DIFFRACTION STUDY ON THE THERMAL STABILITY OF $Ti3SiC2/TiC/TiSi2$ COMPOSITES IN VACUUM Available to Purchase

Titanium silicon carbide $(Ti3SiC2)$ possesses a unique combination of properties of both metals and ceramics, for it is thermally shock resistant, thermally and electrically conductive, damage tolerant, lightweight, highly oxidation resistant, elastically stiff, and mechanically machinable. In this paper, the effect of high vacuum annealing on the phase stability and phase transitions of $Ti3SiC2/TiC/TiSi2$ composites at up to 1550° C was studied using in‐situ neutron diffraction. The role of TiC and $TiSi2$ on the thermal stability of $Ti3SiC2$ during vacuum annealing is discussed. TiC reacts with $TiSi2$ between 1400–1450°C to form $Ti3SiC2.$ Above 1400° C, decomposition of $Ti3SiC2$ into TiC commenced and the rate increased with increased temperature and dwell time. Furthermore, the activation energy for the formation and decomposition of $Ti3SiC2$ was determined.