Influence of MXene (TiC) Phase Addition on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Silicon Nitride Ceramics.

This paper discusses the influence of TiC (MXene) addition on silicon nitride and its impact on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the latter. Composites were prepared through powder processing and sintered using the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technic. Relative density, hardness and fracture toughness, were analyzed. The highest fracture toughness at 5.3 MPa·m and the highest hardness at HV5 2217 were achieved for 0.7 and 2 wt.% TiC, respectively. Moreover, the formation of the SiNO phase was observed as a result of both the MXene addition and the preservation of the α-SiN→β-SiN phase transformation during the sintering process.