Fabrication of Ti3AlC2/Al2O3 nanocomposite by a novel method

A Ti3AlC2/Al2O3 nanocomposite was synthesized using Ti, Al, C and TiO2 as raw materials by a novel combination of high-energy milling and hot pressing. The reaction path of the 3Ti-8C-16Al-9TiO2 mixture of powders was investigated, and the results show that the transitional phases TiC, TixAly and Al2O3 are formed in high-energy milling first, and then TixAly is transformed to the TiAl phase during the hot pressing. Finally, a reaction between TiC and TiAl occurs to produce Ti3AlC2 and the nanosized Ti3AlC2/Al2O3 composite is synthesized. The Ti3AlC2/Al2O3 composite possessed a good combination of mechanical properties with a hardness of 6.0 GPa, a flexural strength of 600 MPa, and a fracture toughness (K1C) of 5.8 MPa?m1/2. The strengthening and toughening mechanisms were also discussed.