Fabrication of SiCw/Ti3SiC2 composites with improved thermal conductivity and mechanical properties using spark plasma sintering
Xiaobing Zhou, Lei Jing, Yong Duk Kwon, Jin‐Young Kim, Zhengren Huang, Dang‐Hyok Yoon, Jaehyung Lee, Qing Huang
Abstract
Abstract High strength SiC whisker-reinforced Ti 3 SiC 2 composites (SiC w /Ti 3 SiC 2 ) with an improved thermal conductivity and mechanical properties were fabricated by spark plasma sintering. The bending strength of 10 wt% SiC w /Ti 3 SiC 2 was 635 MPa, which was approximately 50% higher than that of the monolithic Ti 3 SiC 2 (428 MPa). The Vickers hardness and thermal conductivity ( k ) also increased by 36% and 25%, respectively, from the monolithic Ti 3 SiC 2 by the incorporation of 10 wt% SiC w . This remarkable improvement both in mechanical and thermal properties was attributed to the fine-grained uniform composite microstructure along with the effects of incorporated SiC w . The SiC w /Ti 3 SiC 2 can be a feasible candidate for the in-core structural application in nuclear reactors due to the excellent mechanical and thermal properties.