Synthesis reactions for Ti3AlC2 through pulse discharge sintering TiH2/Al/C powder mixture

Ternary compound Ti3AlC2 was synthesized through pulse discharge sintering (PDS) the powder mixture of TiH2/Al/C without preliminary dehydrogenation. The synthesis mechanism of Ti3AlC2 was revealed to be completed via the reactions among the intermediate phases of Ti3Al, TiAl3, TiAl, TiC and Ti2AlC, as well as the starting reactants. In comparison with the materials synthesized from TiH2/Al/TiC or Ti/Al/C powder mixtures, more impurity phases were found in the synthesized Ti3AlC2. Analysis of the sintering curves as well as the intermediate phase formation during the reactive sintering process revealed that incomplete dehydrogenation of TiH2 postponed the formation of intermediate phases, which in turn resulted in final products with more impurity phases.