Damage tolerance of Ti3SiC2 to high energy iodine irradiation

► In this paper, it was the first time to find that a TiC or/and 3C-SiC (cubic β) nanocrystalline phase was formed under high fluence 2 MeV I2+ irradiation to Ti3SiC2 MAX phase. ► However, a complete phase decomposition by irradiation did not take place even at 10.3 dpa. ► Post irradiation annealing to temperatures of 500-800 °C results in crystal regrowth of Ti3SiC2 and TiC phases