Fabrication and properties of silver-based composites reinforced with carbon-coated Ti₃AlC₂

Abstract

Ti₃AlC₂-reinforced Ag-based composites, which are used as sliding current collectors, electrical contacts, and electrode materials, exhibit remarkable performances. However, the interfacial reactions between Ag and Ti₃AlC₂ significantly degrade the electrical and thermal properties of these composites. To diminish these interfacial reactions, we fabricated carbon-coated Ti₃AlC₂ particles (C@Ti₃AlC₂) as reinforcement and prepared Ag-10wt%C@Ti₃AlC₂ composites with carbon-layer thicknesses ranging from 50–200 nm. Compared with the uncoated Ag-Ti₃AlC₂ composite, Ag-C@Ti₃AlC₂ was found to have a better distribution of Ti₃AlC₂ particles. With increases in the carbon-layer thickness, the Vickers hardness value and relative density of Ag-C@Ti₃AlC₂ gradually decreases. With a carbon-layer thickness of 150 nm, we obtained the lowest resistivity of Ag-C@Ti₃AlC₂ of 29.4 135.5×10^-9 Ω·m, which is half that of Ag-Ti₃AlC₂ (66.7 × 10^-9 Ω·m). The thermal conductivity of Ag-C@Ti₃AlC₂ reached a maximum value of 135.5 W·m^-1·K^-1 with a 200-nm carbon coating (~1.8 times that of Ag-Ti₃AlC₂). These results indicate that the carbon-coating method is a feasible strategy for improving the performance of Ag-C@Ti₃AlC₂ composites.

Keywords

silver-based composite / titanium aluminum carbide / carbon coating / interfacial reaction / properties

References

[1] Barsoum MW. The M _n+1AX_n phases: A new class of solids: Thermodynamically stable nanolaminates. Prog. Solid State Chem., 2000, 28(1-4): 201.

[2] Sun ZM. Progress in research and development on MAX phases: A family of layered ternary compounds. Int. Mater. Rev., 2011, 56(3): 143.

[3] Tzenov NV, Barsoum MW. Synthesis and characterization of Ti₃AlC₂. J. Am. Ceram. Soc., 2000, 83(4): 825.

[4] Barsoum MW, Yoo HI, Polushina IK, Rud’ VY, Rud’ YV, El-Raghy T. Electrical conductivity, thermopower, and Hall effect of Ti₃AlC₂, Ti₄AlN₃, and Ti₃SiC₂. Phys. Rev. B, 2000, 62(15): 10194.

[5] Wingert PC, Leung CH. The development of silver-based cadmium-free contact materials. IEEE Trans. Compon. Hybrids Manuf. Technol., 1989, 12(1): 16.

[6] Liu MM, Chen JL, Cui H, Liu SH, Sun XD, Xie M, Li XD. Temperature-driven deintercalation and structure evolution of Ag/Ti₃AlC₂ composites. Ceram. Int., 2018, 44(15): 18129.

[7] El-Raghy T, Barsoum MW, Sika M. Reaction of Al with Ti₃SiC₂ in the 800-1000°C temperature range. Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2001, 298(1-2): 174.

[8] Zhou CL, Wu XY, Ngai TL, Li LJ, Ngai S, Chen ZM. Al alloy/Ti₃SiC₂ composites fabricated by pressureless infiltration with melt-spun Al alloy ribbons. Ceram. Int., 2018, 44(6): 6026.

[9] Zhang Y, Sun ZM, Zhou YC. Cu/Ti₃SiC₂ composite: A new electrofriction material. Mater. Res. Innovations, 1999, 3(2): 80.

[10] Zhang J, Wang JY, Zhou YC. Structure stability of Ti₃AlC₂ in Cu and microstructure evolution of Cu-Ti₃AlC₂ composites. Acta Mater., 2007, 55(13): 4381.

[11] Ding JX, Tian WB, Wang DD, Zhang PG, Chen J, Zhang YM, Sun ZM. Microstructure evolution, oxidation behavior and corrosion mechanism of Ag/Ti₂SnC composite during dynamic electric arc discharging. J. Alloys Compd., 2019, 785, 1086.

[12] Okamoto T. Interfacial structure of metal-ceramic joints. ISIJ Int., 1990, 30(12): 1033.

[13] Akselsen OM. Diffusion bonding of ceramics. J. Mater. Sci., 1992, 27(3): 569.

[14] Eustathopoulos N. Dynamics of wetting in reactive metal/ceramic systems. Acta Mater., 1998, 46(7): 2319.

[15] Lu JR, Zhou Y, Zheng Y, Li HY, Li SB. Interface structure and wetting behaviour of Cu/Ti₃SiC₂ system. Adv. Appl. Ceram., 2015, 114(1): 39.

[16] Ngai TL, Zheng W, Li YY. Effect of sintering temperature on the preparation of Cu-Ti3SiC2 metal matrix composite. Prog. Nat. Sci.: Mater. Int., 2013, 23(1): 70.

[17] Zhou Y, Chen B, Wang X, Yan C. Mechanical properties of Ti3SiC2 particulate reinforced copper prepared by hot pressing of copper coated Ti3SiC2 and copper powder. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2004, 20(5): 661.

[18] Wang S, Zhu SY, Cheng J, Qiao ZH, Yang J, Liu WM. Microstructural, mechanical and tribological properties of Al matrix composites reinforced with Cu coated Ti₃AlC₂. J. Alloys Compd., 2017, 690, 612.

[19] Guan BY, Wang X, Xiao Y, Liu YL, Huo QS. A versatile cooperative template-directed coating method to construct uniform microporous carbon shells for multifunctional core-shell nanocomposites. Nanoscale, 2013, 5(6): 2469.

[20] Wang Q, Wang BY, Zhang Z, Zhang Y, Peng J, Zhang Y, Wu H. Tailoring yolk-shell FeP@carbon nanoboxes with engineered void space for pseudocapacitance-boosted lithium storage. Inorg. Chem. Front., 2018, 5(10): 2605.

[21] Huang PX, Tang SH, Peng H, Li X. In situ synthesis of graphitized-carbon coated Li4Ti5O12/C anode for high-rate lithium ion batteries. Mater. Sci. Forum, 2015, 814, 358.

[22] Ding J, Tian WB, Zhang P, Zhang M, Zhang YM, Sun ZM. Arc erosion behavior of Ag/Ti₃AlC₂ electrical contact materials. J. Alloys Compd., 2018, 740, 669.

[23] Zhang M, Tian WB, Zhang PG, Ding JX, Zhang YM, Sun ZM. Microstructure and properties of Ag-Ti₃SiC₂ contact materials prepared by pressureless sintering. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2018, 25(7): 810.

[24] Wang DD, Tian WB, Ma AB, Ding JX, Wang CS, You YY, Zhang PG, Chen J, Zhang YM, Sun ZM. Anisotropic properties of Ag/Ti₃AlC₂ electrical contact materials prepared by equal channel angular pressing. J. Alloys Compd., 2019, 784, 431.

[25] Pan LM, Gu J, Zou WJ, Qiu T, Zhang HB, Yang J. Brazing joining of Ti₃AlC₂ ceramic and 40Cr steel based on Ag-Cu-Ti filler metal. J. Mater. Process. Technol., 2018, 251, 181.

[26] Liu MM, Chen JL, Cui H, Sun XD, Liu SH, Xie M. Ag/Ti₃AlC₂ composites with high hardness, high strength and high conductivity. Mater. Lett., 2018, 213, 269.