Synthesis of Porous Ti2SnC from TiH2-Sn-TiC/Graphite Powders in Tube Furnace

Titanium tin carbide (Ti2SnC) is a member a MAX phases, which are ternary carbides or nitrides with layered structure. Ti powders are normally used as Ti source to synthesize Ti2SnC. In this paper, TiH2, a relative cheaper Ti source, was used to synthesize Ti2SnC. Ti2SnC was synthesized from TiH2/Sn/TiC or TiH2/Sn/graphite powders by a tube furnace at different temperatures under Ar atmosphere. From the analysis of X-ray diffraction results, the lowest temperature to synthesize Ti2SnC was 1000 °C. Ti2SnC content increased with temperature, and high purity Ti2SnC was fabricated at 1200 °C. From scanning electron microscopy, as-synthesized Ti2SnC from TiH2/Sn/TiC was with plate-like structure. However, for Ti2SnC from graphite as carbon source, there was some stripe microstructure. Some large pores existed between the Ti2SnC particles. The existence of the pores make the mechanical properties of Ti2SnC block significantly reduced, its compressive strength was only 0.483 MPa or 0.35 MPa respectively for samples synthesized from TiC or graphite as carbon source. The low mechanical properties make the porous sample easy to be broken as powders.