Synthesis, sintering and characterization of Al2O 3-TiC nano-composites powders from carbon coated precursors.

摘要

Synthesis, sintering and characterization of Al2O3-TiC nano-composite powders from carbon coated precursors were investigated. Degussa P-25 titanium dioxide, Cabot carbon black, and Alfa Aesar aluminum were the initial starting powders. Hydrocarbon gas (C3H6) was used as the carbon source for the carbon coated precursors. Analytical methods employed in this research were BET surface area measurement, X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Vickers hardness tester, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For Al2O3-TiC formation studies, three different types of precursors which are carbon coated TiO2/Al mixture, mixture of carbon coated TiO2 and Al, and standard mixture of TiO 2, Al, and carbon black were prepared to examine formation mechanism reaction. The carbon coated TiO2/Al mixture dramatically changed the reaction mechanism and produced high quality nanosize Al2O 3-TiC powders. XRD and BET results showed that the carbon coated TiO 2/Al synthesized at 1200°C had only Al2O3 and TiC phases with high surface area about 22m2/g which were formed via intermediate phases of Ti2O3 and Al 3Ti. TEM results showed that the produced Al2O3-TiC powders had fine particle size (20--80 nm), narrow particle size distribution, and freely agglomerated. DSC curve and XRD results of the carbon coated TiO 2/Al mixture also showed that there were two endothermic and three successive weak exothermic reactions because released heat was controlled by the carbon coating. Experimentally determined the first exothermic reaction 5Al + 3TiO 2 → Al2O3 + Ti2O3 + Al3Ti which was compared with theoretical explanation model and they were found to be in agreement. Sintering behavior of nano-size Al 2O3-TiC synthesized from carbon coated precursors was investigated in Al2O3-TiC-MgO system using pressureless sintering and hot-pressing methods. After pressureless sintering, MgO doped Al 2O3-20wt.%TiC resulted in 98% of theoretical density (TD) with relatively low sintering temperature and heating rate. After hot pressing, the as-produced powder without sintering additives was found to be greater than 99% of TD, with submicron grain size. The Vickers hardness and fracture toughness of the sintered composites were determined by indentation methods. These values for the sintered composites, obtained from both sintering methods, were comparable with these of commercially available composites.