Mechanical properties and toughening mechanisms of highly textured Ti3AlC2 composite material

Composite material consisting of Al2O3 and TiC in a matrix of highly textured Ti3AlC2 was fabricated in a two-step fabrication process. The Lotgering orientation factor for {00 l} planes of Ti3AlC2 in the textured top surface plane reached 0.71. Texture analysis showed an orientation relationship among Ti3AlC2, Al2O3 and TiC grains of [110] Ti3AlC2 // [110] TiC, (001) Ti3AlC2 // (111) TiC, and [110] Ti3AlC2 // [120] Al2O3, (001) Ti3AlC2 // (001) Al2O3. The texture grained material exhibited excellent mechanical properties, with compressive and flexural strengths of more than 2.5 times those of conventional coarse grained Ti3AlC2, and fracture toughness and hardness were 50% higher than those of conventional coarse grained Ti3AlC2. The microstructures of textured Ti3AlC2 and reported textured Ti2AlC were investigated and compared to interpret the differences in mechanical behavior of the two textured MAX phases.