Efficient synthesis of Ti3AlC2 powders with high purity by microwave-assisted molten salt method

In this work, Ti 3 AlC 2 powders with high purity were prepared by microwave-assisted molten salt method (MA-MS). The synthesis parameters (such as raw materials ratio, heating temperature and reactant materials) and the formation mechanisms were systematically investigated. The results indicate that Ti 3 AlC 2 powders with a high purity up to 98.5% are prepared using TiH 2 /Al/1.8TiC mixture as reactant materials, and NaCl–KCl as molten salt by microwave-assisted heating at 1050 °C for 30 min. Compared with traditional heating methods, both the synthesis temperature and holding time of highly pure Ti 3 AlC 2 powders synthesized in this work are much milder. This high-efficiency synthesis approach could be ascribed to the synergistic effect of molten salt and microwave heating. Moreover, the TiH 2 –Al–TiC starting material is more suitable for the rapid synthesis of Ti 3 AlC 2 powders with high purity via present microwave-assisted molten salt method than that TiH 2 –Al–C.