Pressureless manufacturing of Cr2AlC compound and the temperature effect

Abstract

In this work, facile pressureless sintering process is explored to manufacture the promising Cr2AlC MAX phase material, using three elemental powders as starting materials. The powders are mixed in a molar ratio of Cr:Al:C = 2:1.2:1, and ball-milled for particle refinement and homogenization. The powder mixture is sintered at differing temperatures from 1000 to 1400°C without applying pressure. Highly pure Cr2AlC MAX phase is obtained from sintering at 1200°C. The Cr2AlC compound shows laminated microstructures and high crystal quality. At other temperatures, significant amounts of secondary phases are observed. The optimized Cr2AlC compound exhibits a metallic behavior and superior oxidation resistance. The simple manufacturing method of Cr2AlC MAX phase developed in this work may also be applied for fabrication of a wider range of MAX phases. © 2020 Taylor & Francis.