Fabrication of AluminumCeramic Skeleton Composites Based
on the Ti₂AlC MAX Phase by SHS Compaction

A. F. Fedotov^a,*, A. P. Amosov^b,**, E. I. Latukhin^a,***, and V. A. Novikov^a,****

^aSamara State Technical University, ul. Molodogvardeiskaya 244, Samara, 443100 Russia

^bSamara State Aerospace University, Moskovskoe sh. 34, Samara, 443086 Russia

*e-mail: a.fedotov50@mail.ru

**e-mail: egundor@yandex.ru

***e-mail: evgelat@yandex.ru

****e-mail: vladislav_novyi@mail.ru

Received June 5, 2015; in final form, July 26, 2015; accepted for publication August 31, 2015

Abstract—A one-stage manufacturing technology of aluminum–ceramic skeleton composites by combining
the processes of self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) of a porous skeleton formed by the MAX
phase of the Ti₂AlC composition and its impregnation by the aluminum melt under pressure (SHS compaction)
is considered. A composition of the exothermic charge 2Ti + C + 22.5 wt % Al + 10 wt % TiH₂, which provides
the formation of a porous skeleton of the Ti₂AlC phase without impurity phases by the SHS technology, is
selected. It is shown that, when impregnating the hot SHS skeleton with aluminum, new phases are formed such
as the MAX phase (Ti₃AlC₂), titanium carbide (TiC), and titanium aluminide (Al₃Ti). However, the content of
the basic MAX phase remains high, and the ceramic component of the material consists of Ti₂AlC by 76%.
When analyzing the microstructure, it is revealed that the composite has certain residual porosity after impreg-
nation and cooling. The influence of the impregnation pressure (q = 22, 28, and 35MPa) on the distribution of
the aluminum content over the height and radius of the diametral sample section is investigated experimentally.
It is shown that the nonuniform Al distribution over the sample bulk is caused by the nonuniform pressure and
temperature fields, as well as the different compactibility of hot inner and colder outer sample parts. The degree
of compaction of characteristic zones is leveled as the impregnation pressure increases, and the composition
inhomogeneity over the sample bulk decreases. The difference in aluminum concentration over the sample bulk
at q = 35 MPa does not exceed 5%. The SHS-compacted aluminum–ceramic skeleton composite based on the
Ti₂AlC MAX phase corresponds to high-strength Al@@Zn–Mg–Cu aluminum alloys by the hardness level
(HB 150 kg/mm²).

Keywords: aluminum–ceramic composite, skeleton, self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS), MAX
phase, pressure impregnation

DOI: 10.3103/S1067821216010053

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