T3SiC2 bulks have been synthesized by infiltrating Si liquid into porous precursor pellets composed of solid Ti and C powders. Silicon pellets were placed at the bottom of the precursor pellets as the liquid source. The starting compositions can be represented by the formula 3Ti + 2C + xSi, where x = 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6, respectively. The phase formation and microstructure of the bulks were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results demonstrated that the Ti/C precursor pellet could only react with Si completely when the x value is 1.6. Large, a purity of above 95wt% Ti3SiC2 bulk of up to 50 mm in diameter was obtained by this method.
Shan Di, Yan Guo, Zhou Lian, Li Chengshan, Wang Qingyang, Xiong Xiaomei Northwest Institute for Nonferrous Metal Research, Xi’an 710016, China