Study of the mechanical properties of Ti₂AlC after thermal shock

The ternary carbides and nitrides, known as MAX phases combine the attractive properties of both ceramics and metals; for example the Ti₂AlC ceramics examined in this work have attracted attention for aerospace applications. In the current work Ti₂AlC ceramics were subjected to high level thermal shock (δT=1100 °C) from a temperature of 1200 °C with a cooling rate of more than 90 °C/sec. After the thermal shock process the mechanical properties and the microstructure were investigated. Combined thermal shock and mechanical loading with an applied stress of 0, 50, 100 and 150 MPa was examined and in all cases the samples maintained their microstructure without any micro-cracks or phase change as observed. Compression testing of all samples to failure indicated that their mechanical properties did not show any deterioration in the testing range examined. Such ceramic materials therefore show potential for high temperature and high load applications.