Investigation into the Structure Formation and Properties of Materials in the Copper-Titanium Disilicide System

摘要

The structure formation and properties during infiltration, free sintering, and spark-plasma sintering in Cu-(12.5-37.5 vol %) powder materials Ti3SiC2 are investigated by electron microscopy, X-ray phase analysis, and energy-dispersion analysis. The independence of the phase composition of composite materials (CMs) on the sintering method and temperature in a range of 900-1200A degrees C is established. The peculiarities of formation of the CM structure during sintering are the intercalation of silicon from titanium carbosilicide and the formation of a carbon solid solution based on Ti5Si3(C) titanium disilicide, small amounts of titanium carbide, silicon carbide, and TiSi2 silicide. An increase in Ti3SiC2 in the CM certainly lowers electrical conductivity, but considerably increases the hardness, strength, and electroerosion wear resistance of CM electrodes for electroerosion broaching.