Improvement in mechanical/physical properties of TiC-based ceramics sintered at 1500 °C for inert matrix fuels

Dense TiC-based ceramics were obtained at 1500 °C by hot pressing, benefiting from Ti and Si additives in the TiC matrix. The in-situ formed Ti3SiC2 platelet grains refined TiC grains and reinforced the obtained ceramics. The TiC–20 vol.% Ti3SiC2 ceramic exhibits a much higher flexural strength of 1003 MPa, compared with 450 MPa of the pure TiC ceramic. Owing to the formation of continuous heat-conducting paths by the bridged Ti3SiC2 platelet, a high thermal conductivity over 33 W/m · k was measured in TiC–40 vol.% Ti3SiC2 at 500 °C, which is nearly 1.5 times than that in the pure TiC ceramics with a similar grain size.

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