Biomass-derived nano-laminated Ti(3)SiC(2) MAX phase

Carbide-based MAX phases, titanium silicon carbide (Ti(3)SiC(2)), were synthesized with Ti, Si, and C elements using a sintering process. Eggshell membranes, which have been generally dumped as domestic wastes, were used as carbon sources in starting materials. After a sintering process at 1500 °C, Ti(3)SiC(2) phases were mainly formed with a few secondary phases such as TiSi(2) and TiC(x). The formation and extinction of secondary phases were influenced by the quantities of Si contents in starting materials, which also affected the peak shifts of the Ti(3)SiC(2) phase in X-ray diffraction spectra. The possible mechanism of this phenomenon was proposed, and the thermoelectric properties of products were also investigated.