Low temperature and pressureless synthesis of high-purity Ti3SiC2 MAX phase from TiC via κ-Al2O3 addition through reactive melt infiltration

Ti 3 SiC 2 MAX phase with a purity of up to 98 vol%, comparable to the purity of commercial Ti 3 SiC 2 prepared by Hot Pressing (HP), was synthesized by Reactive Melt Infiltration (RMI) in this work, overcoming the inherent shortcoming of RMI products' poor purity. Compared with HP Ti 3 SiC 2 , the lower preparation temperature and pressure-free fabrication of high-purity RMI Ti 3 SiC 2 make it promising for applications in the Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs), especially for complex shaped CMCs parts. This work systematically studied the generation mechanism of Ti 3 SiC 2 with the help of κ-Al 2 O 3 during the RMI process, which enables the successful production of high-purity Ti 3 SiC 2 . The toughening mechanism of Ti 3 SiC 2 in Ti 3 SiC 2 composites was also characterized and analyzed. This work attempts to provide a new idea for introducing high-purity ceramic phase into CMCs by RMI process.