composites

4. Conclusions

Data Availability

Conflicts of Interest

Acknowledgments

References

Copyright

The Influence of Sintering Pressure on the Preparation, Friction Properties, and Magnetic Properties of Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC Composites Under High-Pressure and High-Temperature

3.3. Friction Properties of Ti₂AlC-TiC and Ti₃AlC₂-TiC Composites

3.4. Magnetic Properties of Ti₃AlC₂-TiC Composites

3.5. Possible Mechanism of the Preparation of Ti₂AlC or Ti₃AlC₂ Composites