Research On Pressure-less Sintering Preparation Of TiCx/Fe-Al Composites

Fe based ceramic composites are wildely welcomed because of its combination of the advantages of metal and ceramics. The previous hot pressing studies about TiCx/Fe-Al composites were carried out in laboratory. However, it needs to realize the preparation of pressure-less sintering in order to put the application of this material into the industry. So the main aim of this article is to fabricate TiCx/Fe-Al composites. Therefore mixed the Ti3AIC2and Fe powder, and made the body material under different moluding pressures, afterwards sintered at different temperature by pressure-less sintering. At lats, the bulk composites were fabricated, and then test its phase constituition, observe its SEM and test the Brinell Hardness. At last the conclusion is following:a) TiCx/Fe-Al composites were successfully fabricated under different pressure-less sintering technology.b) The only two phases were TiCx and Fe-Al, detected by the XRD. As for the relationship between the microstructure and the performace of the materials and the processing parameter, it came to the result:with the increasing of the temperature, the Molding pressure and the decreasing of the ratios of Ti3AlC2, the microstructure of the materials turns to be more coMPact, the reinforcement tends to distribute more evenly, and the Brinell Hardness values increased.c) The Al element appears more near the holes and TiCx, and it shows different form when combines with Fe under different temperature. At1200℃, Al elements combine with the Fe matrix in a form of fusion welding; while, at1300℃and1400℃, Al distributes evenly in the whole Fe matrix in the form of solid solution.d) The defect in the materials can be eliminated by improve the moulding pressure or low the ratios of the Ti3AlC2, as they are caused mainly by the processing of the decomposition of TisAlC2as well as its reaction with Fe.