Fabrication of SiCw/Ti3SiC2 composites with improved thermal conductivity and mechanical properties using spark plasma sintering

High strength SiC whisker-reinforced Ti3SiC2 composites(SiCw/Ti3SiC2)with an improved thermal conductivity and mechanical properties were fabricated by spark plasma sintering.The bending strength of 10 wt%SiCw/Ti3SiC2 was 635 MPa,which was approximately 50%higher than that of the monolithic Ti3SiC2(428 MPa).The Vickers hardness and thermal conductivity(k)also increased by 36%and 25%,respectively,from the monolithic Ti3SiC2 by the incorporation of 10 wt%SiCw.This remarkable improvement both in mechanical and thermal properties was attributed to the fine-grained uniform composite microstructure along with the effects of incorporated SiCw.The SiCw/Ti3SiC2 can be a feasible candidate for the in-core structural application in nuclear reactors due to the excellent mechanical and thermal properties.