Microstructure and mechanical properties of short-carbon-fiber/Ti3SiC2 composites

Abstract Short-carbon-fibers (C sf ) reinforced Ti 3 SiC 2 matrix composites (C sf /Ti 3 SiC 2 , the C sf content was 0 vol%, 2 vol%, 5 vol%, and 10 vol%) were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) using Ti 3 SiC 2 powders and C sf as starting materials at 1300 °C. The effects of C sf addition on the phase compositions, microstructures, and mechanical properties (including hardness, flexural strength ( σ f ), and K IC ) of C sf /Ti 3 SiC 2 composites were investigated. The C sf , with bi-layered transition layers, i.e., TiC and SiC layers, were homogeneously distributed in the as-prepared C sf /Ti 3 SiC 2 composites. With the increase of C sf content, the K IC of C sf /Ti 3 SiC 2 composites increased, but the σ f decreased, and the Vickers hardness decreased initially and then increased steadily when the C sf content was higher than 2 vol%. These changed performances (hardness, σ f , and K IC ) could be attributed to the introduction of C sf and the formation of stronger interfacial phases.