Titanium Stannum carbide(Ti2SnC)
Ti2SnC ceramics is a new type of structure ceramics with special layer structure which
can be machined. It has both the excellent properties of metal and ceramic. Similar to
metal, it has the advantages of good electrical and thermal conductivity, machinability,
high damage tolerance and thermal shock resistance. Similar to ceramics, it has high
modulus of elasticity, high temperature resistance, oxidation resistance and corrosion
resistance. Based on the above advantages, Ti2SnC ceramics may be widely used
as matrix or reinforcement in aviation, aerospace, weapons and equipment, nuclear
industry, electronic information and other high-tech fields. Although Ti2SnC ceramics
has excellent comprehensive properties and broad application prospects, the preparation
of this material is difficult and the purity is difficult to control, so the application of Ti2SnC
ceramics is limited. As described in the literature (J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 96, No. 10, 2013),
Ti2SnC ceramics containing FexSny, Sn and TiC were obtained by adopting Fe as sintering
assistant agent and hot-pressing element mixing powder at 1150 °C and 50 MPa for 10 h.
As described in literature (J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 99, No.7, 2016), Ti, Sn and graphite were
used as raw materials and sintered at 1600 °C in a tube furnace with argon atmosphere
for 4 h to obtain Ti2SnC ceramics containing Sn and TiC impurities. The preparation method
described above has a long sintering time, and the impurities TiC and FexSny generated are
difficult to remove, which has a very adverse effect on the properties of Ti2SnC ceramics.
Therefore, the preparation of high purity Ti2SnC ceramics is of great significance for the
wide application of this material. At present, the preparation of high purity Ti2SnC ceramics
has not been reported publicly.