Injection Molding and Near-Complete Densification of Monolithic and Al(2)O(3) Fiber-Reinforced Ti(2)AlC MAX Phase Composites

Near-net shape components composed of monolithic Ti(2)AlC and composites thereof, containing up to 20 vol.% Al(2)O(3) fibers, were fabricated by powder injection molding. Fibers were homogeneously dispersed and preferentially oriented, due to flow constriction and shear-induced velocity gradients. After a two-stage debinding procedure, the injection-molded parts were sintered by pressureless sintering at 1250 °C and 1400 °C under argon, leading to relative densities of up to 70% and 92%, respectively. In order to achieve near-complete densification, field assisted sintering technology/spark plasma sintering in a graphite powder bed was used, yielding final relative densities of up to 98.6% and 97.2% for monolithic and composite parts, respectively. While the monolithic parts shrank isotropically, composite assemblies underwent anisotropic densification due to constrained sintering, on account of the ceramic fibers and their specific orientation. No significant increase, either in hardness or in toughness, upon the incorporation of Al(2)O(3) fibers was observed. The 20 vol.% Al(2)O(3) fiber-reinforced specimen accommodated deformation by producing neat and well-defined pyramidal indents at every load up to a 30 kgf (~294 N).